The Nissan Crew was a mid-size saloon built from 1993 to 2009 and sold only in Japan, mostly as a taxi, a driving-school car or a police vehicle. Its rear-wheel-drive layout and simple construction earned it a following among drifters and tuners. Its main competitor was the Toyota Comfort.
Nissan Crew at a glance
| Production | July 1993 – August 2009 |
|---|---|
| Model code | K30 |
| Built by | Nissan Shatai |
| Body | four-door saloon, taxi-oriented |
| Main engines | LPG NA20P; RD28 and RD28E diesel; RB20E in the Saloon |
| Gearbox | four-speed automatic or five-speed manual |
| Trims | E, E-L, GL, GLX |
| Crew Saloon | January 1994 – June 2002 |
| Total built | 52,124 |
| Rival | Toyota Comfort |
based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Nissan Crew.
History of the Nissan Crew
A purpose-built taxi
Production of the K30 Crew began at Nissan Shatai in July 1993. Its body pan came from the Y31 Cedric, while the front end was mostly borrowed from the C32 Laurel. The taxi purpose shows in details: the B-pillar sits 5 cm further forward on the passenger side, making the driver’s door and the left rear door larger because those two see most use, and the left rear door could be ordered with power opening. Equipment levels started with the spartan E, then E-L, GL and GLX; the E and E-L went mostly to taxi companies, while GL and GLX were aimed at owner-drivers with body-coloured bumpers, chrome trim and aluminium wheels.
Engines
The usual engine was the LPG-powered NA20P four, with 82 PS at first and 85 PS after a June 1998 update that added a new catalyst and redesigned combustion chambers to cut NOX emissions. The RD28 diesel of 94 PS was also offered, upgraded to the 18-valve RD28E of 100 PS in August 1999. Police and driving-school cars used the RB20E six, generally required for patrol cars. In June 2002 the petrol and diesel options were dropped, leaving only the LPG engine.
Crew Saloon and Galue
A civilian version, the Crew Saloon, was sold from January 1994 to June 2002 in LS Saloon-F, LS Saloon, LX Saloon and LX Saloon G Type forms, mostly with the 130 PS 2-litre RB20E six or the RD28 diesel. Sales targets of 300 petrol cars a month at launch had fallen to 100 a month for all models by 1998. The Crew also formed the basis of the Mitsuoka Galue of 1996–2001, a retro-styled saloon inspired by the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II. The last Crew was built in August 2009.
Design and features
- Taxi layout: an asymmetric B-pillar and a powered left rear door.
- Simple rear-wheel drive: the basis of its drift and tuning following.
- LPG engine: the NA20P was the main power unit.
- Mitsuoka Galue: a retro saloon built on the same car.
Nissan Crew versions
- Crew taxi (1993–2009): the main version, in E and E-L trims.
- Crew GL and GLX: better-equipped cars for owner-drivers.
- Crew Saloon (1994–2002): the civilian model with the RB20E engine.
- Mitsuoka Galue I (1996–2001): a rebody of the Crew.
The Crew borrowed its body pan from the Cedric and its front from the Laurel. More cars are in the Nissan collection.
Sources
- Nissan Crew, English Wikipedia: production, body origins, engines, trims, Saloon, Galue
