Historically, America's commercial vehicle marketplace has been dominated by domestic automakers. Besides a small percentage of Sprinter sales from Dodge while under Daimler ownership, the fullsize van market has really only been occupied by Ford, General Motors and Chrysler. Nissan is ready to change all that, and its opening salvo in the commercial vehicle marketplace is its NV series of vans.

Nissan's NV series – "NV" rather unimaginatively stands for Nissan Van, for what it's worth – relies on three different designations, NV1500, 2500 HD and 3500 HD, and two different roof heights (the High Roof is only available on the NV2500 HD and NV3500 HD models) to provide a platform for every conceivable need. Opting for the tall version will provide enough room for most people to stand up inside with no need to duck.

Interestingly, Nissan's research indicates that commercial van owners are the least satisfied of any vehicle segment, and as such, the automaker says that the NV design is that of an armored car a 'clean-sheet' approach resulting from one of the most researched projects Nissan has ever undertaken. That research has yielded a vehicle that utilizes a fully boxed steel ladder frame and rear-wheel drive with either a 4.0-liter V6 or an optional 5.6-liter V8. Both engines are mated to a standard five-speed automatic transmission.

No matter which engine or roof style is chosen, the NV will come with a user-definable interior layout that can accept standard-size drywall or plywood or any number of aftermarket cargo solutions. Up front, there are a number of storage pockets and compartments to hold whatever is needed, while High Roof models offer an overhead console for additional storage options.

Pricing is not yet available, but Nissan promises the NV series will hit authorized commercial U.S. dealerships before the end of the year. Want to know more? Be sure to check out our gallery of high-res images below and click past the break for the official press release.



There’s nothing terribly creative about the name of Nissan’s new commercial van—NV stands for Nissan Van—but the Japanese Sprinter-fighter is a fresh take on the commercial carryall box. Nissan will launch the van in three strengths with a choice of a V-6 or V-8 engine.

The NV is a clean-sheet design; Nissan claims it spent five years researching the commercial-vehicle market to come up with the slab-sided, space-efficient package you see here. The NV has body-on-frame construction and doghouse-less powertrain packaging—for more interior room and easier servicing—as well as mobile-office interior features like a flat-folding passenger seat that can do desk duty, an optional removable center console, and plenty of nooks, pockets, and cubbies to stash the tools of the trade.

The lighted cargo area behind the two front seats has a floor length of 120.7 inches, a max width of 70.3 inches, and a height of 55.4 inches with the standard roof or 76.5 with the optional high roof, which is designed to allow (almost) anyone to stand up and work in the back. Nissan definitely kept upfitters in mind: there’s a no-drill roof-rack mounting system, weld-nut attachment points for interior shelving and racks, and optional pre-wiring for extra electricity-needing accouterments.

Three models will be available—NV1500, NV2500 HD, and NV3500 HD; information on their differences and equipment is coming later. All will be available with the standard roof, while the high-roof option will be limited to the 2500 and 3500 vans. Nissan’s 4.0-liter V-6 will be the base engine and its 5.6-liter V-8 will be optional, both paired with a five-speed automatic transmission. No power figures were quoted for this application. We’ve seen 261 hp from the V-6 Frontier and 317 hp from the V-8 in the Titan and expect similar, if not identical, numbers for the vans.

While it’s not quite as funkadelic looking as the NV2500 concept from 2008, the NV has a decidedly foreign look to it, more Sprinter than Ford E-series, although the grille is definitely Ford-esque. All of the special features aside, we think the availability of a powerful, modern V-8 will be the big differentiator between the NV and our current big-van favorite, the Mercedes-Benz/Freightliner Sprinter.

The NV will be built at Nissan’s Canton, Mississippi, plant and is scheduled to arrive toward the end of the year. Nissan has promised some more commercial vehicles as well, so we may soon be seeing something in the Ford Transit Connect size range or possibly a chassis-cab version of the NV