2022 Nissan NV 200

Nissan NV200 2021-2022 Review

It’s perhaps a little ironic and somewhat inappropriate that one of Nissan’s most fun to drive cars in Malaysia happens to be the Nissan NV200 – but that’s something that is bizarrely true. For the purpose of this review however, we’re going to focus on what the NV200 was built for: carrying cargo and other items in the most space efficient and practical way possible.

The Nissan NV200 is essentially a progression of the Nissan Vanette, which was Nissan’s cargo carrying utilitarian van that was also available as a people-mover. In its evolution and redevelopment for a more modern market, the platform on which the Nissan NV200 is based has been adapted to be front-wheel drive instead of the traditional mid-engine, rear-wheel drive layout of older vans.

In doing so, the NV200 has become a more refined, comfortable, modern product that still ticks all the right boxes for business owners and operators across the country. There are two variants of the Nissan NV200 on sale in Malaysia – either a pure panel van, or a semi-panel van that includes windows on the sliding door compartments for a bit more light inside. Regardless of which you choose, however, all Nissan NV200 models sold in Malaysia are purely for commercial use and come equipped with only two front seats.

Nissan NV200 2021-2022 Specifications

 Regardless of which of the two Nissan NV200 variants you choose, you get a singular powertrain option for the Malaysian market. This is the 1.6-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine paired with a five-speed manual transmission – though other markets get diesel powertrains and automatic transmissions as options too.

The engine in question is the HR16DE, which has featured in a number of different Nissan models over the years being essentially a simple four-cylinder petrol engine to power your average sedan or hatchback. In this state of tune it makes a decent 109 PS and 152 Nm of torque, although it certainly feels a lot quicker than that when you factor in the fact that the ratios and gearing are much shorter than your regular passenger car in order to optimize torque delivery at the wheels.

In terms of the platform itself, the front is a simple MacPherson strut with coil over damper design, which is pretty par for the course for any vehicle in this day and age. The rear is a little more utilitarian – despite looking like a torsion beam axle, it is in fact a rigid setup that has a semi-elliptical leaf spring suspension setup which allows it to take some impressively heavy loads. The front brakes are discs while the rear are drums, and there are 14-inch wheels on all four corners with 165/4 R14 tyres.

Dimensionally, the wheelbase is 2725 mm – and the driver sits roughly halfway between these two points. The overall length of 4,400 mm, while the overall width is 1,695 mm, with a height of 1,855 mm. The actual interior of the cargo area measures in at 1,500 mm across and 2,040 mm long, giving you an impressive 4.2 metres cubed of cargo space with a maximum payload of 740 kilograms. The space is large enough to accommodate two Euro standard pallets – which is an important industry standard in this context.

Nissan NV200 2021-2022 Exterior

While there is a certain appeal that comes with a “base spec” aesthetic that some cars have, it is much less a choice when it comes to the Nissan NV200 as all variants come with steel wheels and unpainted front bumpers, with a singular white paint option as well. This may seem a little brutal, but the NV200 itself is meant purely for commercial use which means that the exact look of the car isn’t quite as important. What is common among businesses and operators is that the entire NV200 is wrapped in a particular design or colour, with perhaps a change of wheels for something a little more presentable than steel wheels. The good thing about the NV200 is that its flat, simplistic design offers you an easy to work with blank canvas for whatever you choose to put on it.

Nissan NV200 2021-2022 Interior

A sparse interior is to be expected with the Nissan NV200, but there’s also a bit of thought put into making the occupants’ lives a little easier as they may spend extended periods of time in the cabin. There is a radio as standard, and the multi-info display in the instrument cluster can be adjusted to display various drive data such as fuel economy, and even a digital tachometer. The driving position can be slightly cramped for taller drivers as the seat can only move back so far into the cargo area, but the passenger seat can fold forward nearly completely flat to give the driver a flat surface with which to work. For the most part you are going to find hard-wearing plastics and hard touch surfaces around the cabin, though cupholders at either end of the dashboard are a nice touch, as are a few cubbies and storage areas for throwing tools or items in when on the move.

Nissan NV200 2021-2022 Safety Features

As a commercial vehicle and this being Malaysia, you don’t get much in the way of safety besides the most important items such as ABS with EBD and brake assist, as well as an airbag for the driver. There is also speed-sensing intermittent windshield wipers, and pre-tensioner seatbelts included as standard – but you would be a bit silly to expect anything complex like stability control, or even advanced driver assist systems.

Nissan NV200 2021-2022 Strengths & Weakness

There isn’t much point in trying to gauge the strengths and weaknesses of the Nissan NV200, because it’s a car that competes pretty much in a class of its own. One needs a commercial vehicle (or goods vehicle) license to be able to drive one of these on the road, although if you can then you’re in for a surprisingly good time as long as you aren’t hauling particularly heavy cargo.

Perhaps the only weakness to the Nissan NV200 is that Nissan doesn’t offer a more consumer friendly version, with a full assortment of windows from front to rear and a few rows of seats to allow for carrying actual occupants around.

Nissan NV200 2021-2022 Price

Pricing for the Nissan NV200 is cheapest in its panel van form, coming in at RM 75,888. The slightly snazzier semi-panel van variant can be yours for RM 81,888, with the additional price pretty much being a result of the additional windows in the sliding doors that gives you a slightly better view of your cargo – although again, since Nissan doesn’t offer the NV200 as a people mover in our market, there may be no real reason to have windows behind the driver’s seat.

Nissan NV200 2021-2022 Features

Power windows and a head unit for the radio are pretty much the only luxuries you get besides air-conditioning.

Nissan NV200 2021-2022 Fuel Consumption

The manufacturer quoted fuel consumption figure for the Nissan NV200 is 14 kilometres per litre of fuel, which is fairly respectable although it’s important to understand that this figure is contingent on the exact kind of driving you do and how long you are stuck in slow moving traffic for. While the engine is naturally aspirated and not subject to wild swings in fuel consumption, it is common sense that carrying heavier payloads will result in much higher fuel burn rates.