Nissan Evalia XV - Design Review

The NV200 is a very versatile platform that is acclaimed the world over – it is known to have spawned people-hauling cabs that have replaced icons like the London Taxi TX4 (UK) and the Ford Crown Victoria (New York, US); it is a robust cargo van that has been adopted by many businesses around the world; and it is probably so good that even a carmaker of Mercedes Benz’s stature has decided to use the NV200 as the basis for the Citan, which is another utility vehicle that will wear the premium three-pointed star. So after proving its capabilities the world over, the NV200 now aims to make an entry into ruthless Indian market with a two-pronged approach – a commercial application that will cater to the cargo carrier and fleet operator segments under a commercial-vehicle brand and a passenger application that will take on the blooming MPV market which targets the family-car buyers. The latter is what makes the first pitch and is called the Evalia.

One look at the Evalia and you’ll immediately notice its streamlined headlights and boxy bodywork – instantly reminding you that this is a typical Japanese design thought. The stress is on practicality here and aesthetics clearly take a backseat like most other tallboys and people-carriers that roll out of Japan. But since the Evalia targets the Indian passenger car buyer, it is imperative for the vehicle to look premium to attract customers to the showrooms and Nissan has tried its level best to achieve that. To begin with, there are the selection of metallic colours to choose from, which should make the Evalia look like it belongs to the same portfolio as the Micra and the Sunny.

The front end has the swept up headlights with a simple single-pot design. The grille has three horizontal slats which are stylized using triangular cuts. While the grille does have its own share of design flair, it has no design similarity to grilles seen on the Micra or the Sunny. The front bumpers are humongous and the big air-dams get fog lights on either ends (only available on the top end XV variant). The windshield isn’t as sharply raked as the one on the Innova and aids in better visibility of the road.

The side profile, though boxy, manages to look busy with the angular creases, the unconventional edge for the front doors and the large front windows and quarter-glass. The rear doors are the sliding type in typical ‘can’ fashion. The wheels arches are subtle creases and are only visible when seen in broad daylight. The wheel-wells are underfed with the 14-inch wheels and makes the Evalia appear like a tip-toeing, flabby anime character.

The tailgate is as flat as an oven tray – but Nissan has added a reflectors and chrome strips to prevent the tailgate from looking drab. Frankly it doesn’t do much good to the backend anyway. In fact, with the stacked-up taillights, the Evalia’s back looks like the scaled-down luxury bus. And then there is the contrasting rear bumper which is almost one-tenth the size of its frontal counterpart. Moreover, the lid opens like a hatch than a door and looks massive when the hydraulic arms push it skyward. Once open, the lid looks so big that all the seven occupants can stand underneath and pose for a group photograph.

The overall design of the Evalia is too van-like as compared to the sharper Innova or the more SUV-like Xylo – which is one factor that could work against the Nissan people carrier. It manages to look bigger than the Ertiga though and the sharp nose is the saving grace, which prevents the Evalia from looking like a typical, old-school bread-box van. The only people it may appeal to are the ones who want an understated, conservative design – and that precisely the reason why Nissan is aiming at the 38-40 year old age-group with its latest offering.

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Nissan Evalia User Experience Review

Nissan Evalia Performance Review