The Nissan NV Passenger is built upon the brand’s NV-series of vans as an answer to a quintessential American need: a large, 10+ passenger vehicle capable of large groups places in reasonable comfort. A dying breed, it adopts the traditional body-on-frame layout of the Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana rather than the newer unibody construction of the Ford Transit or Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. And the short roof and long hood—the latter of which is a real rarity in the van market—probably make the NV Passenger natural to anyone used to driving a large SUV. The long hood also helps with serviceability. Competitors make vans with varying wheelbases to accommodate different numbers of passengers — up to 15 — but Nissan hits the meat of the market with a single NV Passenger variant that holds up to 12 passengers across four rows on its 3500 HD chassis. For easy access, passengers enter and exit via a large sliding door on the right side of the vehicle, as opposed to the dual hinged doors seen on the GM offerings. There are still barn doors at the rear, and Nissan says the one on the left is slightly shorter to allow for less intrusion into traffic during curbside loading and unloading. The last row, which seats four-across, is split into two sections that can be individually removed, and even the front passenger seat folds down to create a flat workspace. Power is supplied by one of two engines, either a 4.0-liter V6 with 261 horsepower and 281 pound-feet of torque or a 5.6-liter V8 with 375 horsepower and 387 pound-feet. The V6 gets a 5-speed automatic transmission, while the V8 employs a 7-speed automatic. Towing capacities are 6,200 pounds with the V6 and 8,700 with the V8, using a towing hitch. The NV Passenger comes in three basic trims. 3500 HD S starts with the V6 engine, cloth upholstery with vinyl wear panels on the sides of the front seats, a 12-volt power outlet up front, four speakers, and 4-way manual front seats. And for 2018, there’s a standard 5.0-inch infotainment system with Bluetooth, a text-messaging assistant, and USB connectivity. 3500 HD SV adds chrome 17-inch wheels, a chrome grille, chrome bumpers, and chrome door handles, power door locks and windows, cruise control, two more 12-volt outlets, an 8-way power driver’s seat with manual lumbar adjustment, two additional speakers, carpeting for rear passengers, and six rear map lights. 3500 HD SL gets the V8 engine, leather upholstery for all rows, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, front dual-zone climate control, and a 5.8-inch color touchscreen infotainment system with navigation. As far as safety, the NV Passenger gets a standard reversing camera and a full complement of airbags, including side curtain airbags for all rows. Other than that, NV3500 HD SV comes with rear parking sensors, while NV3500 HD SL comes with front parking sensors. Like most other large passenger vans, the NV Passenger has not been crash-tested by any official agency. The NV Passenger is built to be a workhorse in terms of ferrying people back and forth. It is probably the best incarnation of the traditional van on the market, backed by Nissan’s full 5-year, 60,000-mile warranty.