Nissan to Produce New York’s Taxi of Tomorrow

When you think of the Big Apple, you can't help the image of a yellow taxi springing to mind. That's even if, like me, you've never been there. It's the brightest of American icons and it's about to get a Japanese makeover.

Automaker Nissan has won the exclusive 10-year, US$1 billion contract to produce the city's fleet of 13,200 yellow taxis. Nissan's North American take on the NV200, a model already in use in Europe and Asia, won over finalist manufacturers Ford and Karsan, from Turkey.

Previously, the taxis of New York City have been produced by Ford: Crown Victorias and hybrid Ford Escapes. These models will be phased out over a 3 to 5 year period to make way for Nissan's new model.

[Via Jalopnik]