- Townstar advances from gold to five-star safety status, Euro NCAP's highest ranking.
- Townstar, Interstar and Primastar all perform strongly in latest round of assessments.
- Impressive results 'hugely reassuring' for private and corporate Nissan LCV customers.
London, UK – Nissan van line-up has had their impressive safety credentials re-confirmed by Euro NCAP, after the organisation recently changed the way in which it ranks LCVs.
The compact and versatile Nissan Townstar – and the Interstar, Nissan's largest LCV – have both been awarded the maximum five stars under the new system. Both vehicles are available with ICE or all-electric powertrains.
Meanwhile, the medium-sized Primastar achieved a strong four-star rating. All three vehicles have been re-assessed by Euro NCAP this year.
The star ratings replace the 'medal' grading method employed by Euro NCAP until recently, under which vans were allocated rankings such as bronze, silver and gold. Star ratings are already used in a wide variety of automotive settings, with a five-star rating indicating the peak of success.
The Nissan LCV team is naturally delighted that its trio of vans are ranked so highly. In fact, the new Euro NCAP scoring system meant a step up for Townstar, which advanced from its former gold status – just below platinum and equivalent to four stars – to five-star billing.
These ratings are testament to Nissan's commitment to safety, particularly as since 2023, Euro NCAP has applied more rigorous assessment protocols to commercial vans than those used in previous years.
Statistics published by Euro NCAP provide a fascinating insight into just how safe Nissan's LCVs really are – thanks to an advanced suite of technologies installed as standard across all grades. For safe driving, Townstar scored 79 per cent; Interstar 73 per cent and Primastar 68 per cent.
Assessed for crash avoidance, Interstar was scored at 76 per cent; Townstar achieved 74 per cent and Primastar achieved 61 per cent. All three achieved an impressive 80 per cent in the post-crash safety category.
There were a number of factors that helped Townstar advance to its new five-star status. The van won particular praise for its autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system which detects other vehicles and vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists.
Euro NCAP noted: ''Performance is excellent when approaching a stationary or slower-moving car, with collisions avoided in almost all test scenarios. The system performs equally well whether the target vehicle is straight in front of it or offset to one side.''
Townstar's Lane Departure Warning System also won praise, ''performing well in all tests''.
Euro NCAP said Primastar ''represents a good choice for those seeking a safe commercial van'' and that Interstar's five-star rating was ''well-deserved''.
Euro NCAP's current criteria for commercial van ratings focus on advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and place special emphasis on vulnerable road users, including pedestrians out and about at night, and cyclists.
Reaffirming Nissan's commitment to quality and reassurance, every Nissan LCV is covered by a five-year or 100,000-mile warranty. The comprehensive package includes bumper-to-bumper protection and roadside assistance for a full five years – providing comprehensive cover for extra peace of mind.
Francesco Russiello, LCV Category Manager at Nissan said: ''The outstanding performance of our Light Commercial Vehicle range across all safety categories demonstrates our clear commitment and dedication to improving passenger and road safety.
''Nissan is at the forefront when it comes to the advanced suite of technologies that are standard on all grades of our LCVs, identifying potential dangers and helping the driver to avoid an accident.
'The information provided by Euro NCAP's thorough testing and rating programme is crucial for consumers to truly understand the various safety technologies we have introduced across our vehicles as standard. It's great to see our efforts recognised in this way, but more importantly, it's hugely reassuring for our customers.''
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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.
Media contacts
Nic Shaw
Media Communications Manager
M: (+44) 07785 609956 / E: nic.shaw@nissan.co.uk
Jenni Todd
Business & LCV Communications Manager
E: jenni.todd@nissan.co.uk