The Nissan NV line of vans might not be long for this world. A report from Automotive News cites unnamed sources “familiar with the plans” as proof that Nissan will extricate itself from the U.S. commercial van market.

Nissan currently sells three main types of vans here. They include the NV Cargo, NV Passenger and NV200.

“We don't want to go more in the business of vans in the U.S.," a Nissan source told AN.

We asked Nissan about the report and received this statement back: "Nissan is considering a number of opportunities to streamline the product portfolio and drive efficiencies within our manufacturing operations. We will provide updates as available."

That's no confirmation, but there could be some official news coming down the pipeline soon. Both the NV Cargo and NV Passenger vans are built off heavy-duty Titan frames and built in the U.S. The NV200 is a much smaller van that’s built in Mexico and competes with a van like the Ford Transit Connect. All of Nissan’s entries are aging without updates on the horizon, and they’re not leading the market anywhere either.

Ford, GM and FCA dominated this market when Nissan entered just under a decade ago, and nothing has changed since. Nissan sold nearly 39,000 commercial vans last year, while Ford moved about 240,000. GM topped 100,000, and FCA was just under 70,000 commercial vans. Nissan is ahead of Mercedes (Metris and Sprinter), but not by a wide margin.

It’s been a long time since we’ve been behind the wheel of a Nissan NV of any kind, but we did drive the big NV and smaller NV200 when they launched. It’s difficult to compete with the Ford Transit van, which is available in a dizzying number of configurations compared to Nissan’s vans.

AN cites a number of other reasons for the NV’s poor performance. The shared truck chassis forced a longer front end and passenger compartment than others, which cut down on total cargo space — the long nose also made maneuvering a bigger hassle. Many commercial fleet buyers also purchase their trucks and vans together, and since the F-150 is so popular, it just makes sense for folks to buy Ford vans, too.

We’ve been hearing plenty of news out of Nissan about shrinking the company’s portfolio as of late. However, slashing these few vans from the lineup doesn’t mean Nissan is exiting the commercial space entirely. The alliance with Renault has already led to a rebadged Nissan NV300 (Renault Traffic) that’s sold in Europe. If Nissan wanted, it could Americanize the van and bring it over here to keep a tiny foothold in the U.S. commercial landscape. Nissan could also go the electric route with something unique. The e-NV200 was revealed a few years ago, but we haven’t seen the electric van come stateside yet. GM recently announced an electric van venture that will be coming in the near future, so Nissan’s experience in electric vehicles could prompt a similar entry one day.

The Leaf won't be Nissan's main electric offering for long: Nissan will reveal the production version of its Ariya electric crossover next month, with plans to target the Tesla Model Y and the Volkswagen ID.4 as an affordable, versatile EV.

If it feels like this planned debut has crept up with no warning, that's because Nissan has kept relatively quiet about this project after revealing the very sleek concept last fall at the Tokyo Motor Show. Meant to use the Leaf's platform, wrapping it in a new and much more expansive body, the Ariya concept shown at the Tokyo event represented an evolution of Nissan's exterior design, combining a spacious interior with a midsize footprint and electric underpinnings.

The Ariya concept was shown alongside the IMk city car—a boxy upright hatch in the Japanese automotive tradition—but it was clear from the start that the Ariya was meant as a global offering, one that looked close to production spec and was devoid of any whimsical details. The interior featured a wide one-piece infotainment screen and instrument panel stretching across the dash, as well as a production-looking interior.


The Ariya will be shown in July and go on sale in Japan later this year, before heading to other markets. NISSAN"The Ariya Concept represents a strong collaboration between design and engineering," Yasuhiro Yamauchi, representative executive officer, said at the time of the concept's debut. "It is the next stage of Nissan's future design language as we embark on a new era for the company—the next stage in our evolution."

