2016 Nissan NV200

VEHICLE HIGHLIGHTS

Nissan NV200

Nissan’s NV200 slots into a very particular slice of the local van market. It's smaller than your typical Quantum or H100, yet a bit more purposeful than the half-hearted car-based rivals. On paper at least, it’s aimed at the guy running a bakery in Benoni or a plumber zigzagging through Pretoria traffic — the sort of owner who wants a van that won’t eat up parking space around the CBD. There’s no diesel, which is a head-scratcher, because anyone running delivery routes between Germiston and Randburg will tell you fuel bills matter. And with just one on the classifieds at R134,995, this isn’t a shopping spree — it’s more like last call at the bar. That lone listing is a 2016 NV200 1.6i Visia panel van with 245,407 km on the odo, so you’re definitely not getting something fresh off the floor. The Visia spec is bare-bones — vinyl floors, manual everything, the way fleet managers used to like it. If you’re eyeing it, a full mechanical check is mandatory, and you’d better budget for some post-purchase TLC. The NV200’s charm was always its turning circle and the cargo floor that actually fits a Euro pallet, which made it a hit for narrow jobs — squeezing through Woodstock’s alleys or dodging minibus taxis on Commissioner Street. Compared to the Caddy, it was always the cheaper ticket, but with only one left in the wild and no new models coming, this is a last-chance buy for anyone who missed the boat.