Nissan has announced new safety rankings for its van line-up after Euro NCAP revamped its LCV rankings.

Nissan’s LCV line-up

The compact Townstar and the range-topping Interstar large LCV have both secured the maximum five stars under the new system. Both vehicles are available with ICE or all-electric powertrains.

At the same time, the medium-sized Primastar has achieved a strong four-star rating.

All three vehicles have been re-assessed by Euro NCAP this year after the crash testing organisation revised its rankings.

The new 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 for cars, with a five-star rating reserved for the highest-performing models.

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.

Euro NCAP has also applied more rigorous assessment protocols to commercial vans since 2023. Its 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.

A deeper look at the test results shows where Nissan’s LCVs rate highly for safety, thanks to a suite of technologies installed as standard across all grades. For safe driving, Townstar scored 79%; Interstar 73% and Primastar 68%.

Assessed for crash avoidance, Interstar was scored at 76%; Townstar achieved 74% and Primastar achieved 61%. All three achieved 80% in the post-crash safety category.

Townstar, now bearing its new five-star status, 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’’.

Francesco Russiello, LCV category manager at Nissan, said: “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.”