Nissan Evalia has undergone a lot of changes for the better. The company could have done this exercise a little earlier and that would have helped it resolve a number of issues that users encountered in the initial batches of the vehicle. But then, like all good things take their own sweet time, and Nissan’s Evalia, which has its presence across the globe, has finally undergone the inevitable makeover.
There is high demand for vehicles like Evalia in the international automobile market. In European countries and the U.S, people keep such vans, apart from their regular set of wheels, for making weekend trips or to go camping. For people with similar requirements or a big family, the Evalia fits the bill.
Evalia is set to shine even in the taxi market that is presently dominated by Innova and Tavera. Evalia can turn out to be a severe blow to competition as its strength lies in its comparatively smaller engine that covers double the distance per litre of fuel than what its competitors manage.
Called the NV200 in Japan and the U.S, the vehicle is known as Evalia in rest of the world. The Evalia, which got attention as a small city transporter in Japan, became the popular yellow premium taxi in New York city. In a few years, New York will be full of Evalia taxis. Nissan is producing thousands of cabs that include electric, petrol, diesel and hybrid vehicles.
Into the test drive report of the latest Evalia:
Design
The difference from earlier versions is mostly in terms of design which has become more efficient. Though the newly designed grill and alloy wheels look attractive, the Evalia’s uniqueness lies in its design.
We have for long been used to this van-like design, which did away with a boot and converted that space into cabin room, right from the days of Maruti Omni. Such cars, or rather vans, have continued to ply on Indian roads for many years, of which the latest names include Maruti’s Eeco and Ertiga.
Evalia’s size makes it different from what we have seen so far. It is bigger than all of them. It is bigger than the Eeco but smaller than the Tata Winger and there lies Evalia’s selling proposition. The vehicle is of perfect size, not an inch more or less. The result is an enough roomy van which is only as long and wide as a sedan. The Evalia can be driven as easily as a car.
From the front and the rear, the Evalia resembles a car while from the sides it looks like a van. Sliding doors are known to give troubles later, but their modern design in the Evalia takes care of the issue. They are not likely to develop vibrations even after prolonged abused over the potholed roads of our country.
The Evalia has low floors and that enables easy entry and exit into the vehicle. The latest Evalia comes with second-row sliding windows. The interiors have become modern and there is plenty of room inside. Even when all the seats are slid behind to create the maximum legroom at each row, there is still enough space left for luggage.
If that is not enough, the second row seat can be folded to create more room. Air conditioning vents and cup holders have been provided in all rows. Evalia’s highlight is its cabin room, a quality not found in other vehicles including the Innova.
The dashboard design and console-mounted gear lever have helped freeing up more space inside the vehicle. Interior parts, including plastics, are of good quality.
Behind the wheel
Even though the company doesn’t claim that much has changed on the drivability front, the Evalia’s engine and drive-train have improved. At the heart of Evalia is Renault’s K9K 1.5 litre diesel motor, a road-proven workhorse for many years now. It is the same engine that powers thousands of Mahindra Veritos and several other Nissan and Renault vehicles.
The Evalia makes 85 bhp and 200 NM of torque which is more than enough for puttering around in the city as well as cruising on the highways and the vehicle does not feel underpowered even with full load. The vehicle will return up to 20 kilometres per litre of fuel.
Nissan has taken all the necessary measures to make handling and riding comfort topnotch and the Evalia can be driven just like any other car. It is essentially a vehicle that offers the comfort of a car with the practicality and utility of a van.
Price : A little above Rs 10 lakh
Test Drive: 8606999616