Two Nissan vans have been awarded the top safety scores by Euro NCAP following the introduction of a tougher new rating system for vans.
The compact Nissan Townstar and the large Nissan Interstar vans have both received the maximum five-star rating, while the medium-sized Nissan Primastar was awarded a four star rating.
All three models were reassessed this year as Euro NCAP continues to increase the levels of expected safety equipment fitted to vans.
The latest changes replace the previous Euro NCAP grading system which ranked vehicles as bronze, silver or gold. Vans will now instead get the more widely recognised star ratings used across the passenger car market.
For the Nissan Townstar, the new rating has seen it improve from a Gold rating (the equivalent of a 4 star score) to a full 5 stars.
Euro NCAP praised the van’s suite of safety technologies, including its autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system, which detects both vehicles and vulnerable road users.
“Performance is excellent when approaching a stationary or slower-moving car, with collisions avoided in almost all test scenarios,” Euro NCAP said. “The system performs equally well whether the target vehicle is straight in front or offset to one side.”
Euro NCAP also highlighted the Townstar’s Lane Departure Warning System, noting that it “performed well in all tests”.
In detailed scoring, the Townstar achieved 79% for safe driving, 74% for crash avoidance and 80% for post-crash safety. The Interstar scored 73%, 76% and 80% in the same categories, while the Primastar recorded 68%, 61% and 80% respectively.
Euro NCAP described the Interstar’s top rating as “well-deserved” and said the Primastar “represents a good choice for those seeking a safe commercial van.”
The latest Euro NCAP criteria place greater emphasis on advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and protection for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists, particularly in night-time scenarios.
Francesco Russiello, Nissan LCV category manager, 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.”
All Nissan commercial vehicles come with a five-year or 100,000-mile warranty, including bumper-to-bumper protection and roadside assistance.
