Nissan is on a quest to take over the taxi business in the world’s greatest cities with their multi-purpose NV200 van. Here’s what they are proposing as the new London Taxi. And, well, it looks utterly horrid. They tried to make the NV – which isn’t a bad-looking car in standard form – to look like the iconic black cabs. And they failed. Miserably.

The Nissan London Taxi – to be launched in December 2014 – has been designed at Nissan’s European design centre in Paddington. Which is odd, because it looks more like one of those Chinese clone cars modeled on a European model. Although, you won’t be surprised when you realize that this is the same design house that came up with the Juke.

Looks aside, Nissan’s London Taxi is a good car underneath, featuring a very clean 1.6-litre petrol engine equipped with an automatic gearbox. There is also a zero emission electric version coming in 2015. It is also comfortable, very practical, and complies with strict TfL regulations governing Hackney Carriages, including the required 25-foot (7.6-metre) turning circle.

Nissan’s global NV200 taxi program will also see tailored version of the car built for New York, Barcelona and Tokyo. But it is only the London version that’s getting a bespoke treatment with unique round headlights, large grille, and special bumpers.