Nissan Drivers Club: NISSAN NP200

The ever-popular half-tonne bakkie segment gains a cool new derivative.
Aimed at offering a best-of-both-worlds scenario for prospective buyers is the recently introduced Nissan NP200 Ice. (If you’re looking for specs on the Nissan NP200 - you’ll find everything you need to know on Group 1 Nissan’s website).
Ice models are distinguishable via a bespoke, brushed-alloy nudge bar and similarly finished roll-bar sections at the rear. Fifteen-inch alloy wheels and standard smash-and-grab-protection window tinting complete an exterior package that’s offered with a choice of either a silver or Starling Blue paint finish.
Although decidedly more spacious than the B140, the cabin of the Ice edition is compromised by the omission of the height-adjustable driver’s seat offered in the SE. Together with a fixed steering column, this means a one-size-fits-all seating position that’s not ideally suited to taller drivers. Standard leather upholstery does, however, add a touch of sophistication.
Dispelling any confusion that Ice may otherwise stand for “in-car entertainment”, the standard JVC front-loader, while conveniently having Bluetooth, MP3 and USB connectivity.
The Ice comes with either an 1,6-litre petrol- or 1,5 dCi turbo-diesel engine, and it’s the latter (as tested here) that offers the most favourable consumption (6,9 L/100 km on our fuel run) while matching the petrol-powered option in terms of straight-line performance. Boasting a healthy 200 N.m of torque at 1 900 r/min, the 1,5 dCi is effortlessly kept on the boil via the slick five-speed manual transmission.
With a class-leading 800 kg payload, the NP200’s MacPherson front struts and torsion-beam rear arrangement offer an acceptably compliant ride quality obviously engineered to still comfortably accommodate a full load. The electrically assisted power steering has enough weight and precision to make the NP200 easily manoeuvrable in and around town. Standard ABS assistance on the ventilated-discs-fore/drums-aft brake setup ensures the NP200 provides fuss-free stopping in an emergency situation.

TEST SUMMARY

The NP200 Ice successfully bridges the gap between workhorse and lifestyle motoring, with a combination of low-maintenance (and easily repairable) items such as black-plastic bumpers and a rubberised load bay, with nice-to-have features like fashionable nudge bars, alloy wheels and a choice of two vibrant colour schemes. It has an identical powertrain and payload, but adds colour-coded bumpers and door handles, electric mirrors and windows (the Ice’s are both manually operated) and comfortable cloth upholstery, with the added convenience of height adjustment.