2022 Nissan Townstar small van will spawn MPV and electric versions, and promises class-leading driver assistance technology...
On sale: Early 2022 | Price from: £20,000 (est)
‘Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are…’ goes the children’s nursey rhyme, and now there’s an answer; it’s a small van, in the form of the new Nissan Townstar. Offering a suite of high-tech safety features, semi-autonomous driving capabilities and even the option of electric power, it aims to be one of the most advanced vans on the market. In short, it’s aiming to be a star.
From the outside, the Townstar takes design inspiration from the upcoming Nissan Ariya electric car, borrowing cues such as a prominent colour-contrasting grille and blade-like LED headlights, which are fitted as standard. An MPV version will also be available, which adds SUV-like features such as rails to fit a roof storage box.
This change has shrunk the van’s maximum load volume from 4.2m3 in its predecessor, the NV200, to 3.9m3 in the Townstar, but it’s still competitive with rivals such as the Vauxhall Combo Cargo.
The Townstar’s loading bay will feature a swivelling bulkhead and storage cubbies for office equipment, and be accessed via the side sliding doors or at the rear. At the back, Nissan will give you the choice between 60/40 split barn doors or a conventional tailgate.
You’ll be able to carry up to 800kg in the Townstar, which is more than the entry-level Ford Transit Connect can carry, but less than its high payload version. Nissan has not confirmed whether this will be reduced in the electric version, although the e-NV200 electric van had a payload which was 51kg less than the equivalent diesel model.
Speaking of which, electric versions will be powered by a 120bhp motor connected to a 44kWh battery pack, which Nissan says will allow you to drive up to 177 miles between recharges. This is marginally more than the Citroen e-Berlingo van, but that has an edge in charging time; it’s capable of going from 0-80% in 30 minutes if you can find a 100kWh rapid charger. Meanwhile, the Townstar will take 42 minutes to complete the same cycle on a 75kWh unit – the fastest option it can use.
If that’s insufficient for your needs, the 128bhp 1.3-litre engine from the upcoming Renault Kangoo will also be offered in the Townstar. This should be gutsy enough to lug a full load around town, but the lack of a diesel option may prove problematic for those who need even more pulling power.
The interior features an abundance of hard plastics, but a touch of style has been added in the form of a faux-aluminium dashboard panel. There are also physical switches for the climate controls, which we find less distracting to use on the move than touchscreens.
Below them is a wireless charging cubby for your phone, which should prove helpful on long shifts. You also get an 8.0in infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring as standard, which also controls all the driver assistance features.
These features include blindspot monitoring, lane-keeping assistance, and a 360-degree camera view to see around the van. Buyers of the electric version will also get access to a program capable of controlling the van’s speed and positioning on the motorway, as long as you remain able to take over in an emergency. This type of assistance isn’t available on any rivals, yet.
Those safety features contributed to the MPV version being rated four out of five stars by the safety experts at Euro NCAP. Although imperfect. it’s still impressive given that this was under a brand-new, stricter programme than that of 2018, under which the Citroen Berlingo MPV and the Vauxhall Combo Life were also graded at four stars.
The Townstar MPV will only be available with five seats, and – depending on whether the passenger seats are folded down – offer between 775 and 3500 litres of storage. This is competitive with the standard version of the Berlingo, but falls short of the ‘XL’ variant’s offering of up to 4000 litres.
Initially, the Townstar MPV will only be offered with the 128bhp petrol engine. We expect that an electric version will follow soon after launch to rival the Citroen e-Berlingo and Peugeot e-Rifter.
Prices for this MPV version of the Townstar are likely to start from £25,000, which is a significant uplift over the Ford Tourneo Connect and the equivalent Citroen Berlingo. That’s due to the high level of driver assistance technology which comes as standard, which requires a number of cameras, sensors, and computer equipment to work.
Meanwhile, the petrol Townstar should start from around £20,000 (excluding VAT), which places it between the standard and high-payload versions of the Berlingo Van. It’s rated at 145g/km of CO2.
Opt for an electric Townstar, and expect to pay £26,000 before VAT, which is £2605 more than the current e-NV200. That’s because of its upgraded battery, motor, and charging capabilities, on top of the aforementioned technological improvements. However, this might prove the smarter buy in the long-term, due to the potential savings on fuel and tax.
Keyword: 2022 Nissan Townstar small van revealed: price, specs, and release date