Nissan Reveals New Concept Van
LONDON - Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. has revealed its innovative small van concept at Nissan Design Europe (NDE). The NV200 concept turns conventional light commercial design inside out - literally - and is scheduled to make its worldwide debut at the Tokyo Motor Show this coming October.
Developed by the Nissan Design Center in Japan and London-based NDE, its designers had no pre-conceived ideas about what form NV200 should take, enabling a radical, futuristic, but entirely practical new concept to result. Its most striking feature is a storage pod which extends from the van's load area when the vehicle is parked. As the pod is deployed, the now empty load bay is transformed into a mobile office.
The pod is latched inside the load area when the van is being driven. But upon arrival at its destination, it slides out rearwards to allow easy access to the a number of storage zones. As the pod is withdrawn from the van, the area left behind is transformed into a mobile office. The front passenger seat swivels backwards on a curved rail to face a computer table, which drops down from the side of the van.
"A light commercial vehicle has a specific job to perform, but that's no reason to design a purely rational vehicle with no warmth. For the NV200, function becomes the aesthetic. Our concept is a highly efficient tool but one with a human touch," says Shiro Nakamura, Nissan chief creative officer. He adds that the basic concept could be tailored to suit different customers, and cites as an example a NV200 that answers the specific needs of a professional underwater photographer with 'wet' and 'dry' storage zones in the pod for diving and camera equipment.
(Source: Nissan)
