Group 1 Taxi: Changing the South African taxi landscape

The Minibus Taxi industry is responsible for the transport of millions of South Africans but is often plagued by older, poorly maintained taxis.

Group 1 Taxi, a joint venture that was established between Group 1 Nissan and SANTACO, aims to introduce the Nissan NV350 Impendulo Taxi as a safer alternative to worn out and damaged taxis.

The joint venture splits profits made from the sales of the NV350 between Group 1 Taxi and SANTACO members, allowing members of SANTACO to increase profits and allocate additional money to maintenance to increase driving safety. Group 1 Taxi is plan on selling an estimated 5000 NV350s through this deal which is at present available only to SANTACO members in the Western Cape. Group 1 Taxi will soon be heading up country to give more SANTACO members the opportunity to purchase this fantastic vehicle.

The NV350 Taxi’s competitive advantages

The NV350 trumps other competitors with the following advantages:

• Service interval of 15,000kms rather than 10,000 km
• 100,000km warranty than the 60,000km offered by competitors
• Roughly R6,000 cheaper than competitor

The NV350’s four key selling points also make it an attractive deal:

• Great fuel economy
• Modern and refreshing styling
• Well designed and convenient cockpit
• Low running costs

Nissan’s NV350 taxi heritage

Nissan has been a standard in the South African taxi industry since the E20 taxi was released in 1973 and proceeded to sell over 71,000 units until the E20 was discontinued in 1996.

The new NV350 taxi, fondly called the “Impendulo” which means “The Answer” in Zulu, will be continuing the E20’s heritage of quality, value for money and passenger safety thanks to its driver and passenger airbags, all round safety belts, crumple zones and Zone Body Structure. The Impendulo will also have security options such as immobiliser and DataDot anti-theft technology.

Not just a taxi

The NV350 is not just the answer for the taxi industry, it is also perfectly suited to school, tour and staff transport. Contact our Nissan Fleet Sales team to find out more about how the NV350 can answer all your transport requirements.

Source: as posted on http://cbn.co.za

Stay Connected with a Qashqai’s Techy Features

People are demanding more from their vehicles in 2014. They don’t just want a vessel that takes them from A-B; they want the feeling of power and performance beneath the pedals. They don’t just want a Garmin gps system; they want an in-built media centre with navigation included. They don’t just want parking distance sensors; they want enhanced parking technology. Enter the 2015 Nissan Qashqai which offers all these technologies.

According to local dealership Group 1 Nissan, “The 2015 Nissan Qashqai exceeds on every level by integrating the latest engineering advancements. The result: a car that is beautiful, powerful and responsive”. A large part of these advancement are the technological features that are conducive to a more practical car, including:

Nissan connect: Filled to the brim with audio, navigation and communication features, the connect system’s 7” anti-glare touchscreen makes it easy to do what you need to do with a few easy taps. It is synced to your smartphone, offering the connectivity that the current generation of young professionals has come to expect.

Around View Monitor: Ideal for those who don’t enjoy parking a larger vehicle, this system provides an overhead view of your vehicle from the side or back helping drivers reverse or check how close they are to the curb with ease. It also enables the driver to check for short objects that may not be visible through the window or rear view mirror.

Ergonomic self-warming front seats: There would be little point to having an intelligent vehicle if the driver wasn’t comfortable especially on long drives. Fortunately, the front seats received their inspiration from NASA technology for zero gravity space travel, and as such are designed “to maximize comfort while minimizing fatigue” according to Nissan South Africa.

As a crossover, the Nissan Qashqai offers power and performance that can match that of many SUV’s, NASA-inspired comfortable seating for longer drives and all the technological conveniences that the Y generation has come to expect.

Nissan NV200 – adopted into taxi fleets

The Nissan NV200 has recently been adopted into taxi fleets in New York and London due to its impressive interior space – this fuel-efficient van is one of the most versatile fleet or delivery cars for its price class.

Here is a quick look at why many businesses – small and large – are turning to the NV200 for various purposes:

Spacious interior versus surprisingly compact exterior

Nissan calls this vehicle a “compact cargo vehicle” which is a fitting description. The cargo floor has a width of 1.22m at its narrowest point and offers over 2 metres of length – which can be further expanded to 2.8 meters by simply folding the front passenger seats forward The cargo floor is also the lowest in its category, at 524mm, which offers a cargo volume of around 25% more than the vehicle classes average. In addition, you can select the refrigerated option. This makes it ideal for transporting cargo including delivery of small stocks of food and home appliances. It is also useful for builders and plumbers, offering good dimensions for tools and ladders or to act as a small removal or courier van.