What can we expect from the production Nissan Ariya?
For starters, the Ariya is likely to feature the powertrain of the long-range Leaf Plus, which means it could offer 226 miles on a full charge, and with all-wheel drive. Given the fact that the Ariya will be larger and chunkier than the Leaf the mileage is unlikely to be identical, but it's possible that Nissan would try to squeeze more range out of it through an even larger battery or by introducing other performance tweaks, perhaps just shy of 300 miles.

When it comes to dimensions, the Ariya concept appeared fairly analogous to the Nissan Rogue, measuring just a few inches shorter than the Rogue. Interior accommodations could be a little more modest given the shape of its greenhouse, and it's also expected to be wider and lower than the Rogue. While the concept featured Nissan's ProPilot 2.0 semi-autonomous driving system, it remains to be seen whether it will be offered stateside—at the moment it's offered in the Japanese-market Skyline sedan—serving up Level 3 automation on par with Cadillac Super Cruise.


The 2019 concept featured a very realistic, production-ready interior. NISSANWhen it comes to pricing, expect the Ariya (if it actually keeps that name) to start around $40,000 and to be offered in several trim levels. The aim of this electric crossover is to bring the EV experience to the masses in a more family-friendly package than the Leaf. Another goal for the Ariya is to detach EV crossover ownership from being a luxury targeted at early adopters, which is why it will be priced to compete with other mainstream offerings from Volkswagen and Tesla, aiming at a starting price well south of $50,000.

The production version of the Ariya is poised to be one of the most important launches for Nissan in some time, during a period of deep uncertainty for the automaker as well as for the automotive landscape, which is perhaps why we've heard very few things about it during its gestation.

Nissan's current financial issues solidified even before the coronavirus pandemic, so the Ariya will be debuting under not one but two clouds for the automaker. But it could prove to be even more important and influential than the Leaf, which has been nothing short of an EV pioneer for the past decade.

As a part of Nissan Ambition 2030 strategy laid out this week, the automaker gave the world a glimpse of some possible vehicles we could see in the coming years with four distinct concepts, including two crossovers, a convertible and a small pickup truck. All four served up plenty of futuristic design elements, with some appearing more likely to reach production than others.
While the Max-Out convertible and Surf-Out truck certainly imagined some adventurously-styled but plausible electric vehicles, the two crossover concept were perhaps the more telling previews of vehicles we could actually see in the future. And out of the four only one has been built as a physical concept, as the other three are renderings for now.

The Chill-Out concept seen here can perhaps be described as a smaller and more coupe-like version of the Ariya, featuring a relatively tall ride height and a very rakish greenhouse. The concept adopts a two-tone look, separating the greenhouse from the rest of the car, and a relatively tall trunk lid sitting above the transparent rear fascia housing five pill-shaped brake lights on each side.


While some of the details of the Chill-Out concept certainly belong in the world of concept cars, the overall shape is very plausible, and also quite trendy at the moment.

"A new way to think about mobility, Nissan Chill-out is a mobile haven," the automaker says. "It features a sleek and modern design, advanced safety technology, and a productive and comfortable interior space. The crossover concept utilizes the CMF-EV platform, delivering high levels of comfort and an energizing driving experience."

Nissan has also indicated that the Chill-out concept features the e-4ORCE dual-motor all-wheel drive system.

The CMF-EV platform, of course, refers to the battery-electric Common Module Family architecture developed for the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance that had been announced some time ago, intended to underpin a variety of different bodystyles from the three brands. Among other qualities, it allows for the installation of the battery at different heights, depending on the model.

The Ariya, on its way to dealerships right now, is one of the first two production vehicles to use this platform.


"The platform is of course also modular in its length so that we can further tailor the battery to the type of vehicle and the desired range," the automaker indicated in 2020. "The CMF-EV can thus be used in both electric vehicles designed predominantly for everyday suburban trips, as well as for models capable of making long journeys without needing to recharge."

