Nissan South Africa’s foray into the taxi industry in the late 20th century with the E20 was a major success, having gone up against the legendary Toyota Hi-Ace and still proving a popular choice for local operators – with some still in service to this very day. More than 20 years after the last E20 was sold, the Rosslyn-based manufacturer has re-entered the game with the NV350 Impendulo.
The new 16-seater, built to comply with South African’s taxi industry regulations and even named by the local industry through the “Name to Face Game”, is the result of extensive development by local taxi association members and Nissan. Mandla Mabaso of the Thuthukani Association which operates in the Germiston region of Gauteng, won a R50 000 cash deposit toward the purchase of NV350 for his contribution to the naming of the NV350. Impendulo is the isiZulu word for “the answer”.
“The fact that our new taxi has been designed around the people who are going to operate and use it, coupled with the overwhelmingly positive response our naming competition, points towards a very successful reintroduction of the Nissan badge to the South African taxi industry,” says Tessa Cooke, NV350 product manager at Nissan South Africa.
Featuring design cues first seen on the NV350 panel van launched last year, the Impendulo’s front end is quite distinctive, but the rest of the exterior is fairly nondescript – which is available exclusively in white due to industry regulations. Finished in the durable grey that is a hallmark of local taxis, the front of the cabin has been optimised for the driver’s comfort. In the rear, there are six benches and two individual chairs to make up seating space for 14.
The NV350 Impendulo is powered by a 2,5-litre petrol engine that produces 108 kW at 5 600 r/min and 213 N.m of torque at 4 400 r/min that is sent to the tarmac via a five-speed manual gearbox.
Features include easy-to-clean PVC flooring, height-adjustable steering column, trip computer, two cup holders, sliding rear windows, seatback handles and 15-inch steel wheels with wheel covers. A two-speaker audio system is available as an option. On the safety front, features include dual front airbags, ABS with Brake Assist, and safety belts for all 16 seats.
The Nissan NV350 Impendulo, available from March, will retail for R306 900 including VAT and comes standard with a three-year/100 000 km warranty and three-year/unlimited km anti-corrosion warranty. Recommended service intervals are every 15 000 km.
