Nissan has been preparing its NV200-based “Taxi of Tomorrow” for the tough life in the city of New York during the last two years, and now, it has been put into series production, in Mexico. It promises to improve the experience of being a passenger in the city, with much more interior room than conventional cabs, added safety, efficiency and technology.
The boxy van-like shape has many advantages, including being able to fit the vehicle with sliding doors and a factory partition – it’s also a more natural thing for a van to have such a partition, rather than the conventional sedan where space is much tighter.
It promises to be a much nicer pod to travel in, with independent air-con for the back and “active carbon-lined headliner to help neutralize interior odors.” Safety-wise, again, it tries to trump its predecessor, boasting Front and rear-seat occupant curtain airbags, as well as seat-mounted airbags for the front row.
There will also be USB connectivity, for both audio input and charging – a good feature, in an age when smartphone screen dimensions negate any size battery the manufacturer tries to put in… Finally, there’s intercom for communication with the driver, and exterior lights that alert those around that the taxi is stopped and that its doors are open.
By Andrei Nedelea
PHOTO GALLERY
