Nissan has officially taken the wraps off its NV200 - a van that has been designed to be one of the most economical vehicles in its class to buy and run.
Previously, Nissan LCV sales were based on re-badged Renault vans, but the NV200 has been designed in-house, with only the mechanicals and chassis borrowed from its alliance partner. It comes in two trim levels (E and SE) and configurations (panel van and combi people carrier).
Nissan GB corporate sales director Tony Lewis says: "The NV200 is a segment-breaker because it will attract buyers in both the car-derived van and compact van segment. We are targeting big fleets, because we feel the van will be competitively priced [when UK prices are announced in October] and we expect residuals to be strong.
"Running costs will be low and we have 54 dedicated van centres, offering after-hours servicing to ensure minimal downtime. Overall cost of ownership is key with the NV200."
Looking at its spec sheet, the NV200 is capable of 54mpg (5.2lit/100km) on the combined cycle and 137g/km, so tax and fuel bills will be kept to a minimum. Service intervals are pinned at 12,500miles (20,000km) and a three-year/100,000km warranty is standard on all versions.
Our first driving impressions suggest that the NV200 is ideally suited to the stop/start urban environment, and with such low ground clearance, it's simple to climb in and out of.
The low floor also brings load volume up to 4.2m3, which makes it 1.2m3 bigger than the Ford Transit Connect.
Payloads are also competitive, with the Nissan able to carry 751kg, which trumps rivals such as the entry-level Citroën Berlingo's 622kg and Renault Kangoo's 667kg.
On the road, the NV200 feels solid, and we enjoyed the commanding view from the driver's seat. Body control was good on the tight and twisty roads around Barcelona, and the 85hp 1.5-litre dCi engine (the only variant available to UK customers) has enough low-down torque to overtake and dart into gaps in the traffic.
Nissan Europe senior vice-president for sales and marketing Simon Thomas says: "A van needs to be compact on the outside but roomy on the inside, coupled with a design that's stylish and practical. NV200 is all those things and sets new standards for interior space in such a compact body."
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