The new Chevrolet City Express cargo van officially debuted this morning at the Chicago Auto Show. Based on the Nissan NV200 van, the van’s design has been re-worked to bear the Chevy brand, according to General Motors (GM).
Set to go on sale this fall, the 2015 model features 122.7 cu ft (3,474 liters) of “customizable” cargo space, a turning diameter of 36.7 ft (11.2 m) and an estimated payload capacity of 1,500 lbs.
The City Express is powered by a Nissan powertrain, which includes a 2L, 16-valve dual overhead cam 4-cylinder engine rated at 131 hp & 139 lbs-ft of torque, as reported last spring by FleetOwner’s Brian Straight.
Per that news story, GM said that the front end of the vehicle is “totally new and represents the Chevy brand” and that package options will differ from Nissan’s offering, including optional side windows.
Today, Ed Peper, U.S. vice president-- GM Fleet and Commercial described the City Express as providing “a smaller, more efficient choice for businesses that don’t need the cargo volume or other capabilities of a full-size van.
“It is an easy-to-maneuver van that makes the most of its compact dimensions with clever features, allowing business owners to maximize its space– and their resources– with a vehicle sized for their needs,” he added.
Peper pointed out that the van’s cargo area was designed to accommodate large and bulky items thanks to 4.5 ft of space from sidewall to sidewall, which he noted was more than enough to load a standard 40- x 48-in pallet flat on the floor.
The area from the rear doors to the back of the front seats measures 6 ft 10 in and with the passenger seat folded forward, that length increases to 9 ft 8 in. The tops of the rear wheelhouses are flat to enable tiered storage and to maximize storage space.
Other key features highlighted include:
Additional features include:
- Continuously variable transmission (CVT)
- Fold-down passenger seat that converts to a flat work space
- Center console designed for storage, including a standard-file folder bin
- Tall, 40/60-split rear cargo doors that open to 90- and 180-degree angles
- Left- and right-side sliding doors
- Twenty integrated interior cargo-mounting points
- Six floor-mounted D-rings
- Six exterior roof-rack mounting points
- Standard vinyl flooring
- Standard solid rear doors with tinted-glass windows available
- Standard driver information center
- Standard power windows
- Cruise control standard on LT, (available on LS)
- Backup sensors standard on LT, available on LS)
- Four-wheel antilock brakes and electronic brake-force distribution are standard, as is an electronic stability-control system
According to GM, the City Express van’s “body-integral chassis” boasts a front MacPherson-strut suspension and a “truck-style” multi-leaf rear suspension in the rear. Other chassis features include front disc brakes, 15-in wheels and electric power steering.
The new van also comes with six standard airbags: dual-stage frontal airbags, side-impact supplemental airbags, and roof-mounted curtain airbags “for enhanced side-impact and rollover protection.”
The City Express will come with a 3-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper new vehicle limited warranty and a 5-year/100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty as well as 2-year/24,000-mile scheduled maintenance.
The OEM pointed out that all 3,200 Chevrolet dealerships across the U.S. will be able to service the new van.
GM also noted that pricing for the City Express "will be announced later."
