I drove the Chevy City Express! Well, kinda...

[Zane]

Two days ago I had a chance to drive the new Nissan NV200...which will eventually be re-badged and sold as the Chevrolet City Express.

 

Honestly, I wasn't too excited before-hand. It's just a work van, right? Well, surprisingly, behind the wheel I enjoyed it quite a bit.

 

This is a very nice work tool. Yes, a tool. You're not going to want to buy a City Express to haul your family around but it's going to be hard to beat for many small business who deliver or are constantly on the move.

 

So, why did Chevy partner with Nissan instead of building their own? Nissan manufactures the NV200 in the USA. That's a big deal when it comes to Cargo Vans.

 

Read on for more information here and how Ford skirts a 25% import tax for importing foreign made cargo vehicles: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125357990638429655.html

 

Chevrolet most likely had no option other than importing their own van from overseas or buying one made in the USA. Nissan turns out to be a great choice.

 

There will be little cosmetic changes when the NV200 is rebadged. So, expect it to look a lot like this.

 

For as compact as it is on the outside, the NV200/City Express is huge inside.

 

Not luxurious, the NV200 offers a navigation system, backup camera, and places to organize paperwork. It gets the job done.

 

The rear has built in attachment points for up-fitters or customers to utilize. No need to bolt, drill, weld, or otherwise modify the vehicle to attach racks or shelves.

 

The rear doors are a 40/60 split, biased towards the passenger side. Less door overhang out into the road! The doors also open at 90 and 180 degrees.

 

Standard run of the mill gauges. Nothing fancy.

 

Only 131-horsepower but with 1,500lbs of cargo capacity and a light body, the NV200 / City Express moves pretty well. The CVT transmission is perfect for this type of vehicle

 

Squared off and compact wheel wells are great for stacking boxes, racks, or other items that wouldn't fit well with rounded corners.

 

The NV200 has a tight ~30ft turning radius. Great for tight alleys and sharp corners you'll find in the city.

 

It's not a looker but will get the job done all day long.

[truckofwinandawesome]

looks like the NV200/City Express would be PERFECT for a small Delivery truck, or a small maintenance truck!

[KMGZ400]

chevy should sell rebadged fullsize NV vans.... they are way better then the current express

[Zane]

chevy should sell rebadged fullsize NV vans.... they are way better then the current express

Hate to agree but you are right. The full-size NV vans are cutting out a devoted niche with their customers. It's a work van made to be a work van. Not a passenger van adapted to be a work van, like the Express.

[KMGZ400]

i agree, GM should focus on making a redesigned FULLSIZE van with a big GVWR and a fuel efficent engine... there is a huge gap in the market there.. sprinters are not the van of the future.. to expensive, unreliable and they prone to rust.

 

Ford is supposed to be coming out with a fullsize transit... supposed to be impressive but we'll see