YOKOHAMA, Japan (June 15, 2012) - Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. today announced the launch of the fully redesigned Caravan, newly-named as the NV350 Caravan. The NV350 Caravan is available today at Nissan dealers nationwide in Japan.
Since it first debuted in 1973, the Caravan has been highly rated as a full-fledged, versatile commercial vehicle that can be used not only for business but also for hobbies or leisure, with its basic performance as a commercial vehicle continuously improved throughout four previous model generations. The all-new NV350 Caravan offers a number of significant improvements, including achieving best-in-class fuel efficiency for both gasoline and diesel engine models. The vehicle also has a strong, bold presence and a roomy, versatile cargo space. In addition, the new NV350 Caravan adopts advanced equipment for greater convenience and comfort that is unavailable on current commercial vehicles.
The NV350 Caravan's newly-developed YD25DDTi engine takes advantage of clean-diesel technology to achieve best-in-class fuel economy of 12.2 km per liter based on Japan's JC08 mode test cycle. Its gasoline engines also make full use of fuel-saving technologies to achieve best-in-class fuel economy - QR20DE engine with 9.9 km per liter and QR25DE with 9.1 km - calculated based on JC08 mode.
Most NV350 Caravan model configurations achieve either a 10% or 5% improvement in fuel economy over Japan's 2015 fuel economy standard. QR20DE gasoline engine models along with the diesel AT version, emitting 50% fewer exhaust emissions than 2009 standards, qualify for preferential tax breaks under the Japanese "tax system to promote the diffusion of environmentally friendly vehicles"*2, with automobile acquisition and weight taxes reduced, depending on the grade and variation. All Van models*3 of the new NV350 Caravan qualify for the government subsidy program for environmentally-friendly vehicles*2.
The NV350 Caravan's new exterior styling features a clean, modern design despite its boxy proportions. The front end and corners are rounded, with larger surfaces used for the body sides. The new layout and extended wheelbase helps ensure maximum cargo space and utility.
The NV350 Caravan offers ample load capacity with cargo space length of 3,050 mm*1, the longest in the four-series grade for light commercial vehicles (according to the Japanese taxation classification system). The interior layout makes maximum use of the larger cargo space for both occupants and cargo. For example, a 50/50-split folding seat is adopted so that one person can be seated even if a long item is loaded. On the side panel of the cargo space, Luggage Utility Nuts are placed for customers to personalize cargo space for their convenience.
Other appealing features for increased convenience and comfort include: Push Engine Start that is adopted for the first time in commercial vehicles, Intelligent Key, foot-operated parking brake, and a vehicle information display placed at the center of the meter panel.
The new NV350 Caravan will be available first in Japan and then globally. The diesel engine model and super long body will be on sale beginning July 13, 2012, and the wide version model is planned for launch in winter 2012.
Key features of the new NV350 Caravan are:
- Gasoline and diesel engine models with best-in-class fuel efficiency
- Strong, bold presence
- Roomy, versatile cargo area
- Advanced equipment not available on current commercial vehicles
NV350 Caravan Overview
1. Design
Dynamic exterior styling combining crispness and strength
- New layout with maximum cargo space and stable, functional proportions created by a greatly-extended wheelbase (compared to the previous generation Caravan)
- Dramatic front end design with a three-dimensional, imposing angled strut grille
- Crisp bi-xenon headlight design with LED positioning lights (factory-installed option for all grades)
- Character line on the body side adds to the dynamic side view
- Clear-cut side view without a roof-side drip channel
- Distinctive rear combination taillights
- Available in seven exterior colors, including the new Tiger Eye Brown
Functional interior styling that gives a feeling of spaciousness
- Modern, clear-cut instrument panel with a black upper area and gray lower section, providing a feeling of lateral spaciousness
- Easy-to-read, high-precision Fine Vision Meter with blue and white display
- Functional cabin expressing a premium feel, utilizing light silver color and plating on steering, shift knob, meters, air-conditioner dial and ventilation parts
2. Convenience/Load capacity
Spacious, user-friendly cargo space
- 50/50-split folding seat allowing one person to be seated on the rear seat even when an item of over three meters in length is loaded if the seat is folded (Standard on Van Premium GX trim level)
- Utility Nuts that can easily affix storage racks, tools and other items, placed on the side panel of the cargo space, which can be used to personalize the space according to each customer's needs. (Standard on Van models)
- Wheelhouse with a flat top surface for easier installation of racks, enabling more items to be loaded
