NISSANS TAKE A STEP UP: The NP200 still has a 1.6 petrol engine but it's gone quad-valve and gained a whack of power; there's also an economical diesel and they're available with neat alloy rims.

Back in July 2008 I was at a wake to mark the death of one South Africa's most long-lived bakkies and the birth of its replacement - the former called the Champ and the latter badged, rather boringly, as the NP200.

It was a good party but we were barely allowed to touch the EnPee, let alone drive it, because, we were told, it wasn't really ready and we might have found its parentage, an alliance of Nissan and Renault, with genes from sister company Dacia (gulp!), a trifle doubtful back then.

We were also told that the Nissan NP200 bakkie would be assembled at Nissan's plant outside Pretoria and that South Africa and Namibia would be the first countries to have the pleasure of the EnPee - "a significant milestone in Nissan's history that shows the trust and confidence Nissan globally has in South Africa".

But wait, there's more… Andy Palmer, Nissan's VeePee for global light commercial vehicles and visiting South Africa for the EnPee's launch, said the bakkie was the first of 13 LCV's to be launched by 2012 and heralded the arrival, over the next five years, of 60 new vehicles.

Wonder how true that still is, but anyway we eventually got to drive the EnPee in September last year and were also told that the "luxury" versions would arrive in 2009… and lo, they have! An S and an SE with a choice of 1.6-litre and 1.6-litre quad-valve petrol and 1.5-litre, common-rail turbodiesel putting out, respectively, 64kW/128Nm, 77kW/148Nm and 63kW/200Nm.

They, then, will be the EnPeeEss and EnPeeEssEee models and they are decidedly more upmarket than the original of 2008 - though that wasn't exactly basic. Except for the sound system, which was. Very.

BIG CAB, BABY BAKKIE: Nissan's basic bakkie, the NP200, has at last been jacked up with some luxury equipment and better engines than the 2008 original. The plane in the background is not an optional extra.

Nissan says the latest NP200 "delivers a well-judged combination of sporty flair with no-nonsense, hard-working business credentials" and that it is defined "by its fusion of practicality and performance, underlying strength and overt style".

"It's the practical, yet stylish, option for the younger buyer who knows what his growing enterprise needs, but also needs a vehicle he (or she - Ed) doesn't have to park out of sight when undertaking an after-hours urban adventure."

I think Nissan means (ssshhh, now!) a date but more likely for that might be the cars due to arrive in South Africa in coming months: several new versions of the Navara bakkie, the 370Z sports car, a wholly new Murano and the GT-R. There's also mutterings about the X-Trail.

SOLID TORQUE PUNCH

Meanwhile, the basic 1.6 engine in the EnPee is the same as that originally launched; the more powerful quad-valve version is ditto but with a different cylinder head and the diesel has a turbo (I don't think anybody makes a non-turbo diesel anymore) and claims an average fuel consumption of 5.3 litres/100km.

I mentioned in the original review of the 1.6 last year that the bakkie had a ride more like a small car than a small bakkie and Nissan has continued with the theme of coil springs to keep that nimbleness; the diesel packs its solid torque punch from only 1900rpm. Sounds like the version to choose… the petrol engines promise a rather thirsty, by modern standards, 8.1.

The face of the NP200 has been updated, Nissan says, to resemble the brand's Livina X-Gear (can't remember what I last saw one of those) and the Nissan Qashqai (which I can) and colour-coded bumpers (front and rear) and exterior mirrors have been added.

Wheel arch extensions front and rear add a bit of flair ('scuse the pun) and new sill covers, Nissan says, do their bit to give the EnPeeEss "an even more commanding road presence" (what ARE these people smokin'?).

The EnPeeEssEee gets all the above stuff plus black door mouldings, front fog lights and 15” alloy rims, aircon, a radio/CD/MP3-compatible audio system, powered mirrors and windows and a height-adjustable driver's seat - the last with lumbar support on the EssEee.

LUG A PICTURE OF GRANNY

Of course a bakkie is supposed to carry things and Nissan says the EnPee has the largest payload capacity, at 800kg, in the 1.6-litre category, the longest load box in its class at 1807mm and the most capacious load volume at 1.25 cubic metres.

The cabin is big, too, with 300 litres of (mostly unusable) space behind the two tilting front seats; mostly unusable because rarely will you carry something that thin and tall except maybe a large, framed photo of granny.

A crash bag each for driver and passenger have also been added and the cabin reinforced while the EssEee gets anti-lock brakes (discs front, drums rear) and electronic brake-pressure control.

Here are the prices:

Nissan NP200 petrol

1.6i - R99 800

1.6i S - R129 800

1.6i SE - R151 800

Nissan NP200 diesel

1.5 cDi - R139 800

1.5 cDi SE - R169 800

Prices include a three-year or 100 000km warranty.

Click here for full specifications of each model.