MIAMI, Florida – My little brother, an electrical contractor, is notorious for once having pulled over to the side of Canada’s busiest highway during rush hour – and unloading the entire contents of his cube van to retrieve a rattling screwdriver trapped behind the tool boxes.
I can’t help thinking of this story as I check out the storage area of the new Nissan NV, fitted with neat, sturdy cabinets. Flush against the van’s straight walls, they leave no wasted space – and nowhere for an errant screwdriver to escape to.
Last year, almost 22% of Nissan’s sales globally were commercial vehicles – vans, clipper trucks, buses and cab-overs. Canada is the last market in which Nissan will enter this segment, with a new commercial van designed to make life easier for the small business owner.
The Nissan NV (for Nissan Van – clever huh?) was designed from scratch over a period of six years. The company claims the NV is the “most researched vehicle in Nissan’s history” identifying the target customer as a busy self-employed contractor or small business owner dissatisfied with what the market had to offer. It’s a small segment – the only competitors the NV will go up against when it’s released here in March are offerings from GM and Ford with 49 and 43% of the market respectively, and the Mercedes Sprinter with 10%. Although the full-size van market was hit hard during the recession, it appears to be recovering nicely, and Nissan’s aiming for a share of the 26,000 vehicles it estimates Canadians will buy in 2011.
By blending the comfort of a pickup truck with the convenience of a cargo van, the NV has created a rolling office space featuring many small innovations designed to save valuable time.
Built on a fully-boxed, commercial duty frame, the NV is offered in three models (1500, 2500 HD and 3500 HD) with two platforms: Standard Roof providing 6,629L of cargo volume – and High Roof (available only on 2500 and 3500 models) offering 9,149L of space.
The NV claims a maximum tow weight of up to 9,500 lbs.
There are two engine choices: a 4.0 litre V6 with 262 hp and 281 lb. ft. of torque (from the Frontier) and the same mill found in the Titan pickup – the 5.6 litre V8 with 317 hp and 385 lb. ft. of torque. They’re both mated to a 5-speed automatic transmission.
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| The company claims the NV is the “most researched vehicle in Nissan’s history” identifying the target customer as a busy self-employed contractor or small business owner dissatisfied with what the market had to offer. (Photo: Lesley Wimbush/Auto123.com) |
I can’t help thinking of this story as I check out the storage area of the new Nissan NV, fitted with neat, sturdy cabinets. Flush against the van’s straight walls, they leave no wasted space – and nowhere for an errant screwdriver to escape to.
Last year, almost 22% of Nissan’s sales globally were commercial vehicles – vans, clipper trucks, buses and cab-overs. Canada is the last market in which Nissan will enter this segment, with a new commercial van designed to make life easier for the small business owner.
The Nissan NV (for Nissan Van – clever huh?) was designed from scratch over a period of six years. The company claims the NV is the “most researched vehicle in Nissan’s history” identifying the target customer as a busy self-employed contractor or small business owner dissatisfied with what the market had to offer. It’s a small segment – the only competitors the NV will go up against when it’s released here in March are offerings from GM and Ford with 49 and 43% of the market respectively, and the Mercedes Sprinter with 10%. Although the full-size van market was hit hard during the recession, it appears to be recovering nicely, and Nissan’s aiming for a share of the 26,000 vehicles it estimates Canadians will buy in 2011.
By blending the comfort of a pickup truck with the convenience of a cargo van, the NV has created a rolling office space featuring many small innovations designed to save valuable time.
Built on a fully-boxed, commercial duty frame, the NV is offered in three models (1500, 2500 HD and 3500 HD) with two platforms: Standard Roof providing 6,629L of cargo volume – and High Roof (available only on 2500 and 3500 models) offering 9,149L of space.
The NV claims a maximum tow weight of up to 9,500 lbs.
There are two engine choices: a 4.0 litre V6 with 262 hp and 281 lb. ft. of torque (from the Frontier) and the same mill found in the Titan pickup – the 5.6 litre V8 with 317 hp and 385 lb. ft. of torque. They’re both mated to a 5-speed automatic transmission.
 |
| There are two engine choices: a 4.0 litre V6 with 262 hp and 281 lb. ft. of torque and a 5.6 litre V8 with 317 hp and 385 lb. ft. of torque. (Photo: Lesley Wimbush/Auto123.com) |