When it comes to production chances, the next-generation Leaf has been rumored to become a crossover for some time, with Nissan expected to drop the hatchback profile in favor of something sleeker and more coupe-shaped. The Chill-Out concept certainly appears to preview just such a vehicle, complete with a footprint positioned below the Ariya.

At the moment it is expected that the current-generation Leaf will give way to a new model sometime in 2024, after having remained in production for about six years. However, there is still some time before we're likely to see a production-ready model.

Why would Nissan potentially shift to a different bodystyle?

Even though Nissan had been a mass-market EV pioneer with the Leaf, consumer tastes are currently seen as shifting toward crossovers of all sizes, with the Ariya playing the role of a midsize offering. Electric hatchbacks, meanwhile, have taken a back seat role despite being popular early on, while crossovers like the Tesla Model Y have surged ahead. The upcoming Volkswagen ID.5 will offer a good look at just how a coupe-shaped electric crossover could look like, testing the waters for this bodystyle in a number of global markets.

Nissan will reportedly become the first major Japanese automaker to fully abandon the development of new combustion engines for the global markets. According to a new report, the manufacturer will instead focus on its electric vehicle strategy with the only exception being the United States where new gasoline engines will continue to be developed and launched.

The information comes from Nikkei, one of the world's largest financial newspapers and a generally trustworthy source of news for the industry. The publication claims Nissan has already stopped developing combustion engines for the European market as the upcoming Euro 7 emissions standards pose a huge challenge to auto companies. The Japanese firm has reportedly determined these new rules will significantly increase the R&D costs of the next-generation gas and diesel engines.

As far as China and Japan are concerned, Nissan will gradually phase out the development of new combustion engines for these two markets as well. The automaker will instead update and improve its existing range of fuel-burning mills and will pay special attention to those that are used in hybrid vehicles. Sources “familiar with the company's plans” told Nikkei no engine plants will be closed and no jobs will be lost.

For the United States, the report claims Nissan will continue to develop new gas engines mostly for the truck and SUV markets, where the brand still sees a certain demand for traditional-powered vehicles. However, the company will reportedly reduce significantly its annual investments in engine R&D, which currently stands at about 500 billion yen ($4.3 billion at the current exchange rates). A huge portion of the savings is expected to be poured into the development of new electric powertrains and vehicles.

Nissan is putting all their eggs in one basket with the CMF-EV architecture, set to underpin all the brand’s future electric models. The Japanese carmaker is affectionately calling it the “magic flying carpet,” and the very first vehicle to use it is the fully electric Ariya crossover, which is definitely not named after Arya Stark.
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This platform is also expected to enhance manufacturing synergies with the entire Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance and will form the basis for 15 all-new electric models by the end of this decade.

“The CMF-EV platform is a marvel of creative engineering; from providing exceptional living-room style space – longer cabin length to vehicle length – to accommodating our state-of-the-art e-4ORCE drivetrain technology, its versatility gives us the ability to push the boundaries of engineering and design capabilities,” said Nissan exec Pierre Loing.

“CMF-EV is defined by technological innovation and the potential of its modularity, paving the way for the next exciting generation of electric vehicles from Nissan and our Alliance partners,” he added.

When it was first engineered, Nissan thought to give the CMF-EV platform a flat construction bed, with placeholders for electric motors positioned directly adjacent to the front and rear axles. Meanwhile, the battery packs were designed to be as slim as possible, forming a structural support system for the platform itself.

Other clever packaging solutions include placing the air conditioning unit further forward to optimize the front and rear seating positions. The lack of a transmission tunnel certainly helped with that too.

In terms of performance, the CMF-EV platform can accommodate multiple power unit and drivetrain specs, such as single-motor or dual-motor e-4ORCE configurations.

As for the Nissan Ariya, it’s already available to pre-order in the UK, Norway and the Netherlands, with other European markets soon to follow. The Ariya is scheduled to arrive in European showrooms sometime this summer, with U.S. buyers likely having to wait until fall.