Consumers are the stars of Nissan’s new van
What’s big and white and innovative all over? That would be Nissan’s new NV series of commercial vans.
These beasts of burden may not be as sexy as Nissan’s other products but they do tell a great story about how listening to customers can help an automaker design a better product.
Extensive customer research is very common for retail vehicles, where fierce competition requires frequent product updates every two or so years. In the world of commercial vehicles, however, there’s very little competition and vehicles can stay on the market largely unchanged for over a decade at a time.
Nissan discovered that commercial van owners were, “among the least-satisfied owners of any segment in the industry,” according to Joe Castelli, the company’s vice president for commercial vehicles. Sensing the opportunity to shake up a stagnant segment, Nissan formed a team to research and bring in as much customer feedback as possible.
The team interviewed customers at their homes and at their work sites, allowing the respondents to point out what they loved and hated about their current vehicles. They found that even common sense features, like sufficient lighting in the cargo area and doors that could stay open in windy conditions, were often missing.
Nissan claims that by listening to their potential customers, they were able to pack the NV series full of fresh innovations:
- To improve cabin space and reduce noise, Nissan gave the NV a long hood (like a pickup truck) so that the engine could be moved forward and completely outside the cabin
- To address complaints that loading cargo is difficult when hunched over, the NV has an optional “high roof” that can allow people up to 6 feet 2 inches to walk through the vehicle without ducking
- To prevent the seat fabric from wearing prematurely, the upholstery in the NV has double-reinforced seams that are mounted in a lower, more secure position. The fabric for those seats also has a water-resistant coating so that spilled liquids bead away rather than creating stains
- To prevent rust and make it less expensive to install cargo racks in the back, the NV comes with pre-drilled anchor holes and a wiring harness that makes it easier for aftermarket upfitters to install their equipment and modifications
- To address complaints that cargo doors do not open wide enough, Nissan fitted a sliding door on the side and special hinges that allow the rear doors to open to a class-leading 243-degrees. Special magnets keep those rear doors from slamming shut when the wind blows
- To improve the “mobile office” aspect of a commercial van, the NV offers a Bluetooth hands-free phone system for speaking with customers, a navigation system for getting to new job sites, power outlets for charging phones and power tools, and a center console with enough space to hang full-size files.
Nissan went another step further than is typical in the industry and actually allowed customers and aftermarket upfitters to comment on prototype parts. The extra customer feedback helped engineers fine-tune the design of certain components and it helped ensure that the van would be easy to upfit once it went on sale.
The innovations in the NV series are very clever and that’s largely because Nissan listened to what customers wanted. This is a product whose thoughtful features will be appreciated by owners and whose presence will increase competition in an otherwise quiet segment. Customer feedback turned the NV series into much more than just another box on wheels.
