Nissan NV350 Urvan

Nissan NV350 Urvan Overview

The Nissan NV350, also known as the Nissan Caravan in Japan, is a light commercial van designed for use as fleet vehicle or cargo van. Making its local debut back in 2014, the 14-seater people mover is now in its sixth generation. A facelifted model was subsequently introduced in 2018 which brings along revised exterior and updated interior.

Available only as a fully imported model, the sole 2.5 litre turbodiesel variant is priced from RM125,000 (OTR without insurance) and comes with a five-year warranty with limited mileage (150,000 km). It goes up against competition in the likes of the Maxus V80 and the Toyota Hiace.

Nissan NV350 Urvan Design

Little has changed in terms of the exterior design since the first generation back in 1965. Like most commercial van on the road today, the Nissan NV350 is characterized by its unapologetically boxy design with a flat front bonnet. The facelifted sixth-generation model brings along reworked exterior which now include Nissan’s V-motion signature front grille, restyled body -coloured front bumper as well as redesigned headlights.

Nissan NV350 Urvan Dimension

The Nissan NV350 fits right in between the smaller 10-seater Toyota Hiace Window Van and the massive 15-seater Maxus V80 in terms of its size. Despite the Maxus’s significant advantage in its wheelbase (a whopping 910 mm longer), the Nissan manages to squeeze in 14 seats, only 1 short compared to the Chinese made behemoth of a van.

Nissan NV350 Urvan Interior

Inside, the Urvan gets a new steering wheel design, which Nissan claims to add a modern touch to the rather mundane cabin. Like the Toyota Hiace, the interior construction is simple and robust. Two high seating fabric seats are fitted up front, along with black, dual-tone plastic dashboard, centre console with three-dial control air conditioning and a dashboard mounted gearshift lever.

At the back, the Nissan feels spacious, and the incredibly long wheelbase also means that fitting 12 passengers at the rear is a less arduous task than one would imagine. Stowable ‘aisle seats’ allows easy access at the rear while the roof-mounted rear aircon vents with temperature control ensure all passengers are cool and refreshed throughout the journey.

Nissan NV350 Urvan Features

Standard feature includes a two-speaker single DIN entertainment system that supports AM/FM Radio and CD. The two-dial analog instrument cluster features a central multi-info display which shows crucial drivers’ information like real-time fuel efficiency information, shift timing indicator, as well as odometer and trip meter data.

The revised Nissan NV350 also comes equipped with manual levelling for the headlights, an ECE R89-compliant speed limiter (regulation in Malaysia limits top speed of 100 km/h for passenger vehicles with more than 12 seats) and a fuel cap with lock. Standard safety feature includes front airbags, two-point seatbelts for the rear passengers, ABS with Brake Assist (BA), rear fog lamp and reverse sensor.

Nissan NV350 Urvan Driving Performance

Engine

The facelifted Nissan NV350 continues to be powered by the tried and tested YD25DDTi 2.5 litre 4-cylinder turbodiesel engine with variable turbocharger (VGS) and intercooler. It develops a healthy 129 PS at 3,200 RPM and 356 Nm of torque from as low as 1,400 RPM. The low-end torque offers effortless acceleration.

Transmission

Power is sent to the rear wheels via a 5-speed manual transmission. The available shift-up indicator provides guidance to achieve the most fuel-efficient driving.

Nissan NV350 Urvan Ride Comfort

Nissan NV350 Urvan Fuel Consumption

Nissan NV350 Urvan Conclusion