Nissan-based Chevrolet compact cargo van set to go on sale in fall
by Canadian Manufacturing Daily Staff
Newest entry in segment, City Express van only five inches longer than Chevrolet Cruze compact sedan
CHICAGO—Chevrolet is set to enter the compact cargo van market after unveiling its City Express van ahead of the 2014 edition of the Chicago Auto Show.
Based on the Nissan NV200 that went on sale last year, the City Express builds on the long-standing family of Express vans that have dominated fleets for years.
“As the newest member of the Chevrolet Express family of vans, the 2015 City Express offers a smaller, more efficient choice for businesses that don’t need the cargo volume or other capabilities of a full-size van,” Ed Peper, U.S. vice-president of General Motors’ fleet division, said in a statement.
The City Express makes the most of its smallish figure—at a bumper-to-bumper length of 186 inches, the van is barely longer than compact Chevrolet Cruze sedan—boasting 6’10” of cargo room from the rear doors to the back of the front seats.
That rooms grows to 9’8” when the passenger seat is folded forward, according to Chevrolet.
The City Express also features an interior width of 4’6″—enough to load a standard 40″x48″ pallet flat on the floor.
With flat rear wheel housing, the van is also capable of tiered storage.
Chevrolet said the total interior cargo space is about 3,474 litres, and it has a payload capacity of about 1,500 lbs.
In the passenger compartment, the City Express borrows from the brilliant minds at Nissan Motor Co. with its folding passenger seat that acts as a mobile desk and a host of storage compartments for just about anything you need to keep handy.
Powering the City Express is Nissan’s 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, which puts out 131-horsepower and 139 lb.-ft. of torque.
The little van that could also borrows its gearbox from the folks at Nissan, sporting a continuously variable transmission (CVT) to put power to the front wheels.
Fuel economy numbers weren’t available from Chevrolet as of press time, but the twin NV200 puts down a respectable 8.7 liters per 100 kilometres (L/100km) city and 7.1 L/100km highway.
Pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but the NV200 starts at about $22,000.
The City Express is set to go on sale this fall.
