Like many an old war veteran — except for most of the Bob Mugabe wannabes — Nissan’s 1400 pickup enjoyed a long and illustrious career before it was pensioned off after almost four decades service.
In an era where most bakkies evolved into luxury vehicles with the options of multiple airbags, soft suspension and air conditioning, the Nissan plodded along virtually unchanged for nearly four decades.
When it finally left centre stage it wasn’t because customers stopped loving it; the little bakkie was dragged kicking and screaming into retirement when emission controls and safety legislation dictated that it could no longer be sold in South Africa.
Despite its dated design and archaic technology, sales in the last month of its service were still far better than in the first, and Nissan South Africa was left with the question of what to replace it with. Enter the Nissan NP200, known in other markets as the Renault Logan pickup, the Dacia Logan, or simply the Logan pickup.
The Logan itself was a product of Project X90, born after Nissan’s live-in lover Renault bought Romanian car manufacturer Dacia. The French decided that the time was right to build a modern and reliable but affordable car that would sell for less than €5 000, and the Dacia plant seemed just the place to do it.
Renault had no plans to sell the no-frills car in the developed world, but after significant interest was shown in Western Europe, upmarket versions of the car were exported and sold well.
The Logan was launched by Renault-Nissan in collaboration with Mahindra in 2007 (the first right-hand-drive version of the car) and the bakkie derivative appeared at the Frankfurt motor show a year ago. The slightly revised Nissan version, built alongside the Renault Sandero at the Rosslyn plant just north of Pretoria, is the first pickup built on this platform worldwide to bear the Japanese manufacturer’s badge.
So how does the Nissan NP200 compare, firstly with its predecessor, as well as with the other nominally half-tonne bakkies out there? Measured against the venerable 1400 there’s simply no contest. The new vehicle is bigger, safer, prettier, and with its 800kg payload can carry more than 33% extra freight.
Its 1,6 litre engine delivers 64kW as opposed to the 1400’s 47, and the new model’s torque of 128Nm at 3Â 000 rpm is substantially more useful than the old bakkie’s 97Nm at 2Â 500rpm. The loadbox (rubberised as standard) is longer (1Â 807mm vs 1Â 518mm), wider (1Â 374 vs 1Â 285mm) and deeper (636 vs 415mm) and the 50 litre fuel tank is five litres bigger than the earlier little pickup’s.
The warranty is now three years/100Â 0000km against the one year/unlimited distance of the old bakkie, and the three year anti-corrosion warranty of the 1400 has doubled for the new vehicle. Best of all, the price is not much higher — R88Â 900 for the basic NP200 (the only model yet available) as opposed to the R84Â 800 of the standard Nissan 1400 pickup, or the R8Â 8500 asked for the Champ version that offered a few cosmetic frills but no aircon, ABS, electric windows or airbags.
The Nissan NP200 as offered at the moment is still a pretty basic vehicle — a workhorse through and through.
The internal plastics feel rather cheap and brittle, but the layout is fine. There’s no sound system, electric windows or aircon, and ABS and airbags are not yet part of the deal. In April 2009 those who want the safety and luxury features will be able to buy mid- and high-spec versions.
Standard features in the base model that will be welcomed include the rubberised bin, power steering, the digital clock, the large storage area behind the front seats, and the storage net on the rear bulkhead. While the lack of ABS and at least a driver’s airbag is regrettable, it’s only fair to point out that none of the opposition in its price range comes with aircon or airbags, and only the Proton Arena 1,5i includes ABS brakes.
It’s also worth noting that although the Nissan uses a 1,6 litre Renault engine, its power and torque outputs are slightly below par for an engine of this size and it feels a little rougher than some of the opposition. At the launch it performed respectably though, even at Reef altitudes, and the five-speed manual transmission felt great.
The Nissan NP200 is likely to be targeted by small business owners and others who want a workhorse rather than a lifestyle vehicle.
With its very big rubberised bin — the biggest in class, according to Nissan — and its plentiful tie-down points, its large stowage area behind the seats, its very good pricing and warranty, and the simplicity embodied in much of the original Logan design it should be an even better servant than the old 1400. There’s also no doubt whatsoever that it’s a whole lot better looking.