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ST. LOUIS – Nissan North America took design ideas from the North American cargo van and pickup truck markets for the inspiration of its new commercial van, the NV, company executives said.
The NV – for Nissan Van – was designed specifically for the United States and Canadian cargo van markets, Carlos Tavares, executive vice president, said in an interview following the truck’s introduction.
Although Nissan has commercial vans and light commercial trucks in other markets, Tavares said that the cost of trying to adapt another existing product to the U.S. market would be too costly. Thus, the van has a hooded engine compartment a la a pickup truck with the cargo compartment of a van.
“It is better to do it from scratch,” he told LIGHT & MEDIUM TRUCK.
The first production units will include the NV1500, NV2500 HD and NV3500 HD models. They will be available with a choice of either a 4.0-liter V-6 or 5.6-liter V-8 engine mated with a 5-speed automatic transmission.
The vans will be available in two body styles, a 55.4-inch height standard roof (all models) and a 76.5-inch high-roof version.
The trucks combine the cab of a pickup truck with the cargo bay of a van on a ladder frame construction. Interior cab features include multiple storage areas, Bluetooth connectivity and rear view monitors. The cargo compartment is 10-feet long and offers 53.4-inches between wheel wells, permitting loading of 4x8 sheets of plywood and other construction materials.
Nissan currently has about 200 dealers authorized to sell and service the new vans, but ultimately expects to have between 300 and 350 dealers, said Joseph Castelli, vice president of commercial vehicles and fleet.
The units will be available in the fall.
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