FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
26 September 2002
A NEW VAN THAT’S A NISSAN
Nissan’s new Primastar panel van goes on sale in the UK on 1 October with a starting price of just £12,180 (OTR ex VAT) and standard rear parking sensors on most versions. And we get it three months before the rest of Europe. For a change.
The Primastar is the latest recruit to Nissan’s rapidly expanding commercial vehicle team. They’re all stars by reputation and, in some cases, by name as well. And like the recently launched Interstar, the Primastar is based on an award winning Renault design so naturally it’s practical as well as flexible and full of clever features. It’s also unusually good to drive and rather a looker, too.
Nissan has added its own styling touches to the existing design making Primastar a sure bet to win Britain’s Sexiest Van should ITV ever run such a show and a pair of Speedos could be found big enough to fit it. And the company has applied its own rather different experience of the LCV market to come up with a different medium sized van offer available through a different kind of dealer network.
For starters, the core Primastar range has a
choice of entry-level E and highly equipped SE grades. These have been purposefully influenced by
Nissan’s car line-up not least because the company thinks a lot of its new van
customers will come from a Nissan car but also because the Primastar is so
car-like in driving manner and cabin comfort.
The Primastar E has a lower price than its familiar rivals making it
especially attractive to larger fleets and operators currently driving the
recently
A new van that’s a Nissan…2
departed Nissan Vanette. And the SE, with its long list of standard kit, should get the special vote of owner/drivers and small business users, many of whom know Nissan from running a Pickup; standard rear parking sensors being one of the SE’s many attractions. Delivery drivers and breakdown companies don’t escape Nissan’s aim either, for whom the company has created the Primastar Access which allows the driver to move from cabin to load area, can be quickly parked due to rear parking sensors and has a tailgate for shelter in the rain.
They’re seven models in all, six of which have rear parking sensors as standard. Prices start with the E at £11,995 (ex VAT) and rise to £13,425 (ex VAT) for the 2.9 tonne range topping Access model. And within the range, there’s a choice of two common rail versions of its 1.9-litre turbo-diesel engine and two payload options.
Generous levels of cargo space
With a load space of 5m3³, the Primastar can accommodate most loads with ease and payloads of 1023kg and 1216kg are available on the respective 2.7-tonne GVW and 2.9-tonne GVW versions.
Twin rear doors open through 180 degrees on the Primastar E and SE which, like the side door, are wide enough for the loading of a Euro pallet. The lift-up tailgate fitted to the Access is just as wide plus any Primastar can be ordered with an optional second sliding door. And six standard issue floor mounted lashing rings keep loads in check in case the driver should get a little over excited behind the airbag-ed wheel.
Power, transmission and fuel economy
Primastar’s sophisticated 1.9dCi common-rail direct-injection turbo-diesel engines offer a good combination of power and fuel economy using technology from Nissan’s Alliance partner, Renault.
The 82PS unit – available on the 2.7-tonne model - produces 190Nm of torque at 2000rpm, while the 100PS engine powering the 2.9-tonne Primastar produces up to 240Nm at 2000rpm.
A new van that’s a Nissan…3
82PS Primastars have a five-speed manual gearbox and the 100PS models have six-speed transmission.
Fuel consumption is the same for both engines – the 100PS unit benefiting from its six-speed ’box – with 31.7mpg returned on the Urban Cycle, 43.5mpg on the Extra-Urban Cycle and 38.2mpg on the Combined Cycle. That gives the Primastar a range of over 800 miles between visits to the fuel station on the Extra Urban Cycle.
Combine this impressive performance with a three-year/60,000 mile manufacturer’s warranty, 18,000 mile servicing intervals and higher predicted residuals due to those rear parking sensors, operators should benefit from excellent whole life costs across the Primastar range.
Primastar E gets power steering as standard plus a three-way adjustable driver’s seat, engine immobiliser, superlocking, driver’s airbag, single passenger seat, tinted windows, RDS radio cassette with steering wheel audio controls, remote control central locking, a dash-mounted gear lever for greater cabin floor space, map lamp and intermittent wash-wipe.
