Nissan NV200 hailed as New York’s Taxi of choice

Nissan NV200 hailed as NY’s Taxi of choice

As of late 2013 Nissan will be supplying New York City with its taxi cabs. The new Taxi will be based on the NV200 and built at Nissan’s plant in Cuernavaca, Mexico.

Unlike the familiar diesel-powered European NV200 van, the NYC Taxi will have a four-cylinder 2-litre petrol engine, driving the front wheels via an automatic gearbox. There will be ample room for up to four passengers and it retains the standard NV200’s twin sliding side doors, with the addition of steps and grab handles.

Passengers benefit from a panoramic sunroof, independent rear air conditioning, overhead reading lights and floor illumination as well as a mobile charging station that includes a 12v electrical outlet and two USB sockets. Rear Curtain airbags will also be fitted.

The driver will get a six-way adjustable seat, a full sat nav and telematics system, and a full set of airbags. Drivers will also be aided by traction control and Vehicle Dynamic Control. The Taxi will be fitted with a low-annoyance horn with exterior lights that indicate when it's honking.

“Nissan is proud to provide the next generation of taxis for the City of New York,” said Nissan Americas chairman Carlos Tavares. “The NV200 taxi will give Nissan the opportunity to showcase our dedication to vehicle quality and urban mobility to more than 600,000 passengers every day.”

With more than 13,000 taxis traveling a cumulative 500 million miles per year, durability was a key factor in the ‘Taxi of Tomorrow’ selection process. Nissan will train taxi fleet operators to conduct routine in-house servicing and repairs, and Nissan Commercial Vehicle dealers will fast-track owner/operators by slotting them into the first available service bay.

As part of the program, Nissan will also work with the City and taxi owners on a pilot programme to study the use of zero-emission, electric vehicles as taxis. Nissan will provide up to six battery-powered LEAF cars to taxi owners for testing in 2012, along with the charging infrastructure to support their use.