The Nissan Interstar – the largest of the three light commercial vehicles the manufacturer offers in the UK, with a choice of diesel or full-electric powertrains – has won a prestigious award.
Interstar has been crowned ‘Large Van of the Year’ at the annual What Van? Awards, with judges praising its practicality, refinement and comfort.
Launched in the UK last year and recently awarded a five-star EuroNCAP safety rating, the current version of Interstar has been engineered and perfected to be the most cutting-edge member of Nissan’s LCV portfolio.
The model features impressive size and versatility, ensuring it can be tailored to be as unique as the customers it serves, with a comprehensive offer of factory conversions including dropside, tippers, Luton and Low Luton.
It also comes with a five-year / 100,000-mile warranty, and five years’ roadside assistance for full peace of mind.
Interstar is also Nissan’s first large van available with a 100 per cent electric powertrain, without compromise on performance.
The 100 per cent electric version delivers smooth urban driving and a range of up to 285 miles, while the diesel version combines low CO2 emissions with an all-new nine-speed automatic gearbox or six-speed manual.
With a choice of three heights, three lengths and maximum payloads of up to 1.6 tonnes (electric) and 1.9 tonnes (diesel), Interstar is certainly a convenient and capable business partner. It can carry up to 14.8 cubic metres of cargo – making it big enough for almost any business.
The What Van? Awards are the most prestigious independent accolades in the UK’s light commercial vehicle industry. In deciding the winners, What Van? assembles an experienced panel of independent judges from across the light commercial vehicle sector to evaluate the entries. The awards are then handed out at a celebratory event in London.
Declaring Interstar to be the Best Large Van for 2026, What Van? editor James Dallas said: ‘‘The Nissan Interstar is practical, refined, handles well on the road and possesses a cabin that provides a comfortable working environment. The fact that it is built on a multi-energy platform means operators can find the best fuel type for their applications.’’
Collecting the award, Allan Newman, LCV Product Manager at Nissan GB, said: ‘‘Interstar is the ultimate ally for the businesses that keep society running.
‘‘With an all-electric version, an impressive load capacity and a diverse range of conversion options, it provides exactly what the UK’s everyday champions – the SMEs of the world – need to keep the economy moving. We’re delighted to accept this award from What Van? and we thank the judges for recognising Interstar’s many qualities.’’
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About Nissan in the UK:
Designed, engineered, built and loved by Britain: Nissan employs around 7,000 people across the UK including at its design centre in Paddington, London, and its R&D engineering centre in Cranfield. Sunderland is home to the UK’s biggest single car plant, which builds two of the nation’s best-selling cars – the Juke and Qashqai.
These models will soon be joined by the European version of the new LEAF, which will be manufactured in Sunderland as part of Nissan’s EV36Zero project.
EV36Zero is Nissan’s vision for the future of sustainable manufacturing – a blueprint that will transform Sunderland Plant into a flagship EV hub, bringing together electric vehicles, renewable energy and battery production. This is part of Nissan’s goal to become a truly sustainable company and usher in a cleaner, safer and more inclusive world.