It seems to be a subject under great revision at present with the obsession of replacing the London black cab on the minds of car manufacturers worldwide. Traditionally, we did not really care for the visuals of a taxi, as long as the driver gets us to our destination safely and on time there are no issues. Car manufacturers around the world are putting great focus on the redesign of the London cab, a vehicle that really doesn’t need to be tampered with. We can spot a taxi a mile off, simply by the shape. Taxis are infamous for being identical to the next, which could all change over the course of the next few years. With government preoccupations to introduce zero emissions throughout city centers many carmakers are using this to their advantage, introducing new models and marques to be seen as the new and improved version of the taxi. Nissan are the latest to jump on this bandwagon, unveiling a new model with hopes to be the triumphing black cab. It does however pose a resounding resemblance to the NV200 van. Replacing the old angular headlights for round ones, and changing the grille to resemble a traditional black cab Nissan haven’t been particularly innovative. Adding new bumpers and LED lighting for the “taxi” sign to be placed does however take us slightly away from viewing it as a van, which essentially it is. The taxi/van is powered by a 1.6-litre petrol engine, connected to an automatic gearbox. A zero emission electric version is due to be launched in 2015, again, adding to the environmentally friendly taxi hype. Darryl Scriven, Design Excellence Manager for Nissan, said: “The Mayor’s office and taxi drivers were very keen that we maintain the character of the Hackney Carriage, making it something that people in the city can be proud of. “The main challenges were concerned with making sure customers can easily recognise it as a taxi. Being in London, we were able to go out and talk to cabbies about what was important to them as well as look at the vehicle from a customer’s viewpoint.”