News : Nissan’s London Taxi to be assembled in Coventry

Dan Powell

nv200_taxi_3

Nissan has announced that the NV200 London Taxi will be built in Coventry. The cabs will be assembled by Exhall-based ADV Manufacturing at a new plant as part of a £6 million joint investment. ADV will be responsible for engineering and final assembly of Nissan’s new taxi, which will hit the streets later this year.

Andy Palmer, Chief Planning Officer and Executive Vice President of Nissan UK, revealed the news as part of his address to students at Coventry University, where he was delivering the Bugatti Lecture on the future of motoring.

Nissan unviled its newly-redesigned taxi in January and the vehicle has been developed for London, in London, by Nissan Design Europe (NDE) in Paddington, the same Design Centre responsible for the Qashqai and Juke. NV200 base vehicles will be sourced from Nissan’s Barcelona factory and shipped to Coventry for final taxi assembly. The extensive transformation will include new bodywork, the taxi interior refit and revised suspension and steering.

The first petrol-engined versions of the NV200 London Taxi will be produced from December 2014, with an all-electric variant set for launch in 2015. ADV Manufacturing was founded in 2010 and performs body and trim assemblies for Aston Martin, Bentley and Jaguar Land Rover. The firm employs over 150 employees and is set to double in size by 2017. The NV200 cab for London is part of Nissan’s global taxi programme, which also encompasses New York, Barcelona and Tokyo.

Nissan’s Andy Palmer said: ‘We are pleased to be reinforcing once again our commitment to the British automotive industry and the fact that our black cabs will be rolling off the production line in Coventry, with its long history in the taxi business, is an added bonus.’

nv200_taxi_front

Keith Adams

24 Comments

  1. I heard a story that the Designer was savaged to death by his guide dog shortly after the reveal………….

  2. What a uniquely British idea: let’s bolt an ugly plastic psuedo retro front end onto an already ugly Japanese van in the pathetic hope that it will make people think that Britain is still a leader in industry and the London is still in the 1950s…Jesus christ, how watered down can you get?

  3. I’m with comment 5….I wish I could say nice things about it, but apart from a few jobs, that’s all the good I can see. From an interesting & unique taxi to riding around in the back of a van with a faux retro grille is far from appealing.

  4. Is this Nissan’s consolation prize after losing the supposed monopoly they were set to get on the NYC taxi contract? Whichever way it looks absolutely hideous.

  5. Wonder if the looks will grow on us, like the Bangle-era BMWs have in my case, after initial disdain. Conversely, cars such as the Ford Orion and most SEATs can look elegant at first sight but soon seem ugly and dated.

  6. I’m with @5

    Let’s be honest, it’s a van with a plastic front end designed by Pixar and rejected from “Cars” [the movie]

    Makes the Vito and Caravelle based taxis look positively handsome.

  7. Sadly, the Crown Vic and the associated civilian models (Mercury Marquis and Lincoln Town Car) are now out of production. Was it the last traditional body on frame American sedan?
    How about the Nissan Cedric, it’s better looking than the NV200.

  8. @16 Landyboy – thanks. I’m surprised there are still any Crown Vic’s about, judging by the amount I see getting crashed or blown up as Police cars and Taxis in American action movies… love to have a drive of one.

  9. At number five. Your language is offensive. Try other words to express your incredulity, there are plenty of them.

  10. I wonder how many people of the 150 employees of ADV are utilized to assemble these vehicles, whatever the number I bet there will be more on the assembly line than MG’s half hearted attempt.
    It may not be the best looking vehicle but lets at least celebrate Nissan’s confidence in the British workforce and quality produced here but if there was a choice between getting into the new neat Metrocab and this then unfortunately Nissan the Metrocab wins hands down for me but well done for having a go….

  11. Its fantastic that its to be assembled in Coventry but…

    Has the world gone completely insane?! Do they honestly think we like living in a world that is filled with ugly faux-retro machines? I thought they would have perhaps cottoned on when Ian Callum designed the gorgeous XF that we do not live in 1955 and haven’t done since 1955!!!!

    It is completely ignorant and insulting that people think that is still the case.

    And now look whats happened, I’ve turned into a Daily Mail reader… I’d better get my bowler hat and go start the Wolesley… Toodle pip!

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