Nissan Evalia Appearance (Ext.)

Multi Utility Vehicles in general do not have a stylish design. They are like big bread boxes moving on wheels. The Evalia comes across as an urban looking MUV with its sophistication in design.

The front fascia is slightly reminiscent of the Maruti Suzuki Eeco with slender headlights and a slim three row radiator grille. The front bumper starts at a very tall position and has dollops of plastic wrapped around it. It reminds of those typical chubby oriental kids. Apart from the fact that it looks too bland, in case of an accident the entire assembly would be too expensive to be repaired.

The side profile highlights the two distinct divisions in the overall design, which is the front half and the rear half starting from the B-Pillars. If very crudely put, the Evalia looks something like an aftermath of an Innova-Eeco front collaborating with the Tata Venture rear. The waist line starts from the front bumper and makes it way to the B-pillar but does not continue after that. The side profile also reminds of the Toyota Alphard but at a basic level.

There are mild wheel arches on the body. The overall blandness of a VANish looking vehicle has been curbed by giving subtle creases throughout the body. The C pillar is not evident as it has been camouflaged with the window pane. Something that makes the Evalia differ from rest of its competitors are the sliding rear passenger doors. This can be an advantage in traffic flooded areas and cramped parking spaces.

Coming to the rear section, there is nothing except a tall big tail gate. I liked the simplicity of it though opening and closing of the gate can be a bit of an issue as it is considerably tall. Chrome inserts are used on the tail gate with reflectors. The tail lights look a little too small compared to the overall rear design.

To sum up, it’s a different looking MUV and as Nissan endorses the Evalia has been designed to attract urban users. Since the prices have not been announced, there is high probability of it being compared with the Innova. Personally, I would choose the Toyota Innova over the Nissan Evalia as the latter looks too VANish.