Nissan Elgrand

My two week Italian vacation had been building up to one day in Modena. Modena, Italy is home to the Museo Enzo Ferrari, two buildings worth of dazzling sheetmetal originally penned by the best designers at Pininfarina. About half an hour away is Ferrari's headquarters and another museum, this time full of triumphant Formula One race cars. Also nearby is the home base of Lamborghini, and a collection of sharp-edged supercars with big V10 engines. However, the first car I saw that day when I stepped foot outside the hotel was not a slinky Ferrari or a wedge-shaped Lambo, but this unusual hunk of metal: the Nissan Elgrand.

Triangular element protruding from
hood of Cadillac Eldorado

Like most Japanese market minivans, the front fascia is high, the hood is short, and there is an overall boxy shape to maximize interior space. The blocky headlights are split into two segments—a thin rectangle and a chunkier trapezoid. The two piece headlight look rarely creates a handsome vehicle (see the controversial Nissan Juke and Jeep Cherokee for examples), and in this case it gives the van an unusual extraterrestrial look. The split grille also looks weird, making the front fascia appear disjointed, and should have been replaced with a bold, solid square grille. However, the worst part of the Elgrand's front are the triangular turning lights protruding from the hood. While this design element was appropriate on the chrome-laden, elegant '50s Cadillacs, it looks out of place on this awkward eyesore.

The Elgrand gets even weirder once you take a look at the side of the boxy body. An unattractive, overly deep crease extends from the front fender back to the rear of the Nissan. Another character line starts just behind the headlights and flows into the side view mirrors. This deep line distinctly separates the top of the car leading into the mirror from the rest of the side, making the side view mirror look like a hand on the end of a metal arm. The rest of the Elgrand's profile view is dominated by large rectangular windows, and a rear sliding door operated by dull body-color handles.

Around back, the Nissan continues its unusual ways. Beneath the massive almost-wrap-around rear window is a thin, full-width taillight with a chrome "Elgrand" tacked on in the center. While the taillight itself is distinctive and attractive, the model branding appears out of place above the Nissan logo. The strong character line from the side continues onto the back creating an odd divide on the rear fascia. Beneath the canyon-like indentation are reverse lights, which are set back in the body work and pushed all the way to the edge of the vehicle. This creates a vast amount of blank space surrounding the license plate, making the rear fascia of the Elgrand look unfinished. With an alien-like face, an over-detailed front fender, and an empty rear end, the Nissan Elgrand is one of the most repulsive vehicles I have ever seen.

Grade
Front: F
Back: C+
Overall: F

European Vans: Part 2

In my last blog, I analyzed some of the vans that I saw on my recent trip to Italy. Here, in Part 2, are the rest:

Renault/Nissan/Opel/Mercedes-Benz

A Renault Master in Sorano

A Nissan NV400 in Verona

Call it the Renault Master, call it the Opel Movano or even Nissan NV400, but by any name, this van still is a bit gawky and awkward. All three are identical and simply rebadged under different names (with a fourth, the Vauxhall in the U.K.); their most prominent feature in the front are the vertically oriented headlights, which look as if they are being pulled upwards by a string attached to the top of the unit. From the side, the headlights are reminiscent of the oversized headlights on the Chevy Spark compact car. These large headlights make the van appear unusually tall, and sometimes a bit unstable, as if a strong gust of wind could blow the top-heavy vehicle over. The headlights on the Nissan are a bit shorter, but the effect remains. The main difference between the three is in the grilles. The Renault grille has three horizontal bars painted in gray, each with four evenly spaced, rectangular holes. The color and the design have a very industrial feel, and give the van a fittingly tough appearance. The Nissan features the corporate grille, which is not nearly as handsome as the Renault, although it is better than the Opel, which has a lackluster chrome bar atop a black mesh grille. 

A 2nd generation Vivaro in Massa Marittima

(I'm not going to discuss the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, the other competitor in this segment, because it is also sold in the US.) 

A 3rd genereation Vivaro in Venice

Below the Master/Movano/NV400 is the Renault Trafic/Opel Vivaro. Most of the Trafics and Vivaros that I saw were the second generation model, which looks like an alien with its slanted front and large circular headlights that dwarfed the tiny grille. However, there is a much more attractive third generation model that I spotted a few times. While the headlights are still oddly shaped, they are aggressively angled, and connect to the large, bold grille. On the Renault, the grille is all black with horizontally oriented slats. The Opel is a bit more luxurious, with thin chrome horizontal bars. The lower front fascias are also quite different, with the more utilitarian Renault getting a large black plastic bumper, and the upscale Vivaro getting a wide lower intake and shiny black fog lamp housings. On both vans, a very strong character line extends down from the window and runs along the side panels. While not necessarily the most attractive vans, these two cargo-haulers feature a bold and interesting design. 

Vito in Grosseto

In the Mercedes lineup, the Vito slots beneath the Sprinter. The most expensive, and best-looking, passenger version is the V-Class, and it comes with LED lights and chrome-covered front and rear fascias. A cheaper passenger version, called the Vito Tourer is also offered, with basic head and taillights, and on the cheapest trims, an ugly black plastic front bumper. The cargo version, called simply the Vito, features the same plastic bumper as the Tourer, however, it looks a bit more appropriate on the Vito since it is a work vehicle. Whether or not it has the bumper, all of the Vito/V-Class vans look handsome. Every element is proportioned well, and the headlight shape, which is in line with the rest of the Mercedes family, is unique compared to other vans as well as being pleasing to the eye. Strong creases through the door handle and down the side complete the sturdy and striking appearance of the Vito.

