“No Ordinary Bakkie” Nissan NP200 Upgrades Its Warranty to 6yrs/150 000km and Is First to Offer ABS/EBD and Dual Airbags on Entry Models.

2018/03/15

Nissan SA has been a leading player in the light commercial vehicle (LCV) market for over 7 decades, and today boasts the most comprehensive LCV line up in the local market. With solutions for every customer requirement, ranging from the range-topping, incredibly durable go-anywhere Patrol 4X4 Pickup, through to the KingKab and double cab variants of the Navara range with its immense towing capacity and the ever-reliable NP300 Hardbody 1-ton workhorses, right down to the bedrock of this extensive product offering, the NP200 half-ton bakkie, Nissan consistently delivers LCVs which maintain leading positions across every sub-segment of the LCV market.

To further entrench their commercial credentials, Nissan SA has just announced that the Nissan NP200 now comes with  6yr/150 000km warranty upgraded from the original 3yr/100 000km. In addition to the extended warranty, the NP200 line-up will offer more specification enhncements, and this without sacrificing on any of the core qualities – legendary reliability, utmost working capability, and the ability to also excel during leisure time. The revised lineup continues to offer these enduring qualities, but adds class-leading levels of safety across the range.

These impressive core capabilities have already netted the NP200 some impressive accolades. It achieved record market share in June 2010 having grabbed 30% of the market in less than two years on sale, and has stormed into the market leadership position in the upper echelon of this hard-fought segment, where its more leisure-oriented qualities such as alluring styling and emotive engine performance are integral to its domination of this section of the market from November 2009 through to December 2010.

The first-generation product lineup holds a strong market position, despite the intense competition which exists in the segment. The revised NP200 lineup is sure to boost this position and add a new level of competitiveness to the segment benchmark.

Comments Vinod Thomas, Nissan SA Product Manager for NP200; “Our NP200 has been a great success already in the short time since it was launched locally, but these revisions place it on a whole other plane compared to the competition. With this, easily the most comprehensive half-ton product lineup anywhere in the market today, we’re adopting a very challenging, `Bring it on’ stance towards our competitors, as the NP200 certainly has what it takes to dominate over existing and potential new entrants into the marketplace.”

The new, revised NP200 range now adds yet another accolade for Nissan SA to be proud of – the safest half-ton bakkie with unrivalled peace of mind and overall confidence in the segment today. They also remain the best value proposals, boast the largest and strongest load boxes, and are considered to be the most reliable, the most fuel-efficient, the best-performing and the best-looking bakkies an owner could consider. The NP200 is undoubtedly the half-tonner capable of fulfilling all your needs.

Safety first

In a pioneering move, the value-driven, entry-level NP200 1.6 8V models are now available with air-conditioning for the comfort of driver and passenger, as well as a full safety pack incorporating driver and passenger airbags for utmost occupant protection, as well as full ABS with EBD as standard for maintaining control in emergency-braking situations. Nissan has inaugurated the half-ton segment with offering this level of safety on the entry grades as standard.

Of course these additions enhance a package which already offers hugely appealing features. The NP200 boasts the best load box dimensions in the segment, and comes standard with a rubberised load area to ensure that even with the full, and equally impressive 800kg of payload being carried damage and unsightly scratches to this area are eliminated.

In addition to being the hardest-working half-ton offering in the segment, the NP200 is also enduringly affordable to purchase and run. The NP200 range starts at just R109 400, and even more importantly over the long-term delivers appreciable running-cost savings with a superb fuel consumption index of just 8.1l/100km for the lowest cost per kilometer, while its famous reliability ensures that maintenance costs are kept to an absolute minimum

These new variants ensure that customers can not only rest assured that they have invested in the most practical, most durable, and most fully-featured half-ton bakkie on the market, they are also ensuring that the operators of these vehicles remain comfortable and alert even in our scorching South African summers, and can relax in the knowledge that they are driving the safest bakkie in the class, backed by an unprecedented 6yr/150 000km warranty.

