Chevy->ke199 has graced visitors of the Chicago Auto Show->ke225 with news about its new 2015 City Express van. While we traditionally have a good idea about what is going to be revealed a few days ahead of time, this came out of left field.

The Nissan NV200-based van is little more than a Chevrolet rebadge, but it gives Chevrolet a tool to use against the Ford Transit at a minimal cost.

If you are looking for a smaller way to haul your kids, you are still going to need to look at the Mazda5, as City Express is purely a functional machine. It has two seats, and a load of cargo room; that is it.

Still, there is a lot to love about this little Chevy, so click on through to find out all the details from its drivetrain to its max cargo capacity.

2014 Chevrolet City Express

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2014 Chevrolet City Express
  • Engine/Motor: inline-4
  • Horsepower: 131 @ 5200
  • Torque: 139 @ 4800
  • Transmission: CVT
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Exterior

Aside from the new Chevrolet family grille, the exterior of the City Express is nearly identical to its Nissan NV200 base. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing as the compact exterior dimensions of the NV200 make it a great tool for urban running. It is less than six-feet wide, so if you live in a big city like New York and need to park down a narrow side street or alley, you are covered. It has a long wheelbase and a tall height to increase the amount of interior cargo space that’s available in such a small footprint.

Exterior Dimensions

Length (In.)

186.3

Width (In.)

68.1

Height (In.)

73.7

Wheelbase (In.)

115.2


Exterior Features

-Chevrolet signature front grill

-Aerodynamic front end design

-Halogen headlights

-Black front and rear bumpers

-Outside mirrors with wide-angle spotter mirrors

-Low-effort dual sliding side doors

-Tall 40/60 split opening rear doors with dual opening positions (90 and 180 degrees)

-Available heated outside mirrors (including spotter mirrors)

Interior

The interior of the City Express is all business. Pencil trays, laptop storage, hanging file storage and multiple recessed storage areas make it easy to turn the City Express into a mobile office. It’s not completely barren of luxurious however. The driver’s seat is 6-way adjustable, there are one-touch auto windows and an AM/FM/CD stereo. There is a technology package available that adds luxuries like navigation, Bluetooth and satellite radio.

The real news about the interior is the design of the cargo area. At four feet and six inches wide, it is sized perfectly to hold a standard size pallet. With a six-foot 10-inch depth from door to seatback, you can actually stack two pallets worth of goods into the back. There are also six floor-mounted tie-downs to help you secure all your cargo. If you need room for longer items, the passenger seat can be folded to give a max length of nearly 10 feet.

Interior Features

-Driver-focused front cockpit with fold-down passenger seat that creates a worktop or extended cargo space

-Driver 6-way manual adjustable seat with lumbar and armrest

-4-way manual adjustable passenger seat

-Height-adjustable front head restraints

-Cloth seat surfaces with outboard vinyl wear patches

-Driver and passenger front door map pockets

-Power windows with one-touch auto up and down

-Center console with two cup holders

-Laptop/hanging file storage

-Pen/pencil tray and CD holder

-12-volt power outlet on instrument panel

-Available 12-volt power point in rear of center console

-Recessed storage areas on upper instrument panel for folders and documents

-Passenger side under seat storage tray

-Driver information center

-Battery saver feature

-AM/FM/CD with auxiliary input and two front door mounted speakers

-Floor mounted cargo hooks (6) in cargo area.

Drivetrain

The drivetrain of the City Express is a direct carryover from the NV200. That means a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 131 horsepower and 139 pound-feet of torque. Power is sent exclusively to the front wheels through a standard CVT transmission. Payload capacity is limited to just 1,500 pounds so the lower power engine shouldn’t be too large of an issue.

To bring the whole thing under control, there is a MacPherson strut front suspension, the rear has old-school leaf springs, and four-wheel ABS is standard. Should thing turn turtle for the Chevy Express, there are six airbags in the cabin.

Engine Specifications

Engine

2.0-liter DOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder engine

Transmission

CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission)

Drive Configuration

Front engine, front-wheel drive

Cargo volume (CU. FT.)

122.7

Maximum payload (LB.)

1,500

Horsepower (HP @ RPM)

131 @ 5,200(est.)

Torque (LB-FT @ RPM)

139 @ 4,800


Suspension and Braking Specifications

Suspension

Independent front strut, rear leaf spring, front stabilizer bar

Braking

Power-assisted vented front disc/rear drum brakes with Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)


Price

There has been no announced pricing, but we would expect the base model to stick close to the $20,000 mark that Nissan currently charges for the NV200.

Competition

Nissan NV200

This is the exact machine that the City Express is based on. It features the same size, most of the same features and the exact same drivetrain. What you get by going with the NV200 is that any service that needs to be performed will be done by mechanics that are familiar with the engine. That can be a big deal if you have issues down the road.

Ford Transit Connect

The Ford essentially created the cargo van market decades ago with the original Transit. The latest generation Transit connect builds on that experience and the results are solid. The Transit connect is a fair bit larger, but with a 175 horsepower engine and more than 30 mpg on the highway, its a tough act to beat.

Conclusion

The City Express is going to be a great machine for anyone in the market looking for a small cargo van. Unfortunately, the NV200 that it's based on has been on the market for more than six-years, and a lot of people in the market for this type of vehicle, likely already have one.

It makes sense for GM to use a proven and successful vehicle, we just wish they would have changed a little more to separate it from the Nissan.