Vito Tourer in Florence

For those who need a slightly smaller van, Renault and Mercedes teamed up for the Kangoo and Citan, respectively. Up front, the Renault has simple, round headlights and a black plastic fascia. Chrome inserts and a large silver logo finish off the basic front end. Only the lower front fascia on the Merc is coated in black plastic, lending the van a slightly more luxurious look. A substantially sized grille gives a bolder look to the Benz, but from there back it is nearly identical to its French counterpart. These two vans come in three sizes: compact, long, and extra long. While compact and long look normal, extra long ruins the proportions of the vehicle, distorting the cute appearance of this little van.

In this segment, Opel offers the Combo, which is a rebadged Fiat Dobló. For more on this vehicle, see my previous post on European vans. Nissan's offering in this segment is the NV200, which is sold in America, and is the new staple of New York's taxi fleet, replacing the Ford Crown Victoria.

Volkswagen

Crafter in Florence

At the top of VW's commercial vehicle range is the Crafter, which is based on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. However, it has a completely unique front, with tall headlights and a wide grille with three horizontal bars. Like most VWs, the Crafter has many straight lines, and looks handsome, but the way the grille juts out and the way the vertical headlights flow into the hood create a unique front fascia. 

Multivan in Florence

Beneath the Crafter is the T Series, which consists of the Transporter, Multivan, Caravelle, and California. While the  6th generation just debuted, I'm going to focus on the 5th generation models, which is what I saw on the streets of Italy. The Transporter is the most utilitarian van in the range, and is offered in both passenger and cargo versions. The black plastic bumper differentiates it from the other models. The Multivan and Caravelle are more passenger-oriented vehicles, while the California is a full-fledged camper van. All four models feature the same simple rectangular headlights and thin rectangular grille. Despite how simple the VW's front fascia is, they are quite handsome vehicles, and look especially cool with the optional two-tone red and white paint job.

Caddy in Florence

The Caddy, VW's smallest van, also recently got an update, but since it was not yet for sale, I will focus on the pre-facelifted version. While the taillights look really out of date, the headlights and grille provide the classic VW look: as if it was designed using only a ruler. While not exciting, it is predictable and decent looking. 

Dacia

While I was unable to capture a photo of it, I did see a handful of Dacia Dokkers. The Dokker looks awfully similar to their minivan offering, the Lodgy, with it's pointy headlights and wide grille. It came as a passenger and cargo van, as well as a pickup truck. Like all Dacias, it was incredibly simple, and the front fascia was masked in black plastic. However, the triangular headlights added some character the van. 

Hyundai

I saw one Hyundai H350, and it was parked in front of a Hyundai dealership. While sales appear to be slow, it is not a bad looking vehicle. Bold headlights with straight edges and LEDs stand out, and look relatively aggressive. The extremely large grille is also a plus. Although I only one, this is one of the better looking vans that I spotted in Italy. 

And one final note: I did see one American van while in Italy. It was a grey post-facelift Chevy Express, and looked really out of place among the sleek European vans. You can spot it in the background of the photo of the Mercedes Vito.

Nissan Altima 2.5 S

      The Nissan Altima 2.5 S is a boring car to look at.  Sure, it takes you where you want to go-- last year, on my family's vacation to Alaska this popular midsize sedan proved to be a very capable sedan for our 1,500 mile driving trip-- but there was nothing impressive visually on either the inside or the outside.
      It starts with the disappointing front fascia. The headlights have a very smooth and elegant outline, but the actual headlamps themselves appear as a jumbled mess of contrasting straight and curved lines. The grille's shiny chrome surround and three horizontal bars are fine but it feels a little small, creating a slightly cheaper look.  The Altima also looks quite cheap on the lower front fascia. The fog lamp housings have no fog lamps (the housing is there for more upscale Altima models), and instead have a flimsy looking plastic cover. This is a common problem when car companies get into cost-cutting measures--it always shows and it always looks awkward.

    The lower grille and intakes look fairly lackluster because of the plastic body colored cross-bars. One detail that works is the character line from the headlights which dips down and curves underneath the lower grille, creating a U-shape. Also the power bulge and creases on the hood  add an athletic vibe to the sedan. Still, these few small positives can't outweigh the cheap look that pervades the front.
     Around back, the taillights are actually quite nice--they are very detailed and it almost feels as if you're looking at a cross section of the taillight. The only complaint could be that they look a little robotic, and that look could be considered a little juvenile, but I don't mind it. The rest of the rear has nothing remarkable about it, although the dual exhaust pipes add a slightly sporty appearance. The short rear deck makes this car feel a little smaller than a midsize sedan (Actually, when I was little I thought the Altima competed in the compact segment).
      Inside is more of the same: a boring and slightly lackluster design that isn't particularly appalling or enthralling. Our car had a grey and black interior, and these drab colors might have contributed to how unexciting the interior appeared. I like the three circular air conditioner vents at the top of the center stack, but the rest seems over-cluttered by buttons, and I found the orange color of the radio screen especially gross. While not very pretty, the storage bins, beneath the center console and behind the gearshift), were useful. The steering wheel was ugly and bland, while the gauges and gearshift weren't bad. In the backseat I had a few complaints. While the seats were comfortable, I felt a little cramped for headroom. I also thought the fold-down bit of the middle seat could've also held a storage bin, instead of all the unused space.

 Grade
Front: C
Back: B
Overall: C+