Confirmed: Nissan planning retail NV200 model to combat Ford Transit Connect

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Work, Nissan

While getting our first in-person look at the 2012 Nissan NV3500 passenger van today, Nissan's Vice President of Commercial and Fleet Vehicles, Joe Castelli, informed Autoblog that there's plenty more news to come from the automaker's nascent commercial vehicle line in the very near future.

Obviously, the major news surrounding Nissan's commercial business was the recent announcement that its NV200 van has been selected to be the next-generation New York City taxi - big shoes to fill now that the Ford Crown Victoria has finally ceased production. To build on the momentum of the NV200 taxi here in the States, Castelli tells us that Nissan plans to offer a retail version to fill out its commercial vehicle line. Consider it Nissan's answer to the Ford Transit Connect.

The NV200 is already sold in other markets (the European version is pictured above) and Castelli says that while some modifications will need to be made before it enters the U.S. market, it's something Nissan is willing to take on. After all, the NV is already being repurposed for taxi duty, so transforming it into a work-ready small van should be a piece of cake. Let's just hope it has a quicker start out of the gate than Nissan's full-size NV line, which has struggled to find early sales traction here in North America.

Nissan planning retail NV200 model to combat Ford Transit Connect originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Nov 2011 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2011/11/08/nissan-planning-retail-nv200-model-to-combat-ford-transit-connec/

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