In case you didn't know, there's been a bidding war among automakers trying to win a 10-year contract to build the next-generation of taxis in the Big Apple. Among the three finalists - Japanese automaker Nissan, Turkish automaker, Karsan Otomotiv, and U.S. auto manufacturer Ford Motor Co. - it originally looked as though Karsan Otomotiv would steal the show for its showy glass roof design. In the end, however, Nissan was declared winner for its bid based on the NV200 minivan.
According to reports from the New York Daily News, the deal between Nissan and New York City is estimated at over one-billion dollars. Nissan's "Taxi of Tomorrow" is expected to replace the 16 taxi models now authorized by the city. The 10-year contract, however, will not begin until 2013.
"The Nissan NV200 (is) going to be the safest, most comfortable cab the city has ever had," said New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg at the official announcement ceremony. "We started this process to leverage our taxi industry's purchasing power to get the highest quality taxi, one that can expand and redefine the legendary image of New York City taxicabs. The new taxis will be custom-designed to meet the specific demands of carrying 600,000 passengers a day in New York City traffic and the vehicle meets the top priorities identified by the public in our online survey.">
What does Nissan's "Taxi of Tomorrow" look like?The available artistic interpretation of the forthcoming Nissan van portrays a welcome modern design language defined by a striking blend of sharp corners, and sinuous curves. There's definitely something more aggressive looking about the design compared to previous generations of taxi vans in N.Y.C. Heck, we'd hail it just because it looks tenacious to get you from Point A to Point B in the city's throngs of traffic, safely and on time.
Perhaps more importantly, New York's forthcoming next-gen Nissan cab will be fitted with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline-powered engine and equipped with a suite of standard safety features such as: traction control, navigation and telematics systems, sliding side doors, and side curtain airbags.
Inside, the NVNissan200-based van will treat passengers to a transparent roof panel with a shade, rear air conditioning, leather inspired seat fabric, overhead reading lights, and a mobile charging station. To learn more about the new Nissan "Taxi of Tomorrow", stay tuned. John Howard Nissan at 1730 Mileground in Morgantown, WV, promises to bring you updates as they become available.
Sources: insideline.com / edmontonjournal.com
