2012 Nissan NV 2500HD: It's Big. Really, Really, Big.

Believe it or not, I can have fun driving just about anything. So when Nissan informed me that the next vehicle available for testing was their colossal NV2500 HD commercial van, I tried to take an optimistic attitude... I really did. 

But, walking up the broad white flanks of the low-roof test model Nissan had prepared for me, I was having some serious doubts. Struggling to discern the vehicle's surprisingly immense girth through the searing sunlight reflecting off the gigantic side panels, it occurred to me that the great white whale that lay before me was quite a bit bigger than I'd anticipated. I knew it would be larger than my favourite (albeit overpriced) commercial vehicle, the Ford Transit Connect, but just how much more imposing the Japanese truck was going to be didn't quite hit home until I found my shoulder leaning on the top of its grille. With a silhouette that sails across the horizon with the grace of an aircraft carrier, and the square footage to match, it is almost indescribably big. Measuring a full 20 feet long, 6.6 feet wide, and 7.5 feet tall, the footprint is impressive enough, but its girth is more than its mere measurements indicate. With a profile that’s only slightly more aerodynamic than a barn door, it filled nearly every molecule of the 990 cubic feet of atmosphere it displaced with gleaming white sheet metal.

Which is, of course, the purpose. Form follows function when you’re talking about a commercial vehicle such as this, and in that regard, the NV 2500HD doesn’t disappoint. With an interior that’s just shy of 300 cubic feet worth of space, there isn’t much that can’t be contained within its thin, sparsely appointed low walls, and even less that’s beyond the even bigger High Roof model’s interior. With a flat load floor, a low liftover height, and a trio of doors with which one can access the commodious cargo area, its work chops are beyond reproach. And although the passenger area may strike some as a wee bit... um... lacking, the reality is that it’s pretty well executed. Being a work vehicle precludes many of the nods to luxury that most drivers are accustomed to finding within even the most basic of vehicles, but the NV manages to remain comfortable and cooperative on even the longest of drives; something that far outstrips its need for leather seats and dual zone climate control when you’re staring down the barrel of an eight hour shift behind the wheel. Owners will enjoy the wear resistant front seats that ensure the constant in-and-out nature of professional driving doesn't degrade the Nissan's ambience, and operators will love the logically laid out interior that's positively bristling with storage bins, nooks, and crannies. In fact, the front armrest (which itself serves as a cover for the downright cavernous center console) make a convenient concession to clipboards; with a recessed area to allow drivers to fasten their paperwork to the desk-sized expanse of plastic. And this being the 2500HD model, those who use their NV's to haul tools of the trade will obviously enjoy the rear mounted 110 volt outlet that will allow the operation of a myriad of tools and accessories. 

Now, how does it drive. Well, to be honest, just as you would expect from something that weighs 5,980 pounds and has the capacity to carry a further 3,031: ponderously. That being said, there was one area in which the gigantic leviathan did surprise, and that was in the power department. Although making do with the 4.0L V6 from the impossibly-tiny-by-comparison Frontier pickup, the NV never felt like it was wanting for horsepower or torque, accomplishing everything from merging to passing to maintaining highway speed with a relative lack of drama and fanfare... although quite a bit of engine noise does filter through the acres of sheetmetal. This, combined with the NV's GVWR of 9,100 pounds had me thinking that only the heaviest of NV users would ever consider opting for the optional 5.6L V8 (borrowed from the Titan pickup), especially given the "economical" V6 still returned an... um... interesting 16.7 litres per hundred kilometres.   

To be honest, after seven days of conducting my daily chores inside of something the size of Luxembourg, not even my optimistic attitude could muster up so much as a hiccup of excitement when it came time to climb behind the wheel. Does that make the NV 2500HD a bad vehicle? Hell no, because it was never intended to be used to pick up Cheerios... it was made to deliver a billion boxes of Cheerios, and in that task, I have no doubts it would succeed. With a huge cargo area, plenty of power, great accessibility, and a well-thought out cockpit, it's a vehicle that will do exactly what people expect it to: make them money.