Inside the Nissan NV200, New York’s taxi of today: Motoramic Drives

For most of us, the closest we ever get to the front seat of a New York cab is when we lean forward to pay the driver. And even if we do cram four (or more) passengers into a cab, prompting at least one of us to get a front-row seat to watch the streets blur as only NYC cabbies can make happen, the left seat is always occupied by someone else.

So we jumped at the opportunity to not only ride in but drive the all-new NV200 “Taxi of Tomorrow” — which became the taxi of today when owner/operator Ranjit Singh, shown above, started taking fares this morning from JFK International Airport. Based on Nissan’s compact NV200 cargo van, the Taxi of Tomorrow was purpose-built for NYC cab duties, but will get pitched to taxicab fleets around the world soon. And while its shape lacks the iconic style of Checker Cabs from the 1960s or the dome-roof retro cabs in London, the NV200’s giant Dustbuster case proved perfect as a short-haul shuttle.

While the Ford Crown Victoria had its nostalgic fans, the NV200 offers a major upgrade for taxi drivers, with an upright seat featuring six-way adjustability, lumbar support, and special airflow-enhancing upholstery. Behind the wheel lies a simple instrument panel, while an integrated navigation screen resides a little ways to the right, with the dash-mounted shift lever sandwiched in between. Forward and side vision improves, thanks to the NV200's low windshield, small triangular quarter windows, huge side windows and big exterior mirrors. The one drawback to the scoop style: Reduced rear visibility, thanks to relatively smaller rear windows.

As a tall, heavy, front-wheel-drive minivan with a 131-hp four-cylinder engine, the NV200 taxi offers a major improvement in fuel economy at the expense of speed. The fact that throttle inputs take a little while to translate into velocity changes should be mildly reassuring to anyone caught in one of Manhattan's famed impromptu Nascar races, along with standard stability and traction control systems. Handling feels surprisingly taut and flat considering the NV200’s height, and the steering was tuned direct enough to help drivers dodge wayward pedestrians staring down at their smartphones, but not so darty as to toss heads around in the back with every minor correction.

The structure seems solid, too, though only time will tell if the NV200 will absorb the pummeling of New York's broken pavement, potholes and bridge/tunnel expansion joints without accruing a symphony of squeaks and rattles.