Story by Patrick Tulfo / Photos by Randy S. Peregrino
AFTER a glittery launch at the glitzy grand ballroom of the Marriott Hotel at Resorts World Manila in Pasay on June 11, Nissan Phils. Inc. (NPI) treated members of the motoring and lifestyle media to a taste of what its newest product, the Nissan Urvan 350, can do.
After a sumptuous breakfast and welcome remarks from NPI President Antonio Zara in the spacious UMC showroom along Pasong Tamo extension Makati City, we were divided into two groups that headed for two different destinations. Our group from the motoring beat proceeded to the exclusive Tagaytay Highlands resort, while the members of the lifestyle press proceeded to Antonio’s Restaurant, also in Tagaytay.
Clambering inside the 15-seater Urvan for the first time, one is greeted with such an airy interior wherein tall passengers would not have a problem going in and out of. The four rows of seats behind the driver offer ample room for all the passengers. Additionally, the new Urvan 350 puts an emphasis on passenger comfort by redesigning the rear air conditioner, which now features a 12-point system that gives every passenger on each row his or her own vent. And with Nissan’s legendary cooling system, drivers and passengers are assured of a cool cabin whatever the temperature is outside and even when the cabin is fully loaded with passengers.
The new Urvan is now powered by the YD25DDTI diesel engine, which is the same powerplant of its sibling, the new Nissan Navarra pickup. The van didn’t have any problem overtaking slow-moving vehicles on the way up to Tagaytay. The engine is rated at 129 hp and, more important, 356 Nm of torque, which is the reason it was given the model code “NV 350.” Power without control is nothing, so Nissan equipped the new Urvan with a Load Sensing Valve, or LSV, which distributes weight evenly on all wheels when braking, ensuring stability whether the van is full or empty.
Over lunch at a quaint log-cabin steakhouse inside Tagaytay Highlands, I was lucky to be seated across the NPI president and had the chance to ask him some questions regarding their newest offering.
According to Zara, “The last Urvan, although a bestseller, is already long overdue for replacement and simply cannot compete with the other vans being offered by other manufacturers in terms of engine power.” He shared his observation on a trip up north to Baguio several months ago, when he said, “I noticed a lot of Urvans from Manila all the way to Pangasinan, but on the way up to Baguio, it was the commuter van from a rival manufacturer, which dominated the scene.” He added, “We hope to change that with the introduction of the new Urvan 350.” After the sumptuous steak lunch and before we proceeded to our next destination in Anilao, Batangas, I took the opportunity to see the Urvan up close. It sports a contemporary design that is now at par with other vans in the category. The front houses a black grill, which proudly displays the Nissan logo, while the squared rear design shows the spaciousness of the van.
The original plan was that all the vans would be handled by designated drivers and with members of the motoring press enjoying the ride as passengers. This changed, however, when some of us requested that we personally drive the vehicle. We left the Highlands for Bauan, Batangas, on the second leg of the journey, Matt Montoya, my co-anchor for our motoring program Motoring sa dzME 1530 was the first to take the wheel.
Montoya noted that on the steep portion of Tagaytay Highlands there was no need to downshift to first gear as the engine had more than enough torque to pull us through. On the way Bauan via the South Luzon Expressway, it was the turn of Love-Love Tioseco to test the Urvan’s power and she was not disappointed as the Urvan easily reached double-digit speeds with power to spare.
My turn came on the last leg of the journey after exiting the Star Tollway all the way to Anilao, Batangas. I discovered that the new Urvan is not only geared for passenger comfort, but it was also designed for the benefit of the driver as well, as it had an adjustable driver’s seat and steering wheel with tilt feature for stress-free driving. The gearshift is also on the dashboard, which frees up more space in the front for passengers and their stuff.
Safety-wise, the body of the new Urvan has impact zones on both sides to protect the passengers by dissipating energy in case of a collision. Dual front air bags for the driver and passenger, as well as seatbelts on all seats complete the plethora of safety. The sliding door is also equipped with a child-safety lock. Nissan has been known as an industry innovator since the 1990s and, in the case of the new Urvan, the company did not disappoint. They are the first in the industry to extend their three-year warranty to UV Express operators, who will turn their vans into a public-utility vehicle, or PUV.
It seems that the UV Express war will be heating up with the introduction of the New Urvan NV 350.
Image credits: Randy S. Peregrino