Conforming well to legislation on disability and emissions

In 2012, the NV200 was unveiled as an option for a London cab. This has been an extremely suitable target market for Nissan because of two important factors:

1) It is a concern for the UK Government to ensure cabs abide by the Disability Discrimination act which now entails cabs including rails for support and having enough space to accommodate guide dogs or wheelchairs

2) Mayor of London Boris Johnson is welcoming lower emission vehicles as part of a Cleaner Air strategy and Nissan is in the final development phase of a zero-emission version, the e-NV200, which is scheduled for launch later this year.

According to Steve McNamara, General Secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association: “Nissan already has a great footing in the London taxi market – the 2.7-litre diesel that featured in some of the early taxis was one of the greatest engines ever put in a cab”.

He added that the NV200 London taxi ticks all the right boxes because not only is it accessible, reliable and comfortable but it also looks the part.

Commercial award promising reliability

In 2010 it was the International Van of the Year (IVoY) winner as decided by a jury of journalists which represented a large readership of commercial van owners across Europe. Senior Vice President of Nissan Motor Co said that with the NV200 they are offering their customers a vehicle that is ‘an efficient and reliable business tool’. According to Palmer the design was fueled by a determination to create innovative light commercial vehicles that surpass expectations.

Good performance and impressive specs for its price

Local dealership, Group 1 Nissan’s team personally tested out the NV200’s performance in Cape Town. They put the maximum weight allowance of 783kg in the cargo hold and drove through Cape Town. With the Multi Point Fuel Injected 5 Speed Manual Engine, they were pleased with the responsiveness of the vehicle, even when tested to the limit.

Priced from R199,900 for the panel van, the NV200 is priced up to R117 000 cheaper than other makes in its class.

The e-NV200 is set to combine the best aspects of the NV200 with the Nissan Leaf

The sales pitch on the e-NV200 is that it will help business to be ‘greener’. While in the development phase of this adaptation, Nissan carried out a test programme in Japan and Europe by supplying the prototypes for the use in the fleets of a diverse range of courier, services, furniture and beverage firms including British Gas, FedEx, Coca-Cola, KEA,  DHL and the Japan Post Office. They then used this feedback to fine tune the vehicle, making it tailored specifically as a fleet vehicle for a broad range of businesses.

Well-priced, spacious and fuel-efficient, Nissan has once again shown that they have an impressively competitive business strategy spanning many areas of the automotive industry. If they continue playing their cards right, the e-NV200 will become commonplace among commercial fleets, especially in countries which are actively working on reducing their carbon footprint.

Source: as posted on http://www.cbn.co.za/

Nissan NV200s Transform the Face of NY Taxis

Nissan NV200s are a popular choice for taxis not only in New York but also in London and Amsterdam (adopting the e-NV200) due to their spaciousness, comfort and versatility. In New York, they beat stiff competition over a two year period and were finally adopted as the official New York Taxis of Tomorrow complete with bright yellow branding.

It has been a long road for Nissan to get to the point where the NV200s will be the official taxi of New York, following a negative and then a positive court ruling which finally gave the official nod of approval.

However, the public has welcomed the new NV200 NY taxis from the word go. “The tips have been better.  I mean it has to be something they love about the car and the experience, ” says 25-year-long NY Taxi driver Demetrios Rizos.

Peter Bedrosian who was involved in the vehicle’s production says the thinking behind the NV200 NY taxi design was to provide ‘a great taxi experience’ and he believes that from the positive feedback from people like Mr Rizos, they have achieved that goal.

Some of the features that the NV200 is equipped with to make it perfect for use as a taxi is a powerful efficient 2.0 liter, 4-cylinder engine which improves fuel consumption (a NYC taxi travels about 70,000 miles per year). A clever design ensures the taxi minimises its external dimensions and maximises the space inside the vehicle for better legroom and luggage space – translating to 138 cubic feet. This is done by designing it on a shorter wheelbase, and it is nearly a foot narrower than the Crown Victorias that until recently were a popular choice for New York taxis.

Additional features include a rear light reading ‘vacant’, antibacterial seat covers, separate climate control in the back seats, two USB ports and two 12-volt outlets in the back – and best of all the ‘glass ceiling’ provides a panoramic view of the New York skyline.

Source: as posted on http://group1nissank.newsvine.com/

Nissan’s New Self-Cleaning Car?

While a lot of people might take huge amounts of pleasure in cleaning, washing and polishing their cars, I don’t. When drive through car-washes started opening up I breathed a huge sigh of relief – gone where the days of spending Saturday mornings washing the cars and instead I could spend another well deserved hour or two in bed.

