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With London Win, Nissan Hopes They Can 'Hack' It in Several World Cities
By Rain Noe - Jan 07, 2014
A globetrotting Japanese expat once told me he believed there was a Japanese expat pecking order. "The coolest kids move to London," he explained, "the second coolest, to New York. The third coolest move to L.A." (This last one delivered with an undertone of scorn.)
If his theorem can also be applied to Japanese automobiles, then Nissan is in pretty good shape. Their boxy NV200 won NYC's "Taxi of Tomorrow" competition (albeit amidst resistance) last year; now it's just won the "Taxi for London" title, and will begin rolling out there later this year.
Petrol version
Electric versionThe London-specific NV200 has received what Nissan is calling a "redesign," but which we take to mean a cosmetic makeover:
Nissan's newly redesigned taxi has been developed for London, in London, by Nissan Design Europe (NDE) in Paddington, the same design center responsible for the Qashqai and Juke...
...The London version's design is bespoke, reflecting the rich heritage and status of London's black cabs. Among the specific changes that have been made to the front of the NV200 taxi are:
- Round headlamps and a re-modeled grille mirroring the traditional black cab "face"
- LED lighting to improve visibility of the traditional taxi sign
- Completely new front bumper panels
Design Excellence Manager at NDE, Darryl Scriven, said: "Having already overcome the unique technical challenges presented by the development of a new Hackney Carriage for London ahead of our launch of the vehicle in August 2012, we turned our attention to making the vehicle look the part. The Mayor's office and taxi drivers were very keen that we maintain the character of the Hackney Carriage, making it something that people in the city can be proud of.
Here's a video look at what Londonites will be hailing come December:
That the NV200 will be gaining fleet status in both NYC and London is no accident; Nissan is making a concerted push towards official taxidom in several world cities, with Barcelona and Tokyo reportedly next in the crosshairs.
Rain Noe
Rain Noe is a writer and industrial designer based in New York City.
4 Comments
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In my opinion, Nissan is responsible for some of the ugliest vehicles that have ever been on the road. This taxi being one of the latest. The Juke, (or "rodent") is truly an eyesore. How do they get away with it?!Report as spam
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It was sad when New York lost it's cabs with identity and cultural heritage, and now it's worse that's it's happening in London too (if only because I'll have to see it everyday). These two minivans (or should that be singular) represent the negative side of global homologous design with all the life and character being sucked out of the end result. As for reflecting heritage; PT Cruiser anyone?!Report as spam
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I liked the NV200, it has great features and will go well in any city. Nissan have identified how popular the vehicle is and have recognised it's potential in other cities. They have their base product, and they change it's facade to suit whichever particular market. In my opinion, the facade of the London model is lazy. It lacks the character of the current generation. Choosing three features and calling it a 'triangle' doesn't impress me, and it wont impress the locals either. I still applaud Nissan for this step though, and I look forward to what the NV200s of Barcelona and Tokyo will look like.!Report as spam
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This is sadly ugly ... the "redesign" of the front is unelegant, do not match the poor design of the sides, converting this vehicle into one of the most ridiculous and failed attempt at neo retro, and I can see no Londoner being proud of this garbage.!Report as spam
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