New Launches
Show Report: CV Show 2012
What a cracking event the 2012 Commercial Vehicle Show turned out to be, thanks in no small part to Ford… Read More
Mitsubishi L200 4x4 Long-Term Test 1
We has just taken delivery of a Mitsubishi L200 4x4 Club Cab for long-term appraisal… Read More
Ford Transit ECOnetic Brief Test
We’ve been putting a SWB 100hp 2.2TDi Euro 5 Transit 280 ECOnetic through its paces… Read More
Renault Kangoo ZE 2011 European Launch
Renault is at the forefront of manufacturers offering a mass produced factory-built electric van… Read More
Fuso Canter 2011 European Launch
Fuso has completely revamped its range of light and heavy truck Canter chassis and chassis crew cabs… Read More
Iveco Daily 2011 European Launch
Iveco has introduced new, latest generation diesels to its Daily range, along with detail changes inside and out… Read More
Ford Transit 2011 European Launch
Ford takes the iconic Transit to the next stage with an all-new range of 2.2-litre Euro 5 diesels… Read More
Volkswagen Crafter 2011 UK Launch
VW’s large panel van has undergone a serious makeover with changes to the front-end styling and the cab interior, as well as new Euro 5 diesels… Read More
Ford Transit Connect Electric Brief Test
We spent a day with the battery-powered Connect to get a better idea of what it’s like to live with in its natural, urban environment. Read More
Mercedes-Benz Vito E-CELL Brief Test
Currently undergoing trials with selected fleet customers in the UK, we managed to get behind the wheel of a battery-powered Vito E-CELL… Read More
Volkswagen Crafter 2011 European Launch
Volkswagen’s Crafter has undergone a midlife makeover and gets a new front-end along with new Euro 5 engines… Read More
Nissan unveils NV200 LWB at US auto show
Nissan has pulled the covers off the NV200 it will be selling in North America from 2013 at the Chicago Auto Show; and its load area has grown in length. Compared to current NV200s available in Europe, it’s wheelbase is 200mm longer (taking it to 2,926mm) and overall length has increased to 4,730mm, a rise of 330mm. Production will begin at Nissan’s plant in Cuernavaca, Mexico, in Q4 2012. Nissan, however, is remaining tight-lipped about whether a long-wheelbase NV200 will be offered in other territories.Payload and load length/volume figures have yet to be released, but it will be powered by a 135hp 2.0-litre petrol engine — developing peak torque of 197Nm — driving the front wheels via a constantly-variable automatic transmission. Drivers in the US have yet to get their heads around the benefits of the modern, small capacity highly efficient four-cylinder turbodiesel engine.
Although still embryonic, the compact van market is North America is growing thanks to the efforts of Ford with the Transit Connect and Fiat has announced it will introduce a Chrysler-badged version of Doblò some time in 2013. NV200 has already been named as the next New York Taxi of choice (see News Story), going into service from late 2013. Nissan’s current LCV offerings in the States, the NV1500, 2500 and 3500 are based on the full-size Titan pick-up (see News Story).
