It's not easy to reach public enthusiasm
for a commercial cargo van. But this Nissan concept vehicle has caught our attention.
Debuting at the Chicago Auto Show is the
Nissan NV Cargo X, an extreme off-road version of the Japanese automaker's
utilitarian box with a lot more attitude than the
ones you see delivering packages up and down your street.
Undertaken with "Xtreme Off-Road" show
host Ian Johnson, the project starts with an NV2500 HD. But instead of the
5.6-liter gasoline V8, the team fitted the 5.0-liter Cummins turbodiesel from
the Titan XD pickup with all its 555 lb-ft of torque, along with its
corresponding Aisin six-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel drive
system.
Next they jacked up the suspension and fitted
37-inch General Grabber X3 off-road tires, auxiliary LED lighting, and a
10,000-pound winch. And with 234 cubic feet of space in the back, they equipped
the van with all manner of extra equipment – from recovery tracks to a portable
welder.
The resulting vehicle not only stands seven and a
half feet tall, but is capable of tackling the notorious Pyeatt Draw trail in
Arizona's Tonto National Forest.
