Nissan unveils new NV200 taxi at New York Auto Show

Visitors in New York got a glimpse of their to-be taxi at the Nissan stables at the 2012 New York Auto Show earlier this month. The 2014 Nissan NV200 is all set to take over as the new official taxi, after the New York City and Limousine Commission chose to replace much of its taxi fleet by late 2013.

The NV200 is also dubbed as the safest, comfortable and most convenient taxi ever for the city, according to officials, and will take over to serve the 600,000 passengers who relied on the aging Ford Crown Victoria to get around every day.

The compact front-wheel-drive yellow van is driven by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, and is designed to ferry four passengers in comfort. Specially designed grab handles and sliding doors ease entry while a transparent roof panel and independently-controlled rear air-conditioning allow customers a comfortable ride, with full panoramic view of the city.

Additionally, mobile charging stations, anti-microbial upholstery and active carbon headliner to absorb odours, and a “low annoyance” horn are included in the standard list.

The Nissan, with all these features is very well set to conquer New York for sure. But whether it will make it to the GCC as a competitor for the Toyota Hiace, which serves as a taxi in countries like Oman, is doubtful. Nissan will build its 2014 NV200 Taxi in Mexico, and the standard model is marked at US$ 29,700, or about Dhs 109,000 in UAE money.