2022 Nissan Urvan is getting Mitsubishi 2.4L diesel

Will the PH-spec Urvan come with the same engine?

The Urvan NV350 has been a staple in Nissan’s lineup for several years. First launched in 2012, it has been on the market for ten years, and it seems there are no plans to discontinue the current model just yet. In Japan, the automaker updated the Urvan with a new transmission and a diesel engine.

Last year, Nissan introduced the facelift Urvan NV350 (called Caravan in Japan), which updated the design both inside and out. At the time, there was no mention of the powertrain. However, it looks like the changes are more than skin deep.

According to the Japanese spec sheet, the 2022 Urvan now uses a 2.4-liter 4N16 turbodiesel engine that produces 132 PS and 370 Nm torque. It also uses a new 7-speed automatic gearbox, ditching the old 5-speed automatic from the previous model. The automaker claims the engine paired with the new transmission allows the van to average 13.9 km/L.

Does the engine code sound familiar? That’s because it appears to be a Mitsubishi unit. For reference, the 4N1 engines have been used in several Mitsubishi models including the current-generation Montero Sport and Strada. We tried looking up the 4N16 engine code, but the results brought us back to the Japanese Nissan Urvan spec sheet. This engine is likely a derivative of Mitsubishi’s current 4N15 motor.

But the biggest question is this: Will Nissan Philippines offer the Urvan with the new Mitsubishi diesel engine and 7-speed automatic in the future? The automaker does source the van (both standard and high-roof Premium variants) from Japan, making it seem very possible. Nissan has yet to launch the facelift version in the Philippines as well.

It also brings up the possibility that other Nissan models will use the new 4N16 engine in the future. For reference, Navara and the Terra use the same 2.5-liter turbodiesel engine as the NV350 Urvan.

Hopefully, Nissan Philippines introduces the facelift NV350 Urvan soon. Only then will we find out whether local units will receive the new powertrain and transmission.