It’s a huge milestone for Nissan’s workhorse van, the Urvan. 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the said van, and the Japanese automaker is celebrating that with a bang. With that, the Urvan (also known as the Caravan in its home market) joins the Patrol, Skyline, and Sunny as one of the few Nissan nameplates that are at least 50 years old.
To commemorate the landmark achievement, Nissan has made 50th anniversary editions of the popular van. Mind you, it’s a Japan-only model, and it will only be produced until March 2024. So, what does this special version of the Nissan Urvan have to offer? Read on.
OTHER STORIES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED:
Can my child ride a motorbike? A full guide to the Children’s Safety on Motorcycles Act
Helmetless rider caught by MMDA leaves his wife and bike with enforcers
Most noticeable is the new and exclusive color available for this model. Nissan calls it Cashmere Greig which we assume is a combination of gray and beige. But aside from there, there are other exterior upgrades to be seen. These include gloss black finishes on the grille, side mirrors, tailgate garnish, and sliding door rails, along with smatterings of 50th Anniversary badges.
Inside, it’s largely the same as the standard Urvan, although the Japan-market models are available with two-tone leather with unique seat patterns. To liven up the dashboard, it does get metallic beige bezels on the air-conditioning vents. As part of the 50th Anniversary package, it gets unique headrest embroidery and a commemorative plaque on the gear selector housing.
As far as equipment levels go, the limited edition Nissan Urvan is identical to the standard model. The 50th Anniversary model is based on the range-topping Caravan in Japan, the GX. Interestingly though, the top-spec Caravan still only rides on steel wheels with covers.
Two engine options are available for this commemorative variant. The first is a 2.0-liter gas engine that makes 128hp and 178Nm of torque, while the other is a 2.4-liter turbodiesel with 130hp and 370Nm of torque (PH-spec models still use the 2.5-liter turbodiesel). It’s pointing out that the diesel in the Urvan is a detuned version of the same engine found in the all-new Mitsubishi Triton. Also, the diesel can be specified with all-wheel drive.
