Nissan Evalia Review
Car tested: 2012 Nissan Evalia XV
Price (ex-showroom Delhi): Rs. 9,99,000/-
Renault-Nissan are on a roll. The joint venture company will soon see their market share in India increase significantly. Renault launched the Duster compact SUV, which seems to be working wonders for them. Now its Nissan’s turn to conquer the market with the Evalia. First unveiled in India at the Auto Expo earlier this year, the Nissan Evalia is a hugely promising MPV, which has proven its mettle overseas (as the NV200). This Nissan vehicle is the New York taxi and could soon replace the black cab as the London taxi. This itself says a lot about the car. We drive the Nissan Evalia on Bangalore roads to find out, if it has the capability to do a Duster for Nissan.
[flickr size=”center” float=”medium”]http://www.flickr.com/photos/motorbeam/7753525258/[/flickr]
Exteriors – In order to set the sales chart on fire in the MPV segment, you don’t really have to be a looker. The Nissan Evalia looks very van like and is quite boxy. Nissan itself calls the NV200 a global small van in international markets. When viewed head-on, the Nissan Evalia looks quite decent. The front grille merges with the headlights, which are swept back marginally. The front bumper is huge and has twin slat air dams on the lower half, finished in black. The v-shaped grille is the real noteworthy element at the front.
[flickr size=”center” float=”medium”]http://www.flickr.com/photos/motorbeam/7753511754/[/flickr]
Coming to the side of the Nissan Evalia and you will immediately notice the flat design of the body panels. There are very little cuts or creases on the Evalia but Nissan has tried to incorporate some lines on the middle doors. The front door frame has got some curves and the front windows are shaped in a unique way. The fuel filler is below the drivers door. The second row doors are sliding type. The windows of the second (butterfly flap) and third row are designed in a way to look like a single piece. There is a small black strip below the rear windows which houses the sliding mechanism of the doors. The alloy wheels are 14-inch units which have 10-spokes. The spare wheel doesn’t have an alloy.
[flickr size=”center” float=”medium”]http://www.flickr.com/photos/motorbeam/7753526634/[/flickr]
At the rear, the Nissan Evalia has a big tailgate, which has hydraulic struts for opening and closing. The no-nonsense styling continues at the rear and the Evalia has two piece lights, brake lights stacked vertically while the reflectors are stacked horizontally. A high mounted rear stop lamp is present but there are no wiper, washer or defogger at the rear. For India, Nissan has added chrome over the number plates, however they should also consider adding chrome over the tail number plate. Overall the styling of the Nissan Evalia is very neutral and is certainly not going to grab attention. However the simple styling helps in space maximization on the inside, something which gives the Evalia the amazing room.
Head over to the next page to read about the interiors of the Nissan Evalia.