So you could imagine my delight when I heard about Nissan’s new self-cleaning paint that is starting to be test painted on the European model of the Nissan Note. This amazing nano-paint will repel mud, rain and even everyday dirt – you could say goodbye to car-washes for good! The technical terms for this paint are “super-hydrophobic” and “oleophobic” meaning that they repel water and oils. Nissan says that the paint is doing well at protecting the Note from dirt as well as protecting it against frost, sleep and standing water. Hopefully it will also help to protect cars against the awful saltwater spray that is the bane of every body who lives near the coast. Nissan is the first car producer to apply this type of paint to their vehicles, but have not yet indicated whether they will be applying this paint as standard to any other vehicle models. Even if it is an aftermarket option, this still sounds like one of the best ideas of the year!

This great clip from Nissan signals the end of car-washes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwoGsCAKsxU

Source: as posted on http://group1nissans.newsvine.com/

Taxi Fuel: One Less Thing Being Burned in Amsterdam

Amsterdam is famous for many things, but as of 2014 there is a good chance that the smoke that you are seeing from the taxi in front of you isn’t from the car itself…

Taxi Electric, a green-energy fueled, zero-emission taxi company in Amsterdam, will be expanding their fleet of electric taxis in Amsterdam thanks to their purchase of severalNissan LEAFs and e-NV200s. Both the LEAF and the 2-NV200 operate purely on electric rechargeable engines that produce zero pollution and are seen by many as the future of green-energy vehicles. In the past three years, Taxi Electric has driven more than 1.5 million kilometers through Amsterdam and are excited about the potential and reliability of the electric vehicles. Amstersterdam is not the only country in the world that is looking to electrify their taxi industry. London and New York have already began looking to the e-NV200 ( or a custom version of it in London) as a means to reduce pollution. Electric vehicles are perfect for the taxi industry thanks to their low running costs and reliability. Find out more about how the Nissan LEAF is making the world a better place here. You can also find out more about the Nissan LEAF.

Source: as posted on http://www.group1nissank.newsvine.com/

New Nissan Juke:

The 2014 Geneva Motor Show has been a fantastic showcase for Nissan this year and while the main highlight for Nissan this year was the eNV200, it was the new 2014 Juke that stole the show for me.

I’ll be honest, I am somewhat biased towards the Nissan Juke. I happen to think that it is the most beautiful vehicle out there at the moment and I know that there are a lot of people who will disagree with me and claim that it is in fact the ugliest car in Nissan’s range, that it looks like a fat frog or that they misspelled Puke when they named it. Water off a duck’s back. For me the Juke is a bold statement about being different. Much like a fedora – it takes a certain kind of attitude and proclivity to pull it off, but when you do, wow, it looks good. I don’t know if it is the fact that it looks like it is crouching, waiting to tear away, while at the same time looking like it is laughing at a joke that only Juke owners will ever understand, but there is just something about the Juke that just screams fun and excitement.

And I’m not the only one it seems! For all its naysayers, when the Juke was first released in 2010 it sold ten times more than Nissan expected and still continues to be a popular car with over 420 000 sold so far. So when Nissan announced that they would be revealing the 2014 Juke at the Geneva Motor show, you can imagine how excited people were… and Nissan did not disappoint!
The exterior has kept the Juke’s bold looks: Nissan has shaped the rear bumper into a more aggressive boomerang shape, complete with LED lights for a distinctive look, especially at night, and at the front, the unique upper lamps on the bonnet have been redesigned and upgraded with LED and Xenon bulbs that accentuate the more aggressive grille and front bumper trim. What has grabbed most people however is Nissan’s new and distinctive colourings for the Juke. Nissan has decided to go with ten shades, with Sunlight Yellow, Ink Blue Metallic and solid Red being added to ensure that the Juke stands out even at the most flamboyant event. Even in a parking lot full of Jukes, you can still ensure that your monster stands out thanks to Nissan’s new personalization options – you can accentuate your Juke with brightly coloured, inserts, mirror caps, side sills, roof spoiler and door handles. This personalization isn’t just for the exterior: rather than offering you the same old grey that you would get in most vehicles, Nissan is offering you the option to accent your interior through personalization packs for center console, door trims etc. (Check out the video below at 0:52 to see more!)

Aside from the expected technological upgrades, such as Nissan Connect, Nissan Dynamic control Safety Shield, Nissan has incorporated its Around View Monitors system into some models of the new Juke, which consist of multiple cameras mounted into the Juke’s body, allowing you a 360 degree top down view of your vehicle on its computer to assist in parking and increasing safety with its Lane Departure Warnings, Blind Spot Warning, and Moving Object Detection systems. Nissan has also redesigned some of the interior to increase the amount of boot space to an impressive 354-litres.

What might get some people is that Nissan has toned down the petrol engine of the Juke from the traditional 1.6 to a 1.2-litre DIG-T engine. Rather than giving up power, this new engine produces roughly the same power and a lot more torque thanks to its turbocharger, while turning out 5.5l/100kms. The old diesel engine is still around, but has also been given a thorough working over to improve its emission and economy even more.

