Australian Nissan enthusiasts and dealers have long lamented the lack of a commercial van in the range. However Nissan Japan continues to be at the forefront – the van market in Japan and South-East Asia is massive and an all-new model called NV350 will debut next month at the Tokyo Motor Show ahead of Japanese market launch next year.
The Nissan NV350 features clean, modern lines, a 3.0-metre cargo length, petrol and diesel engines and push-button start (a world first for vans and sure to be appreciated by commercial operators like courier drivers).
As vans go, the looks are impressive and again highlight some serious ‘design-smarts’ from Nissan. Unlike the more boxy van designs from Europe, the Nissan NV350 runs rounded corner panels front and rear plus concave quarter panels above the wheels. To remove wind noise and emphasize the clean lines, Nissan deleted the drip channel from the roof edge.
Inside, Nissan has boosted interior space and practicality by adopting a foot-operated parking brake and moving the gear lever to the dashboard. The Nissan NV350 runs nice, textured seats and silver trim for the steering wheel and instrument cluster.
Nissan Australia has stated many times it would like a van to plug the obvious gap in its model lineup but only if the price was right. Let’s cross fingers and toes the locals can negotiate a good deal for the NV350.
