One out of the box from Nissan

By Alastair Sloane

Nissan New Zealand is a lateral thinker of sorts. Its invitations to new-car launches are unique in the motoring world. For example, it once included in an invitation to a four-wheel-drive launch a goldminer's wok-like pan and a compass.

There was no mention of the launch site. The point of the compass was that the destination was off the beaten track, and the pan meant that you might find gold in them thar hills. The four-wheel-drive was launched near Greymouth.

Another invitation included a cryptic note and a pair of overalls. Motoring writers concluded that, Sydney to the bush, they were either going to dismantle a car or tour Nissan's now-closed south Auckland assembly plant. We all dressed in white and did the factory over.

Another invitation arrived by courier the other day. It was a box, the size of a shoebox. Inside, occupying about 000.1 per cent of the interior, was a picture and a couple of bits of paper explaining that the styling of its new van was like that of a box, that it swallowed loads like a box, that its aerodynamic factor was that of a box. Get it?

Anyway, the new Nissan carryall is called the Urvan. Why we don't know. But it uses a meaty 3.2-litre diesel engine mated to a five-speed manual gearbox or four-speed automatic.

It is the first time Nissan has been in the van market in New Zealand since 1992. Nissan says the Urvan is a workhorse. It has no rear seats "just a class-leading 6425 litres of cargo space."

It has a payload of 1250kg and can tow a 1500kg braked trailer. It comes with air-conditioning and a driver's airbag as standard. There are other goodies, too, like power-assisted steering and a tilt-adjustable steering column.

The manual Urvan costs $34,995, the automatic $36,995. The picture Nissan supplied is of a red Urvan. We haven't used it. Just imagine a red, rectangular thing, about as streamlined as a mobile henhouse, with front, rear and side windows and four wheels and you've got it. Get it?