3. Driving performance
Newly-developed 2.5 liter diesel engine with Clean Diesel technology
- Supercharging at lower engine speeds is realized by changing the characteristics of the electrically-controlled variable capacity compact turbocharger. Ample torque is generated through the combination of a common rail system with an injector and a small injection diameter,
- NOx generation is reduced with an EGR cooler with a bypass function. The lean NOx Trap catalyst adopted for the first time in commercial vehicles purifies NOx to clean emissions
- Fuel efficiency is improved by adopting parallel-port cylinder heads that efficiently mixes air and fuel
- Combined with a 5-speed automatic transmission, the engine rotates at lower speed and makes less noise while driving at high speed. Smooth and responsive acceleration from a start to high-speed driving is also realized
2.0 liter/2.5 liter gasoline engine with improved fuel-efficiency and quietness
- Fuel efficiency is improved by alternator regenerative control, reduced friction and lower idle speed
Driving stability
- More comfortable and stable driving performance is realized by adopting a large-diameter stabilizer bar and suspension with longer stroke (compared to the previous generation Caravan's design)
4. Advanced equipment and useful features
Advanced technologies not available on current commercial vehicles
- Intelligent Key (standard on Premium GX/GX): doors are easily locked/unlocked without inserting a key
- Push Engine Start: the engine starts with a single touch of a button (standard on Premium GX/GX)
- Premium Fine Vision Meter and a vehicle information display showing average fuel economy and cruising range to support eco-driving
- Foot-operated parking brake that significantly improves usefulness (equipped in 5-speed AT models)
Carefully considered ingress/egress and interior comfort
- High-capacity, multi-function center console box, which can be easily used even from the rear seat
- Smooth ingress/egress realized by optimized positioning of the hand grips for both driver's and front seats
- Enlarged distance between the seat and steering wheel, which allows the driver's legs to move more easily when getting into/out of the vehicle
- Ample space for legs is ensured by the shape and placement of the gearshift on the instrument panel and by adopting a foot-operated parking brake (in AT models).
- Wider driver's seat sliding range and the adoption of tilt steering help provide a roomy, comfortable cockpit
- A pad where a driver puts his/her hand when getting out of the vehicle is adopted (unique to Caravan)
- Convenient storage compartments are efficiently placed for storing small items
- Also adopted is a seat-back pocket with its slot placed at a slant, so that a driver can easily take an item out while seated, and a passenger seat multi-seat back pocket placed on the side of the passenger seat that can be easily reached by the driver (standard on Premium GX)
<Other Key Safety and Environmental Technologies>
- Bi-xenon headlights (with LED positioning lights/auto-control) (factory-installed option)
- Electric retractable remote control body-colored door mirrors (factory-installed option for Van DX/Wagon DX)
- RearView Monitor (factory-installed option)
- Auto light system (standard on Van Premium GX/Wagon GX)
- LED High-Mount Stop Lamp
- ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) plus Brake Assist
- Front ventilated disc brakes
- High-strength body construction (Zone Body)
- SRS air bag system for driver and front passenger (standard on Wagons and factory-installed option for Vans for the front passenger seat)
- Load limiter equipped pretensioner seatbelts for driver and front passenger (standard on Wagon and factory-installed option for Van trim levels for the front passenger seat)
- Three-point seatbelts with Emergency Locking Retractors (ELRs) for rear seats (two-point seatbelt for the center seat) (Standard on Van trim levels excluding three-seat models)
- Mileage display function
- Achieves "10% improvement in fuel economy over 2015 standards," "5% improvement in fuel economy over 2015 standards" or the "2015 fuel economy standards" (excluding some MT models)
- Achieves more than 95% recyclability rate (based on 1998 Guidelines for definition and calculation method on the recyclability rate for new vehicles provided by JAMA)
- Reduces interior volatile organic compounds (VOC)
Sales target : 2,000 units / month
Price range: 1,894,200 yen to 3,511,200 yen, including consumption tax
- *1 Van Premium GX with five seats (with maximum cargo space)
- *2 For details of the government subsidy and preferential tax scheme for environmentally-friendly vehicles, refer to the NV350 Caravan website for the preferential tax scheme for environment-friendly vehicles. The government subsidy program applies to vehicles registered from December 20, 2011 to January 31, 2013. NV350 Caravan can receive a subsidy of 100,000 yen. The program will be terminated when the total amount of applications reaches the allocated budget.
- *3 Excludes some MT models
<Related Link>
Product Information: NV350 Caravan
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