Nissan NV350 Urvan

The cabin of the Nissan NV350 Urvan is a simple and basic place to be in, as it gets a dull-looking dual-tone theme of black and grey upholstery with basic features.

The three-spoke steering wheel and all-analogue instrument console of the Nissan NV350 Urvan might not look like a driver’s cockpit of a present-day vehicle. The same can be said about the wide centre console, which has a 2-DIN audio system and manual AC dials placed on it. There are nice grab handles mounted on the A-pillars.

An impressive thing about this cabin is that all the controls are placed in a good reach of the driver, with the seats too having perfect placements. This 12-seater vehicle has enough space for all passengers, with the rear AC vents placed strategically to keep them cool. The large window panels further amplify the airiness of the cabin.

Like every people-carrying van, the Nissan NV350 Urvan has a boxy stance with a design that has become very familiar over the years. While Nissan has tried its best to make it look relevant by today’s standards with periodic minute updates, the Nissan NV350 Urvan now feels a bit dated to look at.

The familiar face of the Nissan NV350 Urvan has a trapezoidal version of its V-motion grille, which is finished in a theme of grey and encased within a trapezoidal main grille. Just adjacent to the large grille and block-themed headlamps, which are simple halogen units and lack the modern LED elements that we are now used to getting in newer generation vehicles. To make it look updated, Nissan revised the front bumper of this version of the NV350 Urvan, which gets vertical housings for the fog lamps, which do not come as standard but can be opted for an extra premium.

The block-themed design of the Nissan NV350 Urvan is carried forward to the side profile as well, with the van getting large window panels and nicer-looking curves on the front doors and rear sliding doors. The presence of plastic caps for steel wheels and black coloured door handles accentuate its basic look. However, the rearview mirrors on the outside are finished in chrome and get turn indicators integrated into them. There is an additional mirror mounted below the A-pillar for easy rearward visibility.

At the back, the flat look of the Nissan NV350 Urvan looks purposeful and comes with a large windscreen to offer an airy look to the cabin inside. The vertical tail lamps are very van-like and are placed on the side edges of the rear profile of the van.

The ride quality of the Nissan NV350 Urvan is not extremely cushioned and supple due to prominent body roll on corners. However, the low-speed ride quality is appreciable, and the suspension combination of independent double-wishbone at the front and rigid axle leaf springs at the back doing their job well.

The Nissan NV350 Urvan gets a tried and tested 2.0-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine, which has been the mainstay of the van for a long time now. Available with a 5-speed automatic gearbox as standard, the engine makes a maximum power output of 130 PS and a peak torque output of 178 Nm. The engine is decent for a vehicle of this size and has enough grunt even when the vehicle is running in its full capacity of 12 passengers on board.

The Nissan NV350 Urvan is decently equipped with just the basics when it comes to safety. The large van gets dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, brake assist and reverse parking sensors as standard.

For a people-carrying van of its price, the Nissan NV350 Urvan covers the basic grounds effectively by offering a spacious cabin, decent low-speed ride quality and a reliable engine that can run effortlessly for years.