Available as a petrol or electric light compact van, the Nissan Townstar will be available to order this month, ahead of the new range going on sale in October.
The Townstar is the long-awaited replacement for the e-NV200 van (and the petrol-powered NV200 that it was based on), a successful van for Nissan’s commercial branch that was highly-regarded by UK reviewers for its competitive battery range and smooth driving experience, though it was criticised for its rather dated interior and tech.
Equipped with the Japanese brand’s latest on-board tech, Nissan will be hoping for a similar media reception for its new Townstar. While petrol versions are set to go on sale on in October, both reviewers and UK buyers will have to wait until December for electric versions to become available.
Prices for the petrol version will start at under £20k, powered by a 130hp 1.3-litre engine mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. The electric versions, priced at just under £30k, make use of a 45kW battery which can travel up to 183 miles on one charge. While petrol versions will come with a five-year warranty as standard, this is increased to eight years of coverage for an all-electric purchase.
Both short- and long-wheelbase options will be on offer – there is no word yet about exact dimensions, but Nissan says the former can carry a payload of 600kg, and the latter has a maximum payload weight of 800kg. Both offer a towing capacity of 1,500kg.
Four trim levels will be available in October, starting with the entry-level ‘Visia’ trim. The ‘Acenta’ trim is the mid-range choice, and the range is topped by the ‘Tekna’ and ‘Tekna+’ trim grades.
Beyond this, information is a little thin on the ground – the manufacturer says that the new Townstar is equipped with hands-free parking assistance features, intelligent cruise control and an around-view monitor, but initial details indicate that these features will be reserved for range-topping models.
Lead-in ‘Visia’ models will be equipped with a 11kW charging capability, but ‘Acenta’ models and up will be able to charge at 22kW (0% to 80% charge in 40 minutes). Nissan adds that ‘Tekna’ models come with exterior styling tweaks not seen on lower-grade trims.
This is what we know so far – more information will be released by Nissan, including the exact trim level specifications, closer to the new van’s arrival later this year.
