Urvan luxury

The Urvan Premium is more stylish with the honeycomb type grille framed by chrome, sharper headlights, and sliding side windows.

When Nissan Philippines, Inc. (NPI) presented the all-new, fifth generation NV350 Urvan to the media in June 2015, four units of the vehicle were displayed at the venue, showing its many roles—for business (delivery van of a flower shop), as a school bus, as a people carrier (an express shuttle), and for the family.

NPI is seeking to regain the title “King of the Vans” for the NV350 Urvan, and has been showing progress towards that goal.

In 2016, NPI sold 5,660 units of the Urvan, making it the best-selling nameplate in the Nissan lineup.

This year, NPI concluded the first quarter with a record 5,277 vehicles sold, the highest performance for Nissan since 2000, with the Urvan accounting for 31 percent of total Nissan sales by selling 1,651 units.

The 1,651 figure represents an 18 percent variance for the Urvan over the first quarter of 2016, when 1,397 units were sold.

The Urvan thus retained the brand’s best-seller position in the first three months of this year over the Nissan Navara pickup, 1,638 units of which were sold.

Note the gear shift selector in the two-tone dashboard within easier reach of the driver.

Entering a new segment

“Our core models have performed well in the past quarter, especially the sales of our NV350 Urvan,” Ramesh Narasimhan, NPI president and managing director, said at a press preview last week.

“And now, we continue to grow the business by entering a new segment, with the launch of the Nissan Urvan Premium.”

Displayed in a special air-conditioned viewing room along Bonifacio High Street in Taguig City, the Urvan Premium is wider, longer, higher, roomier, and therefore grander, with plush upgrades in the cabin.

The exterior of the Urvan Premium is more stylish than its regular sibling, thanks to broad chrome framing its honeycomb type grille, sharper headlights, and sliding side windows.

But it still looks as tough and capable as ever.

The wheelbase at 2,940 mm is longer than the non-premium Urvan.

The new seating configuration features four rows of seats in the rear cabin that allows enough space to store luggage.

Wider reclining seats

Inside are 15 individually mounted, wider reclining seats covered with suede-like tricot fabric. The suede finish is also seen in the headlining fabric.

The new seating configuration featuring four rows of seats in the rear cabin allows enough space to store luggage. In fact, luggage can even be stowed under the seats.

There are 10 cupholders, side door pockets, and a sliding door pocket. It also offers keyless entry.

The gear shift selector is located in the two-tone dashboard within easy reach of the driver.

Because the Urvan Premium is wider, longer and higher, more spacious legroom and higher headroom are a given.

Individual air conditioning vents positioned above each seat.

14 individual aircon vents

For increased passenger comfort, instead of 12 individual air-con vents mounted off-center on the van’s ceiling, there are 14 individual air conditioning vents positioned above each seat.

Passenger ingress/egress is facilitated by an extended sliding door, a class-leading opening height of 1,580 mm, a door closure assist, a rear step board, rear ingress/egress grips, and a hand rail upon entering the van.

Front SRS airbags, anti-lock braking system (ABS) with brake assist, ELR seatbelts, adjustable headrests, childproof door locks, panic alarm, a LED high-mounted stop lamp, and a load-sensing valve that provides reliable braking power are standard safety equipment.

Ventilated disc brakes up front, drums at the rear, plus a brake booster provide adequate stopping power.

The suspension system consists of a torsion bar in front and leaf springs—considered the strongest and most reliable for carrying heavy loads—at the rear.

Spacious legroom and higher headroom even in the cockpit.

Robust diesel engine

The Urvan Premium retains the robust engine also powering the Nissan Navara pickup: the new generation 2.5-liter DOHC inline-4 cylinder variable turbocharged diesel engine capable of 127.22 horsepower and max torque of 356 Newton meters/1,400-2,000 rpm.

That’s more than enough power to pull an extended family of 15 passengers, with all their bags and luggage, up steep, winding roads in Tagaytay or Baguio, in premium comfort and without having to switch off the air conditioner.

The 2017 Nissan Urvan Premium, retailing for P1.65 million, has a manual transmission.

I overheard that an automatic transmission model is arriving later this year. Now, that would make the NV350 Nissan Urvan Premium even more premium.

Cup holders and seat pockets for more passenger comfort

Passenger ingress/egress is facilitated by an extended sliding door, a class-leading opening height of 1,580 mm, a door closure assist, a rear step board, rear ingress/egress grips, and a hand rail upon entering the van.