On The Road
With 20% more power and 2%% more torque than the old model, and at 200kg lighter, you’d expect the Cabstar to perform pretty well. It is particularly flexible, pulling convincingly right from tickover, but it’s still not terrifically powerful: the one-in-four hill start was achieved only with a fair amount of clutch slip. Gear changes were fine, with a fairly precise short throw, but the combination of lever and steering wheel position made cross-cab access impossible for all but the most sylph-like.
The handling was a pleasant surprise, safe and neutral even at speed, with cornering abilities limited by the tyres rather than the chassis. The steering has a god lock – the turning circle is less than 10m between curbs, which Nissan claims is the best in its class – and is acceptably light for low-speed manoeuvring. The Cabstar was stable in town driving and at motorway speeds, but a little nervous at around 50mph; this could be due to the combination of relatively simple suspension – parabolic leaf springs front and rear – with a short wheelbase.
The brakes divided opinion: they are fine with a full load on board, but quite twitchy when unladen. One tester reckoned they were fine once you got used to them, while another called them “impossibly sharp”. Either way, they lack ABS, and in the wet conditions of the test track they locked up quite definitely when full pressure was applied. The handbrake works fine, holding the Cabstar ready on a one-ion-three, but it is the hated “umbrella” type which sprouts from the dashboard.
Cab Comfort
The cab looks very familiar, and is indeed closely related to the older model, but it is mounted a little lower – thanks to the smaller, 15-inch wheels – and access is easy. Nissan claims it is wider inside, but the door is still pretty close to the driver’s elbow and it is easy to catch one’s knee on the window winder. Build quality, fit and finish are all fine, though there’s a fair amount of painted metal on view and all the plastic mouldings are – of course – grey.
The passenger seats are pretty flat, but the driver’s seat is quite comfortable with, as Nissan’s press release says, “lumber” support; the steering wheel is adjustable for rake. The instruments are clear and now (thankfully) include a rev counter – but there’s no clock.
Visibility is fairly good, and though the mirrors are of your basic flat design they give a decent field of view. The wiper coverage could be better, but at least there were two speeds plus an intermittent setting – a small thing, but quite important. The heating included a recirculation function, and the radio/cassette unit is a Clarion – good quality, and less fiddly than some.
Beware: engine inspection can be hazardous to your health! The inspection hatch under the centre seat is fairly convenient, but one of our testers cut his hand on a sharp wire under the rim. The tilt-cab layout of the E110 is probably safer.
The cab has numerous small storage bins, and the centre seat backrest folds down to form a compact writing table with a clipboard and a couple of cupholders, but there is nowhere handy to put a mobile phone.
