Nissan Motor has taken advantage of the popular London Olympics to unveil a new concept for the venerable London taxi, but the new "black cab" isn't on London's streets as yet.  Nissan calls it the NV200 London Taxi that is promised to offer reduced CO2 emissions.  An electrtic version is also set to undergo trials.

Nissan has taken an initiative in gaining business in the city taxi market having been chosen as the "Taxi of Tomorrow" in New York City and the automaker has its sights on Tokyo as well.  Nissan says it has already sold 100,000 units of its NV200 compact van in over 40 countries.  Adding New York, Tokyo and London to the list could make it the most popular cab in the world. 

What makes it popular?  First of all, the London version retains the reputation of the city's cabs, it's Henry Ford Model T black and you wouldn't go out and buy one.  But it is practical.

Said to be designed from the inside out for the well-being of passengers, drivers and even other road users, the NV200 model is more efficient and more environmentally considerate than current ‘black cab’ models, while delivering more comfort, space and convenience for occupants.  A particular focus was also placed on providing for passengers with mobility issues.

The Nissan London taxi comfortably seats five adults – three on a rear bench with two on rear-facing, fold-down seats. The front passenger seat has been removed to create space for luggage.  No more riding shotgun in a cab.

A key feature is the taxi's sliding passenger doors developed for easy open and close.  They are also much safer for pedestrians, cyclists and other vehicles because they do not swing out to create a potential obstruction.

A diesel version of the Nissan NV200 London Taxi is expected to be competitively priced below the new TX4 - the London Taxi Company's current model - and will be available through a designated ‘specialist' Nissan dealer. The taxi is also said to deliver improved running costs than alternative London cabs.  The model's frugal 1.5 dCi 89 HP EuroV, 6-speed manual drivetrain achieves 53.3mpg on a combined cycle delivering almost 50% fuel savings than the most efficient TX4 with its combined cycle figure of 35.3mpg.