Wonder if this was in the works before or after Fred Diaz jumping over?

 

I think Chevy recognized the effort Nissan made into making a dedicated cargo van. All it needs now is a diesel option to compete with the sprinter.
I wish the ram CV would get the 2.3L mulitjet II. If it's good enough for the bigger Ducato, it should be ok enough for the smaller Ram C/V.
I have to admit the Chevy looks nicer than the Nissan. Just my taste.
Ram CV vs Nissan vs Ford transit connect

 

Wonder if this was in the works before or after Fred Diaz jumping over?

That's a good question. Perhaps it was in the works before Fred Diaz's arrival at Nissan and things accelerated since.

However, it might be interesting to see if Nissan might obtain something in exchange for the deal?

 

I saw the NV200 at the NY auto show. I currently drive a 2001 SWB Caravan, which I use to transport bicycles, camping/beach gear and the like. The NV200's size and flat floor would suit me fine. The problem is though, it lists at about the same (or more) as the new full size Caravan with the 283 HP V6 and the EPA MPG figures are also comparable, so what makes this new vehicle stand out?

 

The Fiat built Opel Combo is the exception to the rule of General Motors Europe vans. The larger vans sold by Opel and Vaxhall also have Renault and Nissan versions. The cooperative van building effort happened long before Fred Diaz. The NV200 doesn't have a Renault equivalent. Renault has their own van in that class, the Kangoo. Renault shares that van with Mercedes which resulted in the Citan.

The thing is the current Doblo still has a lot of GM engineering from the firewall foreword. Fiat and GM codeveloped the Small Diesel Engine (SDE) used in the Doblo. The front suspension and platform were also a cooperative effort. I believe the hard points on the SDE and Chevy four cylinder gas motors match.

 

Wonder if this was in the works before or after Fred Diaz jumping over?

Given the speed and complexity of corporate agreements, I'd guess it was in the works many months ago.

 

I'm a little surprised that Isuzu didn't have something to become a captive import or knockdown kit...

 

The Fiat built Opel Combo is the exception to the rule of General Motors Europe vans. The larger vans sold by Opel and Vaxhall also have Renault and Nissan versions. The cooperative van building effort happened long before Fred Diaz. The NV200 doesn't have a Renault equivalent. Renault has their own van in that class, the Kangoo. Renault shares that van with Mercedes which resulted in the Citan.

The Kangoo is another category called "LAV" (Leisure activity vehicle) known in French as "Ludospace". It look a bit like the former panel truck.