2021 Nissan NV Passenger Performance

Living with the NV is a tale of two engines. Customers can choose between a naturally aspirated V6 producing 261 horsepower and 281 lb-ft of torque available in the S and SV, and a V8 producing 375 hp and 387 lb-ft of torque in the SL. Both engines are adept at pulling along the twenty-foot rear-wheel-drive van, but in either configuration, the overall experience is the same; you're driving a nearly 7,000-pound van, so progress is mild instead of manic, and you'll have to think carefully before making any major moves out on the road. Around town, there's enough get-up-and-go to stick with traffic, but fully loaded, you'll be better off with the V8 model, which benefits from superior torque specs that you can really feel in the mid-range. Out on the open road the NV gets up to speed with no major complaints and will sit at the speed limit with ease, but overtaking should be carefully considered; acceleration is hampered by the fact that the NV was purpose-built to resist the wind and progress after 60 miles per hour can feel strained. According to Nissan, the V8 NV Passenger Van is able to tow a maximum of 8,700 lbs when fitted with the correct tow hitch receiver, besting all rivals in this regard. Standard bumper towing is limited to 2,000 lbs on all variants.

Powering the base model and the mid-range NV Passenger is a 4.0L V6 engine producing 261 hp and 281 lb-ft of torque. This engine features continuously variable valve timing, direct fuel injection, and a 650 CCA heavy-duty battery. Power is sent to the rear wheels via an old-school five-speed automatic transmission. The V6 engine offers enough pep for in-town driving but feels underpowered when the NV is fully loaded with people and their stuff. This becomes more evident when you merge onto the freeway. The top of the range SL model comes standard with a more powerful 5.6-liter DOHC V8 engine, which manages to produce a healthy 375 hp and 387 lb-ft of torque, the latter at 4,000 rpm, which gives the NV Passenger Van a much-needed kick in the behind. The V8 engine is mated to a standard seven-speed automatic transmission and is the combination to go for, in our opinion, especially if you're planning on hauling around a large number of people on a daily basis.

The EPA doesn't supply fuel economy ratings for vans and trucks over 8,500 GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating), so we can't give you any official numbers, but according to fuel surveys conducted by current owners, you can expect to see a combined average of around 14 mpg for V6 models, while the more powerful V8 will average around 13 mpg. The 2021 NV Passenger Van comes equipped with a 28-gallon fuel tank, which should give it a maximum range of anything between 364 and 392 miles based on the above figures, but like all vans, much of this comes down to how many people you're hauling on a regular basis.