“These revisions come as part of our policy to adapt to customer trends in a proactive manner. With fleet operators are becoming more and more aware of their drivers’ safety and the clear benefits thereof to their operations, the addition of ABS / EBD and dual airbags even to the entry grades in the range, just reaffirms our customer-oriented philosophy. And despite the added features, customers and fleet operators alike will appreciate that we’ve maintained the strong value offering the NP200 is synonymous with, as it offers so many class-leading capabilities for a very affordable initial outlay” adds Thomas.

Passengers too!

As well as these expanded base-model variants, the new NP200 range sees all mid-spec “S” models upgraded to dual-airbag arrangements, from the driver-only setup of earlier models. So in the event of any misfortune, the new NP200 will try its hardest to prevent harm coming to either cabin passenger.

Adds Thomas; “Adding the second airbag to `S’ variants significantly improves the overall safety of the NP200, particularly for the passenger! We’ve recognised that owners and operators of these exceptional vehicles often either need to have an additional pair of arms with them to load it up to full capacity, or are out socialising after the work day has ended and have a friend or partner in the vehicle with them who they would also like to have protected should an incident occur. And the added cost of standardising on the dual-airbag setup has been kept absolutely negligible.”

Diesel Power

Already the winner of the December 2009 “Best diesel bakkie award” from the respected Car and Wiel magazines, the 1.5-litre dCi-powered NP200 didn’t have a lot left to prove. But Nissan SA understands that just because you’re at the top is no reason to become complacent – if anything class leaders must improve even faster than the competitors to avoid having this precarious position usurped!

For this reason, the company has added both air-con and the same safety pack available on the 1.6-litre 8V petrol models comes standard on the entry-level dCi variant as well, adding enhanced comfort and category-leading occupant safety to the model’s long list of existing accolades. A wise decision, especially given that the power plant delivers the most power, torque, and best performance statistics of any other vehicle in the half-ton segment!

In addition to being undeniably sporty in character, this NP200 derivative is also by some margin the “greenest” half-tonner available. With a combined average fuel consumption of just 5.3l/100km, and a CO2 rating of 140 g/km, the NP200 dCi is a poster child for high performance through efficient engineering! Having a mammoth 200Nm of torque to call on also makes carrying a full load that much easier to cope with, particularly on a route laden with differing gradients.

Maximum style

These new base model and midrange S variants continue to bolster the ambitions of the fun-friendly SE range-topping models, available with either dCi or peppy 1.6 16V petrol engines. The high-spec SE NP200 delivers the same vast amount of practicality, efficiency, and legendary robustness as cheaper variants, but adds significantly more style in to this mixture particularly for younger purchasers who love their bakkies and like to see them looking their absolute best.

With higher-quality interior, more gleaming chrome work in the form of glistening side bars, roll bars and a proudly shining front end treatment, and a set of tasteful alloy wheels which offset the other visual addenda perfectly, NP200 SE models easily stand out in any crowd. Beneath this image-oriented exterior beats the same irrepressible heart which Nissan 1400 Champ owners will instantly recognise, but in the case of SE models this tough core is most certainly all dressed up with somewhere fun and invigorating to go at the end of the work day!

The best in class by all measures

The Nissan NP200 is the end result was a vehicle which managed to capture the core essence of the 1400 legend and package it into a much more modern, more stylish, and even more capable product. The NP200 was released with the largest load box dimensions in the class, the highest maximum permissible load for a half-tonner at a staggering 800kg, and three engine options each of which produce more than ample torque while also being the most conservative consumers of fuel in their respective classes.

Johan Kleynhans, Nissan SA Director of Sales, and Marketing and Aftersales concludes; “The NP200 line up is now by far the most complete half-ton LCV offering in the market today, and as such is ready to not only to retain our extensive customer base, but also stands fully equipped against as the ultimate package to welcome new customers to the Nissan LCV family.”

“We at Nissan SA are extremely proud of our rich LCV heritage and our exceptional lineup in this market, which is why we proactively ensure that our vehicles not only live up to but exceed the standards set in their segments as part of our extremely comprehensive long-term LCV strategies. The revised NP200 range comprises of the best half-ton bakkies we know how to make, delivered to the customer at the most appealing prices, and that’s a combination which is a near impossible act for any of our competitors to follow!”  

The new NP200 model range

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