09 November 2011
They say if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere; so where else would Nissan choose to debut its latest incarnation of a New York cab but in the Big Apple?
New York was the obvious first choice to preview the interior design planned for the Nissan NV200 Taxi at New York City’s exclusive ‘Taxi of Tomorrow’ Design Expo.
Open to the public until 5 November, the exhibition featured an interactive display of the Nissan smarty-cab – developed with New Yorkers for New Yorkers.
Named the ‘NV200’, Nissan’s Taxi design reflects the wants and needs of hundreds of New York’s taxi drivers and their passengers who shared their thoughts with a team of designers and engineers to create the ultimate auto fare.
“Over the past century, New York City’s taxis have become known around the world for iconic exterior styling,” said Joe Castelli, vice president of Nissan Fleet & Commercial Vehicles. “Now, with the NV200 Taxi, Nissan is bringing iconic design inside the taxi, while improving the comfort and safety of passengers and drivers. We’re committed to sustaining the New York City taxi’s heritage while meeting the modern needs of 600,000 passengers every day, and we’re looking forward to hearing New Yorkers’ feedback after they sit in this display property and fully experience the vehicle’s many first-of-a-kind features and amenities.”
Some of the features incorporated included a spacious cargo area to accommodate luggage for up to four passengers, a transparent roof panel to provide unique views of the city, sliding doors with entry step and grab handles for easy entry and exit, USB charging access for passengers; independent, passenger-controlled rear-seat heat/air conditioning with a grape phenol-coated air filter to improve cabin air quality, a flat floor – with no hump to trip on – enhanced interior materials intended to help passenger cabin smell fresher and breathable, anti-microbial, easy-to-clean and environmentally friendly seat upholstery.
All hail Nissan.