All in all the new Nissan Juke is going to be a beauty, and a powerful one at that. Expect to see it in South Africa towards the end of the year. In the meantime you can still pick up the 2013 models at amazing prices at http://www.group1nissan.co.za/.

Source: as posted on http://wikivillage.co.za/

Juke R: This Madness isn’t a Joke

The Nissan Juke has caused a war in the motoring world. Journalists, tv presenters and fans are vehemently arguing about whether the Juke is the ugliest car that Nissan has ever produced or whether its unique style and design are ushering in a completely new concept of vehicle design. Underneath the Juke’s unique skin is either a 1.6l petrol or a 1.5l dCi diesel engine that produces a respectable 86kW.
Usually. Until somebody at Nissan went insane and thought that it would be a good idea to put a GT-R’s engine in a Juke. Meet the madness named the Nissan Juke R.
The Juke R’s 406kW of power should be enough for anyone right? Not quite. Somebody even more insane at Shpilli-Villi Engineering in Russia thought that it would be a good idea to create a 515kW Juke R. That’s around 700bhp of pure unadulterated madness. Then somebody whose sanity is so far gone that it couldn’t be seen with a telescope thought that it would be a good idea to unleash this monster on the dragstrip against a Ferrari 599 GTO and then a Bugatti Veyron.
You can check out the race here:

Beating the Ferrari 599 GTO is a fantastic achievement, but considering that they have roughly the same bhp, its not unexpected considering the massive acceleration of the Juke R. But the big news here is the Juke R beating the Veyron. The Veyron is one of those legendary cars that is seen as the pinnacle of design and technology – and it is! It is undoubtedly one of the greatest feats of engineering in the motoring world. This makes the Juke R’s achievement so much more epic!
Granted, the Juke R only beat the Veyron according to a later time trial, and this isn’t a standard Juke R. Rather than buying a Juke R, Shpilli-Villi Engineering decided that they were going to upgrade the Nissan Juke’s specs themselves and build their own by swapping out the standard Juke’s engine for a GT-R’s 3.8litre bi-turbo V6 and twin clutch gearbox. They also went a step further by upgrading the stock GT-R turbos increasing the power from 542bhp to 700bhp.
The standard Nissan Juke R might not have the same insane power that Shpilli-Villi’s had, but it more than makes up for it thanks to its looks! Check it out in this video from Auto Express as it takes on a GT-R at the test track:

Sadly the Juke R was a limited production, but you can still get a brand new Nissan Juke in Cape Town here.

Source: as posted on http://wikivillage.co.za/

GODZILLA Returns to SA

If you thought that we were talking about the new Godzilla movie then you might just be in the wrong place. We’re talking about a real monster here. Nissan’s new 2014 GT-R roars with almost 400kW (397 to be exact) of power and a seriously staggering 629Nm. This means that you’re going to be getting a 0-100km/h in just 2.9 seconds and a top speed of around 315km/h. If that doesn’t justify the Godzilla moniker then nothing will.

While the new GT-R might not be the best looking supercar around, it more than makes up for it thanks to aerodynamics that makes it as slippery as a politician. I’m not saying that it isn’t beautiful, it definitely is guaranteed to turn heads and turn any parking lot into a instant photoshoot as everyone rushes to take pics of it, but it is just lacking something. I’m not suggesting that Nissan throw on some racing stripes, but 2014 Nissan GT-R just doesn’t have the same passerby stopping power that some of the other Nissan models have. Nissan has included some high tech on the GT-R’s headlights, allowing them to automatically adjust according to your speed, as well as brand new multi-LED lights as standard. Inside the GT-R, Nissan has also upgraded the infotainment and sat nav equipment, as well a beautiful interior. Beautiful, not stunning.  Ok, so the GT-R’s looks might not be that great, but it definitely has the power to make up for it. 2014’s GT-R is the most powerful one yet thanks to front-mounted twin-turbocharger 3.8-litre V6 petrol engine which has been mated to a 6-speed automated dual-clutch gearbox. Pushing power through all four wheels can take its toll on your tyres, so Nissan has now fitted Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT 699 DSST CTT tyres for better road holding and response. Nissan has also retuned the suspension to make the 2014 GT-R more comfortable on the road, especially during high speed driving. Other updates include, optimised electronic control of shock absorber values, modified front stabiliser springs, and a host of other technicals. The end result? It is a GT-R. That alone means that that it is a fantastic vehicle. It is powerful and responsive, looks good enough to turn heads, but not good enough to get marriage proposals in the parking lot. Would I drive it? Hell yes. Could I afford it? Prob not. The 2014 GT-Rs will cost you around R1.5 million. If you are one of those lucky few who can afford this monster, grab one here and then pick me up for a spin!

Source: as posted on http://www.webnews.com/