Sixteen months after launching a diesel engine, manual transmission, van based London taxi, Nissan has had a rethink and shown off a restyled model, now with petrol engine and automatic transmission, with an all-electric model to follow.
‘Black cabs’ must meet strict city hackney carriage rules evolved from those that regulated horse drawn cabs in the 19th century – one current requirement is a 25ft (7.6m) turning circle – and the model currently built in Coventry by London Taxi Company (rescued last year from bankruptcy by Geely), evolved from taxis originally designed and built by Austin, is the most iconic. In recent years, regulators have also allowed van based models and the Mercedes Vito is a popular choice. Most London cabs have diesel engines and automatic transmission.
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Nissan said it redesigned its cab “in response to feedback from the London Mayor’s office, Transport for London and other key organisations which have put their backing behind the new taxi” and “redesigned the vehicle to better reflect the iconic nature of the traditional black cab”.
The biggest change is a distinctive nose restyle by Nissan Design Europe (NDE) in Paddington, the centre also responsible for the Qashqai and Juke crossovers. The new taxi will be launched in December 2014 with a 1.6-litre petrol engine and automatic gearbox and a zero emission electric version will follow in 2015.
Nissan supplied its 2.7-litre TD27 diesel engine for the FX4 ‘Fairway’ and TX1 black cabs during the 1980s and 90s and the engine was known for reliability and durability.
The NV200 cab for London is part of the automaker’s global taxi programme, which also includes models for New York, Barcelona and Tokyo.
“The London version’s design is bespoke, reflecting the rich heritage and status of London’s black cabs,” Nissan said.
The changes include round headlamps and a re-modelled grille “mirroring the traditional black cab ‘face'”, LED lighting to improve visibility of the traditional taxi sign and redesigned front bumper panels.
NDE design excellence manager Darryl Scriven, said: “Having already overcome the unique technical challenges presented by the development of a new hackney carriage for London ahead of our launch of the vehicle in August 2012, we turned our attention to making the vehicle look the part.
“The Mayor’s office and taxi drivers were very keen that we maintain the character of the hackney carriage, making it something that people in the city can be proud of.
“The main challenges were concerned with making sure customers can easily recognise it as a taxi. Being in London, we were able to go out and talk to cabbies about what was important to them as well as look at the vehicle from a customer’s viewpoint. It’s unusual for us to be able to work on something as bespoke as this, specifically for one location in the world and we are very proud to have been asked to do so.”
Nissan said the 1.6 litre petrol/auto combination “will be far cleaner, with lower levels of NOx and particulates”.
London dealer group Glyn Hopkin will be exclusive retailer at a purpose built showroom in Canary Wharf.
