Power Wheels Magazine A Notch Above
Nissan Philippines Inc. (NPI) recently introduced the Nissan Urvan Premium, a new variant launched almost two years after the NV350 15 and 18-seater commuter variants were launched locally.
The new Nissan Urvan Premium is their top of the line model that stretches out the commuter variant’s dimensions. It’s length is 5230mm, width is 1880mm and height is 2285mm and a longer wheelbase, allowing for more comfort and amenities. The commuter variant is all about function with the Premium having more upscale features including the trademark V grille, it has sharper headlamps and dynamic character lines on the front and the sides.
Powered by the YD25DDTi 2.5L Turbo Diesel engine that puts out 129Hp at 3,200 rpm and 356Nm of torque from 1,400 to 2,000rpm mated to a 5-speed manual transmission.
Inside, with space for 15 including the driver, tricot fabric covers the new individually mounted seats. The headliner fabric is finished in a grey material adding to the premium feel and the two-tone dashboard makes for a wider, roomier looking cabin. The physically longer wheelbase allows passengers to enjoy more legroom than the commuter version, and there’s more than enough headroom for the Pinoy passenger with the raised roof. There’s seating for 3 in front, 2 in the second row, 3 in the 3rd and 4th row and 4 seats in the last row with room to spare for luggage. To keep everyone cool, there are 14 individual air-con vents for each occupant in the rear.
The passenger side extended sliding door has an opening height of 1580mm, making getting in and out of the Urvan Premium easier. Door Closure Assist takes the effort out of sliding the door shut. Extra conveniences are the step board and grips and handrails to aid in getting in and out.
Safety features are dual front airbags and seatbelts, load tensioning valve, anti-lock brake system, brake assist and child safety lock.
Cost of maintenance will be lower that of other vans in the same segment and is the first in the industry to offer warranty for business use allowing customers to have their vehicle serviced at no additional cost for the first three years or 100,000kms, whichever comes first.
Nissan Philippines Inc. (NPI) closes Q1 of 2017 with record sales of 5,277 units, the highest for the brand since year 2000. “The past year has truly been phenomenal for the brand. And we have been able to continue this performance, beating our own sales record in March, by selling 2,094 units. Our core models have also performed well in the past quarter, especially the sales of our NV350 Urvan.” said Ramesh Narasimhan, NPI president and Managing Director “The NV350 Urvan sold a total of 1,651 units, accounting for 31% of our sales for the first quarter of the year. And now, we continue to grow the business by entering a new segment, with the launch of the Nissan Urvan Premium.”
The new Nissan Urvan Premium will be available in Manual transmission by June 2017, in all Nissan dealerships nationwide. It will be available with an SRP of Php 1,650,000 and will come in Alpine White, Black Obsidian, and Tiger Eye Brown. For more details, visit www.nissan.ph.
Words by Neil Pagulayan