2015 Nissan NV200 Taxi of Tomorrow Ready for Official Debut in NYC

2015 nissan nv200

The 2015 Nissan NV200 officially will go into service as New York City's "Taxi of Tomorrow" on April 20 of next year, providing big benefits for Big Apple cab riders as well as raising the profile of Nissan's next-gen city van.

Now, as some cab fanciers may recall, the New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission actually had selected the NV200 for this honor last year, as a way of improving the efficiency of the overall New York City taxi fleet, and hundreds are already in service today. But that was more of a "soft launch, " and the program gets more aggressive near the end of April, with the commission calling for "most retiring taxis to be replaced by the NV200" after that date.

Replacing those long-serving veterans will be a new product specifically designed for the rigors of the cab trade, combining the durability of Nissan's NV commercial truck family with a wide range of safety and comfort features. For example, the 2015 Nissan NV200 is the only cab in the country to go through federal safety testing with its passenger partition installed, probably because it's the only one offered with a factory-installed partition in the first place. And naturally, the 2015 Nissan NV200 is able to meet those federal safety standards, which, as noted by Nissan, is "an attribute no other automaker provides for taxis."

Other highlights of the 2015 Nissan NV200 taxi include:

• Sliding rear doors, for simpler, safer entry and exit on crowded city streets
• Space for up to four adult passengers with luggage and gear
• Two USB ports and a 12-volt electrical outlet for passenger use
• A passenger-controlled rear air-conditioning system complemented by openable side windows
• Extensive interior lighting, including reading lights
• An odor-neutralizing carbon-lined headliner

It's also worth reporting that 2015 Nissan NV200 has received a number of new upgrades for its cargo configuration, including enhanced versions of the NissanConnect technology with navigation and "Mobile Apps" feature, as well as a fine-tuned powertrain that enables 1-mpg bump in both highway and combined fuel efficiency. The new EPA grades for the 2015 Nissan NV200: 24 mpg city/26 mpg highway/25 mpg combined.