Nissan South Africa announced the beginning of a new era when it unveiled the NP200 in September of this year. The Nissan NP200 stands out as a key player in the half-ton segment and is clearly destined to be a reckonable force in the South African commercial vehicle market.
The NP200 is currently available in 1.6-litre guise. The 8V motor develops a peak power output of 64kW at 5,500rpm and a torque peak of 128Nm at 3,000rpm.
During the course of 2009 Nissan will expand the range with more diesel and petrol models with class leading power and torque output. There will also be additional spec enhancements to the new models. These will include air conditioner, ABS, electronic windows, central locking, radio and airbags.
A European and Japanese design team from the Nissan headquarters formalised the exterior design of the Nissan NP200, which is characterised by its macho styling. Appealing to young business owners, dynamic entrepreneurs and outdoor adventurers, the new Nissan NP200 introduction is a fresh alternative to the competition.
Though the NP200 is classified as a half-tonner it is in fact closer to a one-tonner with a 800kg payload capacity. With the largest payload in its class the NP200 stands out as the sensible choice among its competitors.
The load bed comes as standard with a protective surround that prevents damage to the bodywork during loading operations, and easily resists loads of up to 100kg.
The tailgate is designed with safety and durability in mind and will resist loads of up to 300kg when open – a feature normally only found on larger pick-ups. The bed floor, sides and cabin partition are corrosion-proofed.
A maximum load length of more than 1.80m and a maximum load width of 1.37m provide optimal flexibility for loading a wide variety of items. A sill height of just 64cm, with tailgate down, makes for easy loading, while a rear step provides easy access to the bed.
There are no less than 14 anchor points, for safe fastening of any load. There are four fasteners on the bed surround on either side of the vehicle, two hooks on the safety hoop with load restraint, and six rings on the load bed floor.
The Nissan NP200 is not without innovation. The high quality appeal offers the luxury and the aesthetic styling normally found in passenger vehicles whilst ensuring that the practicality and versatility that is consistent with a bakkie is not compromised.
Excellent front and rear visibility, partnered with a commanding driving position and advanced ergonomics make the cabin environment comfortable and user friendly. Extensive stowage areas are littered throughout the cabin with a glovebox, door bins and cup holders all easily at hand. A sizeable 300 litre stowage compartment behind the seat is easily accessible by tipping the driver’s seat forward. This in-cabin compartment is ideal for compact items such as tool boxes or other valuable items that can be stowed out of sight, while also freeing up the load bed for heavy and bulky loads.
Two interior hooks on the rear bulkhead provide a place for one to hang work clothes while there is also a net for holding small objects in the middle of the partition, behind the seats.
The rear window is fitted as standard with a double-barred partition than can be reinforced with a safety hoop with load restraint in order to protect the cabin against load intrusion from any heavy or dangerous objects loaded on the load bed.
The NP200 features a comprehensive passive safety system including three-point safety belts. The engine compartment layout is designed so that the content will tend to stack up under frontal impact conditions. The dashboard material has a highly absorbent polypropylene honeycomb structure to minimize the risk of knee injury on impact. Enhanced lower limb protection is afforded by under-foot padding on driver and passenger sides.
