Nissan NV200, Intima, and Round Box

By Gavin Green

Motor Shows

25 October 2007 02:40

So what else did Nissan have at Tokyo beyond the GT-R and Pivo2?

Three other concepts, the best of which was the NV200 van, designed in Nissan’s London design centre. It’s a van just as useful for leisure as business. It’s out of the box thinking – literally. The rear loadbay contains a giant pod – Thunderbird 2 like – that extends out of the back when the vehicle is stationary and rests on a couple of metal legs. On the concept car it was set up for a scuba diver – so there were tanks, flippers, wet suits all carried in shelves in the pod. But the custom-made pod could just as easily suit the requirements of a camper, a builder, a plumber, a surfer, a cyclist, a mobile trader or any other workman, outdoorsman or sportsman.

Oh yes. When the 1.6-metre long pod is extended, the rear loadbay of the van is free. The front passenger seat (there are no back seats) can slide back into the load area – for use as a desk chair – and on the Tokyo concept, a folding desk provided writing or laptop space. You could just as easily use the rear end for sleeping. There’s some of the utility that so distinguished the old VW Camper van – remember its pop-up roof to give extra sleeping quarters? ‘The gap between leisure vans and business vans is getting smaller and smaller,’ says designer Stéphane Schwartz. ‘So we have developed a van that is perfect for both fun and work.’

By Gavin Green