The NV200 London Taxi is generally similar to its New York counterpart that was formally unveiled earlier this year - aside from its paint color, of course. Based on the NV200 passenger and cargo van range Nissan sells globally, the London Taxi variant features a a large glass roof and a pair of sliding doors. Like London's TX cabs, the NV200's front passenger seat has been removed and a strong partition has been installed to accomodate more passengers, who have their own ventilation controls.
Underneath, the NV200 London Taxi uses an 89 horsepower, 177 lb-ft. of torque 1.5-liter four-cylinder diesel motor to power the front wheels. The engine emits 139 g/km of CO2 while achieving 53 mpg on the U.K.'s 2014 combined cycle. Those figures are a massive jump over the current TX4, which emits 209 g/km and averages about 35 mpg.
Changes have been made to the NV200's front suspension to meet a 25 foot turning circle requirement set by the city's taxi commission.
Nissan hasn't priced the NV200 London Taxi, but it says that it will undercut the TX4. A "specialist" Nissan dealer will sell the vehicle. The automaker hasn't announced an on-sale date for the NV200 London Taxi, but it did say that it will complete final testing for the London Taxi Certification later in 2012. Assuming the NV200 meets the city's requirements, it could go on sale as early as next year.
The NV200 London Taxi meets city mayor Boris Johnson's goal of reducing emissions and he said in a statement that he is "absolutely delighted that manufacturers are stepping up to the plate and are responding to the challenge I set in my air quality strategy to reduce taxi emissions and improve efficiency."
In 2014, Nissan plans to test a zero-emissions, battery-powered NV200 London Taxi EV, although it is already testing a cargo model with FedEx in the U.K.
Unlike New York, London will not select a single taxi cab for fleet conformity. Most of the Olympic city's taxi fleets are TX4s made by Manganese Bronze Holdings, although Mercedes-Benz's Vito van will serve as an obvious rival to the NV200.
Nissan will build its NV200 London Taxis in Barcelona, Spain.
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