Nissan unveils Evalia MPV

Nissan has unveiled the Indian-built Evalia multi-purpose vehicle at the Expo, the car we previously knew only as the NV200. The car was unveiled by Nissan’s corporate vice-president, Africa, Middle East and India, Gilles Normand.

Styling is not too bad, if a little basic, with a tall, upright stance, short bonnet area, narrow front doors and sliding rear ones. In fact the only standout design flourishes there are to speak of are the angular headlamps and the serrated grille.

Where the Evalia scores high is on passenger space. The monoform design makes for ample interior space, ideal for large families. Built on Nissan’s B-platform, the Evalia is a seven-seater with a 2+3+2 configuration. It is 4.4 metres long, 1.88 metres tall and 1.69 metres wide, but the most relevant stat is the 2.73m wheelbase, which is 95mm more than Nissan’s X-trail SUV. Powering the MPV will be the familiar 1.5-litre dCi turbo-diesel engine from the Sunny diesel.

Production of the Evalia will start in the second half of 2012 at Nissan’s factory near Chennai.

Also on display were Nissan’s entire India range of cars, alongside the company’s powerful flagship, the GT-R and its series production electric car, the Leaf.