Motoring: Nissan NV350 Urvan: It delivers

When my good friend Madel said she had yet to see the sea and her feet had yet to touch fine sand this past summer, our barkada readily organized a quick weekend beach trip. It just so happened that I was due to test drive a vehicle from Nissan, and as it turned out, it was going to be the new NV350 Urvan, the latest iteration of its popular van model.

It was a match made in summer-outing heaven.

Admittedly, I had never driven an actual van before, but when I slid into the driver’s seat of the alpine-white test unit, it didn’t take long to get used to the feeling. I kept thinking that all I needed was a white Good Morning towel around my neck and a cranky, loud enough voice and I could have taken the van around the city and made a few extra bucks as a PUV driver. (I kid, of course).

Had I been an actual PUV driver plying, say, the Commonwealth-SM Megamall route, my Urvan and I would’ve definitely stood out. The fifth generation model of the Japanese carmaker turned a few heads when we stopped for a quick midnight merienda break at a gas station along NLEX. Nissan says they made a few changes in the van’s overall look, including shortening the overhang and a more aerodynamic side (they took out the side roof drip channel). It definitely looked like the newest and classiest next to a row of similar-sized vans from different brands at the gas station parking lot.

There were six of us in the trip, yet the van could accommodate up to 15 passengers, which meant there was plenty of room for leg-stretching and almost-completely-horizontal napping, at least for my friends in the back. Koryn, who rode shotgun, observed that her seat was fixed and that she could only adjust the backrest. This means that taller, longer-legged people may find it slightly more difficult getting comfortable in the front passenger seat. Portia, meanwhile, commented that she would have appreciated if the rear seats had headrests, which was understandable especially if you were going to be sitting there for more than a couple of hours.

It was past 2 a.m. when we finally motored north. Along the NLEX, and later on SCTEX, the Urvan was an easy drive, despite it being a five-speed manual transmission engine. A shift indicator blinks when it’s time to change gears. I thought it was annoying at first, but quickly realized that it was actually a smart assistant that helps drivers become more fuel efficient. (Nissan says this new feature actually raises fuel economy by up to 20%). Score one for technology.

The destination was Baler, Aurora, and if you’ve ever driven there, you’d know that while the roads have somewhat improved over the years, it’s still far from being smooth and easy. The bumpy, winding roads proved the ultimate test for the Urvan, and I’d have to say, the vehicle more than exceeded my expectations. The 2.5-liter turbodiesel engine (which Nissan says is based on the same platform used for the all-new NP300 Navara pick-up) produces 356Nm of torque and 127hp, which is quite handy when you’re negotiating perilous mountain roads, portions of which were still in various stages of being repaired and/or rehabilitated.

Whether we were pushing up steep hills or carefully maneuvering down inclines, the Urvan proved surprisingly agile and performed more than adequately. This was highlighted by the fact that a couple of my friends slept through the knocks and bumps until we finally arrived in the capital of Aurora provine at around 8a.m., bleary-eyed but in good spirits.

In Baler, we ate, we swam, and we dozed by the beach. And I surfed, of course. The weekend was over before we knew it, but during the drive back, another feature I appreciated about the Urvan was its powerful airconditioning. It would unerstandably be difficult to fully cool a vehicle that big, but Nissan has clearly mastered cooling technology for its passenger cars. We left for home when the sun was at its highest point, but the only complaints I heard about the aircon was to turn it down a notch because it was just too cold.

I had the Urvan for a couple more days after Baler, which meant I got to drive it around the city. It was easier to imagine people using it for things other than barkada or family trips: a delivery vehicle, a school bus, an ambulance, and yes, even a public utility vehicle. Whatever it’s used for, I couldn’t help but think it’s the type of van that would deliver as promised, and then surprise you with so much more. — BM, GMA News

Paul John Caña is a magazine writer and live music geek. He is also co-founder of libreto.org, an online collective of writers and artists. Email him at pjcana@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter and Instagram @pauljohncana.