2022 Nissan Urvan levels up in luxury and design

The Nissan Urvan NV350 is one of the brand's best-selling models in the country and serves as a direct competitor to the Toyota Hiace. While Toyota introduced an all-new generation Hiace back in 2019, Nissan's people (and cargo) carrier soldiers on. To keep it fresh, Nissan has revealed the updated 2022 Urvan in Japan.

Over in the Land of the Rising Sun, the Urvan (or Caravan as it's called in Japan) received a subtle makeover both inside and out. The overall shape of the van remains unchanged, but Nissan did tweak the Urvan's front end. Though it's a bit hard to tell, the 2022 Urvan features a redesigned grille and a revised front bumper that further emphasizes the V-motion design. The Japanese-spec van also comes standard with project LED headlights on higher-trim variants.

Apart from the new front end, the rest of the Urvan's exterior styling appears to be carried over from the outgoing model. But the changes don't end there. Step inside, and Nissan also made a few changes to the cabin. It's a lot fancier now. 

The layout of the dashboard remains the same, but in front of the driver sits a new steering wheel. It's similar to what you'd find on the new Almera, which features a flat-bottom design. The instrument cluster is also new with silver accents, giving the van a more upscale feel. High-trim variants also get automatic climate control, a touchscreen infotainment system, and copper accents on the airconditioning vents.

For 2022, the Japan-spec Urvan also comes with the latest version of the Nissan Intelligent Mobility safety suite of technology. As a result, lane departure warning, intelligent emergency brake, and intelligent around-view monitor are just some of the features that come standard on the 2022 Urvan.

With the 2022 Urvan NV350 now on sale in Japan, the question now is when will Nissan Philippines Inc. launch the updated model locally. Hopefully, they decide to offer Intelligent Mobility with the update as well.