Townstar keeps it simple as it delivers for urban operators

The successor to Nissan’s NV200, the Townstar, has arrived and Andrew Walker was invited down to Westway Nissan in Manchester to take a closer look. There the Nissan Business Centre Manager Rod Taylor explained that demand had been high for both the all-new petrol model and new Townstar EV as business operators begin to accelerate the transition towards electrification. For our test we were driving the petrol version, with the Townstar EV booked in for our next visit. Here’s how we got on...

Townstar offers two powertrain solutions: one petrol and one fully electric. Townstar EV starts at £29,945 for a SWB version, while the entry level petrol Townstar costs from £19,475 –both plus VAT

Petrol engine

Nissan has kept it simple with just one 1.3-litre TCe engine and no diesel offered. It’s fully compliant with the latest Euro 6d-Full emissions regulations, delivering 130HP of power with 240Nm of torque.

Model range and payloads

Existing Nissan customers will be familiar with the trims on offer. First up is Visia, followed by Acenta, Tekna and Tekna+. There are also two Townstar wheelbases to choose from, L1 SWB and L2 LWB. Payloads are up to 600kg (SWB) or 800kg (LWB), with the maximum braked towing capacity being 1,500kg. Load volume is 3.3 or 4.3 cubic metres and load lengths are 1,806mm for the L1 or 2,230mm for the L2.

The L1 can take a pair of Europallets and comes with a single sliding side door as standard. On the L2 models, the twin sliding side doors are wider, increasing from 615mm to 831mm, wide enough load a Europallet through them.

Interestingly, whether you choose petrol or electric power for your Nissan Townstar, there’s no difference in the size of the load area.

Specs

All models get a full-width bulkhead, 60:40 split rear doors and a nearside sliding door to access the load area. L2 variants get an off-side sliding door as well. All versions feature a plastic bulkhead separating the cabin from the load area, but there’s no load-through option.

Standard kit on Visia models includes air-con, remote central locking with deadlocks, electric heated mirrors, automatic headlights and automatic wipers. After that you have Acenta, Tekna and Tekna+ as options, adding things such as 8″ colour touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Park Assist, Blind Spot Intervention, traffic sign recognition and driver attention alert.

Safety

Townstar brings a suite of 20+ technologies to the compact van segment and feature’s a broad range of safety technologies and advanced driver assistance features such as Intelligent Emergency Braking, HandsFree Parking, Intelligent Cruise Control and Around View Monitor (AVM), which is exclusive to Nissan.

Interior and storage

We’ve driven the Renault Kangoo which is ostensibly the same van, including the interior, so we knew what to expect from the Townstar – and we also know that we wouldn’t be disappointed. Quality is impressive, very car-like with good quality plastics and finishes throughout.

Storage-wise you get a small glove box, a dash top lidded box with two

USBs and a 12v socket inside. The two door pockets are large enough for two drinks each.

There are twin drinks holders in the centre binnacle and an armrest with storage space underneath.

The manual gear lever is nicely positioned in the centre of the dash with another 12v socket beneath.The dashboard and steering wheel controls, left for cruise control, right for infotainment, are easy to use with separate metallic-ringed climate dials sitting underneath the touchscreen. Helping you keep your eyes on the road ahead, Nissan has also included piano key buttons under the central screen as short cuts to features such as central locking, ECO and, in our range topper, the all-around camera and parking functions.

A quick mention of the the latter. We tried both functions and they’re excellent, simple parking in a tight space to parallel park was achieved and the all-around camera made sure we didn’t scratch the van either.

Technology includes wireless smartphone charging, an 8″ touchscreen, EASY-LINK display plus smartphone integration via Android Auto and Apple CarPlay with three USB connections. It works well but some of the icons feel a little dated.

It connected easily to Apple Car Play to utilise Google maps which we prefer to any vehicle manufacturers own SatNav. It all worked seamlessly. Continued on page 44

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Fuel economy and emissions

The 1.3-litre petrol L1 can return between 38 and 44mpg on the WLTP combined cycle with emissions of 154 to 171g/km. The L2 is marginally less efficient.

Driving

Heading away from Westway Nissan we took in some slow-moving traffic before jumping on the M60 around Manchester. The Tekna+ test van was very comfortable – and very quiet. There is no diesel option, which as we head towards zero emissions, is beginning to make sense, although Renault does offer a diesel Kangoo.

The six-speed manual gearbox is a doddle to use with a lovely, light clutch. Utilising the electric handbrake when you stop, which in town centre you do a lot, it’s really simple to get going again and while an auto may make life a little easier, modern manual boxes are so light that urban journeys in a small, modern van like the Townstar are a doddle.

We kept an eye on our fuel economy as it was a constant stop-start and we were getting around 35mpg using the Eco button. Once we hit the motorway, we were able to select Adaptive Cruise Control and let the Townstar go as the Tekna+ also featured autonomous driving. Sitting on the inside lane at

70mph, the van was still remarkably quiet – that’s petrol for you – and after we drove half the length of the M60 the economy had jumped up to a very useful 41mpg. We drove back into town via Trafford Park where mercifully, traffic was light. This meant that our end fuel economy for 52 miles was 38mpg.

What impressed us most about the Townstar is that it’s incredibly car-like, with a very quiet, comfortable cabin. It’s also fitted with a host of safety features to keep you safe, the kind of features once only associated with luxury cars.

Negatives?

We were driving alone and unladen, so perhaps the 130bhp engine could be a little underpowered. Factor in two passengers and a rear load and the lack of power could be an issue.

In common with many smaller vans,

Kangoo and Citan included, taller drivers might find the bulkhead restricts how far the driver’s seat can be pushed back. I’m only 5.8″ and was fine, but it’s worth considering if you’re tall.

Pros

The car-like interior and quiet cabin make driving one really enjoyable. Good fuel economy for a petrol engine and it’s reasonably priced across all versions. Being able to get a Euro pallet in the side doors is very useful on the L2. Excellent standard tech and safety on all models.

Cons

No diesel version. Perhaps a more powerful petrol engine could have been added. The driving position may be a little upright for some.

CC&V VERDICT

Compared to the NV200, Townstar is a massive improvement. The smooth changing six-speed manual gearbox is really nice and in petrol guise it is quiet and comfortable. It’s taken the small van to a new level of comfort and is a real contender in a very competitive sector.

CC&V RATING: N N N N N