The Nissan NV200 has convenient doors for loading from either side. Picture by Jennifer Burton.
ROADTEST FACTFILE
Van...Nissan NV 200
Model...1.5 dCi SE
mpg (comb cycle)...54.3mpg
CO2 emissions...137 g/km
Price...£12,590 (ex VAT)
Loaned by Staddlestones Nissan
IT took me all of about 15 minutes of driving to decide the NV stood for Nice Van.
Not Nissan Van, not New Van, just Nice Van — comfortable as a decent car with excellent visibility and a smooth drive with good road-holding.
I recently borrowed the new NV200 from Staddlestones Nissan and I was very impressed with this compact van.
From the outside, it has a typical compact van look, with a wider wheelbase to provide a stable ride and a softly swept-back front profile.
One of its more unusual features is that it has sliding doors on both sides, so that you never have to stand in the road to unload because you can’t find a parking space on the right side.
Step inside the spacious cabin and you will appreciate the high seating position, the ease with which you can jump in and out and the number of handy storage areas dotted about.
I particularly liked the cupholder next to the steering wheel, which was perfect for my little flask of coffee, plus the flat shelf-like area on top of the centre console that looked as though it was made to carry a large notebook or a clipboard with all your vital delivery paperwork on it.
There are lots of comfort and convenience features as standard in the SE version, including front electric windows, electric mirrors, a radio/CD player with two speakers, an MP3 aux jack, underseat storage and much more.
Although it is technically a compact van, the NV200 offers a class-leading loadspace, with room for two Euro pallets sitting side by side, floor hooks to keep your deliveries secure and a low floor height for easier loading.
The rear doors also open wide for easy loading and there is even space for a long ladder if you opt for the optional folding bulkhead.
My van had a standard full height bulkhead, which was reassuring because I had piled the load area behind it with a higgledy-piggledy heap consisting of several saddles, three large bales of woodshavings and four 25kg bags of horse feed — this would normally equal three or four trips in my own car.
I drove a NV200 with solid rear doors and no parking sensors, yet the mirrors and all-round visibility were so good that I was able to reverse into quite tight spaces with no problems at all.
Front and rear parking sensors are available, as is a version of the NV200 with rear glazed doors for better rear vision.
To drive, this van offers a smooth surge of overtaking power from its 1.5-litre diesel engine, plus a tight turning circle and all the usual standard safety features, including ABS with electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD).
It offers amazingly low carbon dioxide emissions for a van at just 137g/km and its fuel consumption is also competitive at 54.3mpg on a combined cycle.
You can get towbars, roof rails and other handy items fitted to the NV200 and you can also opt for the safety pack, which gives you passenger and side airbags, stability control (ESP) and air conditioning.
The NV200 starts from £12,090 excluding VAT and the SE I drove costs £12,590.