Nissan to supply New York’s ‘Taxi of Tomorrow’

New York City (NYC) just wouldn’t be the same without its famous yellow taxicabs. Those cabs have changed over the years from the Checker Cab to the Chevrolet Caprice to the Crown Victoria and now Ford Escape. In 2011, the city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission selected a new standard: the Nissan NV200 as the exclusive taxi for the city.

Aside from the yellow paint, the cab incorporates features like a panoramic transparent roof panel, sliding doors with entry step and grab handles, carbon-lined headliner to neutralize interior odors, mobile charging stations and USB ports, antimicrobial fabric, and a flat passenger floor. And of course, the inevitable partition separating driver from the passengers. The driver will have a standard navigation system and will enjoy (or not) the “low-annoyance” horn with exterior lights to indicate honking. The NV200 will be powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine.

The taxi seats four with luggage, which is not really that great when compared with the six-seater Mega Taxi Mercedes vans that run in places like Singapore.

The cab was developed on a special “New York Avenue” test track in Nissan’s Arizona proving grounds, and had its suspension tuned to NYC road conditions. It will be assembled in Mexico.