As the eagerly anticipated replacement for the Primastar, the new Nissan NV300 van has been launched. It sits between NV200/e- NV200 and NV400 in the Nissan LCV range. It is a highly significant model launch, completing the rejuvenation of the Nissan LCV family line-up.
With this new mid-sized van, Nissan says it has one of the widest commercial vehicle ranges on the market, allowing dealers to provide a convenient ‘one-stop shop’ for van, truck and pick-up customers. Supporting the brand’s wider LCV strategy – the NV300 is available as a panel van, crew van and as a combi passenger vehicle.
Nissan says it has been carefully designed to provide business users with a versatile ‘mobile office’ environment, offering passenger car levels of cabin comfort and driving refinement. It adds that with a range of efficient diesel engines, exceptional on-road dynamics, and in-control driver assistance and safety technologies, the NV300 is an exceptional new LCV.
Built at the Renault-Nissan plant in France, the NV300 is a flexible and highly adaptable LCV platform, designed to provide practical and user-friendly service to business drivers across a wide range of industries.
Such diverse use is catered for by three sizes of NV300 panel van (L1H1, L2H1, L2H2 ) and two sizes of six-seater crew van (L1H1, L2H1 ). Numerous rear tailgate and side door combinations – solid or glazed – are available for extra flexibility. For users who need space for passengers, there are two variants of the NV300 Combi (L1H1, L2H1 ), providing seating for up to nine people.
Designed to carry up to three standard Euro pallets even in L1 guise, the load bay of the entry level L1H1 panel van is 110mm longer than that of the Primastar, and can easily accommodate up to 10 x 2.5-metre plasterboard sheets. A hatch in the cabin bulkhead can be specified to allow for loads up to 3.75 metres (L1 ) and 4.15 metres (L2 ) in length. Load space in the rear range from 5.2 cubic metres to 8.3 cubic metres depending on model chosen.
Factory-fitted protective wooden trim and LED interior lights in cargo area are available, along with versatile interior racking, solid and glazed body-coloured bulkheads and up to 20 interior hooks for securing cargo. A tow ball with electric hook-up is on the options list, as is Trailer Sway Mitigation.
The cabin of the new NV300 has been carefully developed to be as ergonomic and comfortable as possible. All versions of the NV300 come with a fully adjustable cockpit-style driving position and mobile office modularity that allows drivers to specify features that will make their work life easier.
A smartphone cradle, tablet docking station, laptop storage solution, cupholders and a delivery note holder are all available, with up to 89 litres of storage space provided. For maximum driver comfort, there is the choice of two seats; both are height-adjustable, but the more premium comes with lumbar adjustment and an arm rest.
The NissanConnect infotainment system, with sat-nav, DAB digital radio, Siri voice control (for iPhone users ), and USB map update are all available.
Electronic safety and driver assistance technologies including anti-lock braking system (ABS ), electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD ), electronic stability programme (ESP ), anti-slip regulation traction control (ASR ), and hill-start assist are fitted to every NV300, while a tyre pressure monitoring system is standard on the Combi.
Four engine options are offered on the NV300. All use Nissan’s trusted 1.6-litre dCi diesel engine – best known from the brand’s Qashqai and X-Trail crossovers – with power outputs of 95hp, 120hp, 125hp and 145hp. The two former are single turbo, while the latter pair aretwin turbo. All are mated to a six-speed manual transmission. Not all engines are available with all body styles.
All have a diesel particulate filter as standard and meet Euro 6 emissions standards. In addition, all are fitted with selective catalytic reduction (SCR ) technology; using AdBlue urea solution poured in a separate on-board tank, this permits nitrogen oxide (NOx ) reduction reactions to take place in an oxidizing atmosphere, cutting NOx exhaust emissions.
The twin turbo models have stop & start engine technology for reduced fuel consumption, plus an ECO mode switch with gear shift indicator. This allows drivers to optimise fuel consumption by limiting torque and smoothing accelerator response. The most efficient panel van is the 125hp, with Combined Cycle fuel economy of 5.9 litres/100km (48mpg ) and CO2 emissions of only 155g/km.
Across the range, Nissan claims that fuel consumption is on average considerably lower than the previous Primastar. When combined with their aforementioned five-year/160,000km warranty, recommended service intervals of two years/40,000km, Nissan says that the NV300 is the new running cost champion in the mid-sized LCV sector.
The exterior of the NV300 has been deliberately designed to integrate with Nissan’s existing range of LCVs, as well as the brand’s renowned crossovers – the Qashqai, Juke and X-Trail. A reworked version of the V-motion front grille provides an immediately recognisable family link. The standard wheels are 16-inch steel rims, with 16-inch and 17-inch alloys can be specified.
