Filed under: Diesel, Nissan, USA
Nissan set to attack small commercial segment
Small business owners in the United States are about to get a fresh set of choices for hauling their wares through busy urban areas. Ford has already announced its Transit Connect van, which uses a front-wheel drive layout and a very tall roof to allow for plenty of storage capability in a relatively small package. A new competitor to the Blue Oval has emerged in Nissan, which also plans to attack this smaller end of the commercial vehicle market.
Entrance into the segment will require suitable powerplants, and Nissan has reportedly entered into an agreement with Cummins to supply a range of diesel engines for its vans. We know that Cummins makes an excellent engine, and this move may bring smaller oil-burners to the market than the huge 6.7-liter six cylinder unit that powers various versions of the Dodge Ram. About a third of Nissan's US dealerships are expected to offer the new line of commercial vehicles.
[Source: Automotive News (subs req'd)]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Stan Wellaway 9:34AM (12/16/2008)
Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn is a very VERY strong advocate of battery powered vehicles. It would surely be no great surprise if Nissan offered an electric version to compete with the Ford-badged Smith Ampere urban delivery van.
I guess Ford will be taking this into account when they give details of their 2010 electric van at the Detroit auto show next month.
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G-Meister 11:13AM (12/17/2008)
speaking of light commercial and Ford- where (the hell) is the Transit Connect???
Stan Wellaway 4:54PM (12/17/2008)
Where indeed! It's been on sale in Europe since 2002, with a chassis configuration similar to the orginal Focus car, and was scheduled to go on sale in the US in 2007. It now looks like arriving in mid-2009 - with a battery powered version 9 months later for city use.
It isn't a pretty van - but is a very useful shape. In Europe there's also a multiseat version with windows all round.
DRFS Rich 9:54AM (12/17/2008)
Nice to see Nissan thinking "outside the box" (pun intended, looking at that vehicle). While the "Big 3" are on their knees before Congress, it's nice to see another automaker actively pursuing new markets and additional revenue sources.
- R
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