For an extra £530 (ex VAT), the Primastar SE adds ultrasonic Rear Parking Sensors (integrated into the van’s rear bumper to make parking more of a miss than hit affair), electric windows, power and heated door mirrors, twin passenger seat (with two three-point seatbelts), a Thatcham approved ultrasonic and perimetric alarm, and a full steel bulkhead to all the stuff fitted to the E.
Priced the same as the SE version, the Primastar Access offers the standard features of Primastar E, plus a rear glazed tailgate with wash wipe, Rear Parking Sensors, electric windows, alarm and power and heated door mirrors.
Nissan’s options list includes a host of goodies to make the driving environment even more comfortable and convenient for your long distance van driver such as an in-dash CD and satellite navigation with telephone pre-installation for just £745 (ex VAT). All Primastars boast plenty of places to stow those essentials for a long drive, including a glovebox that can be linked to the optional air conditioning to keep your Red Bulls cool. more…
A new van that’s a Nissan…4
Safety and security
Primastar has been developed very much with occupant safety and cargo security in mind. The vehicle features high levels of passive and active safety. Disc brakes, head restraints, seatbelt pre-tensioners, side impact door bars, a minimum of tubular bulkhead and a driver’s airbag are all standard across the range – a passenger airbag and ABS with EBD are offered as options on Primastar SE and Access.
Superlocking (which locks the van’s doors should
one not be opened within
30 seconds of the unlock button on the remote being touched) and an engine
immobiliser are standard on all models.
An ultrasonic and perimeteric alarm is standard on SE and Access trim
levels, and optional on Primastar E, offering even greater vehicle and cargo
security.
Driver comfort
Three trim levels – E, SE and Access – offer the flexibility to match most business needs, but whatever the trim level, the Primastar’s cabin is comfortable and quiet, making it a pleasant working environment for the driver. Noise levels are in line with that of a passenger car and the wide range of standard and optional features adds to the car-like driving experience. As does the dashboard design.
Business-to-business centres
Nissan has set up a new network of business-to-business dealers that will be specialist in the needs of the LCV operators. A new dedicated team has also been set up at Nissan Motor (GB) to look after large customers. And through its existing customer base of car, Pickup and Cabstar drivers, all Nissan dealers are trained in giving the level of personal service an owner/operator or small business person will be more used to.
What next for Primastar?
The sky’s the limit. Because next year, Nissan will add a long wheelbase body-style option and more engines to the range. (Cue van rhyming with Nissan type sentence.)
A new van that’s a Nissan…5
Engine |
Trim Level/GVW |
Basic £ |
VAT £ |
OTR £ |
1.9dCi 82PS |
E/2700 |
11,995.00 |
2,099.13 |
14,279.13 |
|
|
SE/2700 |
12,525.00 |
2,191.88 |
14,901.88 |
|
|
Access/2700 |
12,525.00 |
2,191.88 |
14,901.88 |
1.9dCi 100PS |
SE/2700 |
13,025.00 |
2,279.38 |
15,489.38 |
|
|
Access/2700 |
13,025.00 |
2,279.38 |
15,489.38 |
1.9dCi 100PS |
SE/2900 |
13,425.00 |
2,349.38 |
15,959.38 |
|
|
Access/2900 |
13,425.00 |
2,349.38 |
15,959.38 |
Note, OTR price includes delivery, number plates, 12 months’ Government Vehicle Excise Duty (£160 or Light Commercial Vehicles and Government Registration Fee (25.00)
ends…
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Wayne Bruce Head of PR 01923 899930
E-mail: wayne.bruce@nissan.co.uk
Gloria Maydew Senior Press Officer, Product Affairs 01923 899937
E-mail: gloria.maydew@nissan.co.uk
Linda Robinson Senior Press Officer, Product Affairs 01923 899932
E-mail: linda.robinson@nissan.co.uk
All Nissan news releases and pictures can be downloaded from the Newspress website at http://www.newspress.co.uk
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