Nissan NV350 Urvan

The Nissan NV350 Urvan is one of the popular candidates in the competitive Van/Carrier segment. Depending on the variant, Nissan’s light commercial van has proven its versatility as a 10-18 passenger carrier or for hauling cargo. Now on its sixth generation, the Nissan Urvan NV350 brings with it exterior and interior refinements, turning it into a comfortable and reliable daily workhorse. Power comes from a 2.5L diesel engine, generating 129 hp and 356 Nm of torque. Transmission options include a five-speed manual and an automatic for the top spec premium variant. The Urvan NV350 comes in five variants with a price that ranges from ₱1,172,000 to  ₱1,896,000.

History

The current sixth generation Nissan Urvan NV50 was launched in the Philippines’ in 2014 with variants such as the Escapade and the top spec Super Elite. To keep the Urvan NV350 updated, Nissan Philippines launched the Urvan NV350 premium variant in 2017. This a 15-seater came with either a 5-speed manual or automatic transmission. In 2018 the Nissan Urvan Premium S was launched, providing seating for 8 with a manual or automatic transmission. Last year, Nissan introduced the facelifted Urvan NV350 which updated the design both inside and out. The Nissan Urvan NV350 is being offered in five variants the cargo 3-seater, standard 15-seater, standard 18-seater, Premium M/T, and Premium A/T.

Price and Variant

The Nissan NV350 Urvan price in the Philippines starts at ₱1.172,000. The lowest price is the  Nissan NV350 Urvan Cargo 3-Seater, ranging all the way up to the Nissan NV350 Urvan Premium A/T 15-Seater priced at ₱1.866,000.

Little has changed in terms of the exterior of the Nissan NV350 Urvan 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. Being a van/carrier its quite normal for the exterior styling cues of Nissan Urvan NV350 to embody a utilitarian purpose with van-like proportions. Capable of seating anywhere from 10 to 18 passengers, every square inch of the Urvan NV350 has been maximized by Nissan. The flat sides of the body has creases, giving it some amount of detail with large glass panels all around.

Up front, the Urvan NV 350 now features Nissan’s V-motion grille that’s finished in chrome for the premium variants. Color matched bumpers with Multi-reflector halogen headlamps and integrated foglamps come as standard on premium variants as well.

Entry level variants come with black bumpers without fog lamps. The Premium Urvan NV350 variant gets a Sliding Door Closure Assist for added convenience.

The Nissan Urvan NV350 comes in the following colors: Pearl White, Topaz Brown, Gun Metallic, Alphine White, Brilliant Silver and Granite Black.

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.

In the interior of the Nissan NV350 Urvan, the Urvan NV350 comes with 5 rows of seats, allowing it to have a seating capacity of up to 18 passengers. Depending on the variant, the entry level Shuttle gets standard fabric upholstery while the seats on the Premium variant gets a special fabric. Nissan is hugely known for its great cabin cooling abilities and the Urvan NV350 doesn’t disappoint with front and rear air conditioning. There’s a total of 14 air con vents found in the top spec Premium variant and 12 for the Shuttle variant that are all in the headliner ensures that everyone stays cool.

The Premium variant also gets a lower tray with air-con vents to keep two 500ml drink bottles cool. Nissan also made sure that passengers getting in and out of the Urvan NV350 is easier and convenient by adopting a high and wide entry design.

Dashboard

Some parts of the caravan's interior feel a little outdated, especially on the dashboard. The dashboard of the Nissan NV350 Urvan is black and gray.

Space&practicality

The front of the Nissan NV350 Urvan gets a chrome grille, accompanying an extra wide sliding door that welcomes passengers into the interior. Inside the cabin, passengers get individual reclining seats wrapped in gray suede, in harmony with the black and gray dashboard. To ensure comfort, the Nissan NV350 Urvan is equipped with 14 AC vents attached to the roof. The safety factor is not left behind with the presence of SRS Airbags, seat belts for each passenger, child lock on sliding doors, brake assist with ABS.

Boot

In addition, this large car has a spacious cabin and trunk space as well as a number of sophisticated equipment.

Infotainment Features

Nissan has equipped both variants of the Urvan NV350 with a 2-DIN infotainment system with a single in-dash stereo system with CD, Tuner, and AUX capabilities. The Premium variant gets four speakers while the standard shuttle variant only gets two. The Premium variant also gets a keyless and panic alarm system as standard. The instrument panel of the Urvan NV350 comes with Nissan’s Drive Computer which is a multi-functional display, providing the driver with real-time fuel efficiency information, indicating shift timing, as well as odometer and trip meter data.

Safety Features

Safety features inside the Nissan Urvan NV350 consist of dual front airbags, driver and front passenger for the Premium and Shuttle variants. The Cargo variant only gets driver side airbag. Seatbelts come as standard for the front row while the other rows get a 2-point lap belt. The Shuttle variants only get 2-point seatbelts for the rear rows with the exception of the jump seats that don’t get seatbelts. The Urvan NV350 also features a Load Sensing Valve (LSV) that works together with the Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) of the vehicle and Brake Assist (BA) function.

Comfort Features

The NV350 which is equipped with a keyless system is quite suitable as a travel fleet. Because this car has been equipped with double wishbone suspension at the front and rear leaf springs, the suspension configuration is ideal with heavy loads. Then there is a double blower AC with a temperature setting in the middle. While in the 14-passenger type, it is equipped with multi-ventilation air conditioning to the seat in the back row.

The Nissan Urvan NV350 gets its power from a 2.5-liter, inline-4 cylinder, variable turbocharger (VGS) turbodiesel engine. Offering a combination of power and fuel economy, the engine generates 129 hp and 356 Nm of torque that’s more than enough to ferry passengers or carrying cargo. Only the top spec Urvan NV350 Premium AT variant gets an automatic transmission, while the rest of the line-up comes with a 5-speed manual transmission.

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

Nissan NV350 Power is sent to the rear wheels via a 5-speed manual/automatic transmission. The available shift-up indicator provides guidance to achieve the most fuel-efficient driving.

Ride Comfort

With the engine placement right below the front occupants, engine heat and vibration inevitably penetrate the cabin. That said, the improved NVH levels in the latest generation models is much improved compared to its predecessor. A front torsion bar with stabilizer suspension system paired to the rigid rear axle with leaf spring delivers decent ride comfort for the occupants even at full load.

Fuel consumption

The Nissan NV350 Urvan fuel consumption is rated at 11.5L/km on the NEDC (New European Driving Cycle).

The Nissan NV350 Urvan has long been a trusted tool for business owners as a viable and economical solution for their commercial transportation needs If your needs require a people carrier or to carry cargo, then the Nissan Urvan NV350 is just what you need. A cabin with five rows of seats with Nissan reliability and quality makes the Urvan NV350 hard to beat. Whether it’s for personal or business use, the Urvan NV350 will meet and exceed expectations. With Nissan renowned engine reliability, class leading fuel economy and superior passenger carrying capacity, the Nissan NV350 will surely be a valuable addition to any business organization.