Nissan covers just about every end of the bakkie market in South Africa but the company's presence in the van market has been non-existent since the disappearance of the Primastar.
Now the local division is unleashing a full-on assault with two new line-ups in the form of the NV200 and NV350. The NV200 is a compact offering that will be sold in panel van and people carrier formats while the larger NV350 will initially be sold exclusively as a panel van.
NV350 - THE BIG GUY
Appearing to be a direct answer to Toyota's Quantum, the NV350 picks up where the E20 left off back in the 'nineties.
It's available in two sizes, namely a narrow-body model with a low roof and a wide-body model with a high roof. The latter offers a load volume of 9.2 cubic metres, with 3250mm of length and 1645mm of height.
The narrow body has two sliding doors on the sides while the wide body has one. Payloads vary between 1390 and 1460kg.
The engine range is rather straightforward. If you want to fill it with petrol, you opt for a 2.5-litre engine with 108kW and 213Nm, mated to a five-speed manual gearbox. Claimed fuel consumption amounts to 11.8 l/100km (narrow body) or 12.5 l/100km (wide body) on the combined cycle.
If you want to weigh off a higher initial price against better consumption figures, there's a 95kW/356Nm 2.5-litre turbodiesel that's only available in wide body format. It consumes 8.3 l/100km.
The NV350's cabin is far from bare, with standard features including air conditioning, electric windows, multi-info trip computer, radio preparation and central locking linked to a panic alarm function.
Safety equipment includes a driver's airbag and ABS brakes. As for the all-important aftersales factor, the van is sold with a three-year/100 000km warranty and five-year/90 000km service plan, while service intervals are pegged at 15 000km.
Prices: NV350 Panel Van
2.5 petrol Narrow Body - R279 500
2.5 petrol Wide Body - R316 250
2.5 diesel Wide Body - R334 500
NV200 - THE LITTLE BRO'
Nissan's first entry into the compact van market is only available in one body size, but it does offer the choice between panel van and passenger wagon (Combi) formats, although we can't tell you much about the latter because it only joins the range later in the year.
The NV200 panel van offers a payload that varies between 652 and 783kg (depending on model), loaded into a cargo bay that measures 4.2 cubic metres. What's more, the passenger seat can be folded forward to enable the loading of longer items like ladders. Easy access to the load area is ensured by sliding doors on either side of the vehicle.
The front cabin hosts plenty of handy storage hide-outs, including a dash-top bin and under-seat tray, and the features list comprises aircon, central locking, radio preparation and dual front airbags. ABS braking is part of the deal too, as is a three-year/100 000km warranty.
This little van also offers a choice between petrol and diesel engines, both with 15 000km service intervals.
The petrol option is a 1.6-litre 16-valve unit that produces 81kW and 153Nm, while the oil-burning option is a turbocharged 1.5 dCi that's good for 66kW and 200Nm. Nissan claims a combined consumption figure of 7.2 l/100km for the petrol and 4.9 l/100km in the case of the diesel.
Prices: NV200 Panel Van
1.6i Visia - R187 000
1.5 dCi Visia - R216 200