UP TOWN PEARL(some text hidden)

By Jonathan Crouch

Ten Second Review word count: 68

Operators of small vans don't usually care about the provenance of the designs they're presented with: only whether they're competitively priced, practically-shaped, capable of carrying stout loads and come supported by a peace of mind warranty. Nissan's Townstar seems to tick quite a few of those boxes. It combines Renault technology, sharp looks and strong after-sales support to create probably the best small van you've never heard of.

Background word count: 165

Nissan has all the right technology to produce sales-leading small van, but somehow never has. Models like the Kubistar and the NV250 were rare on British fleets. The NV200 did a little better, latterly in e-NV200 full-electric form, but it wasn't the breakthrough product Nissan's commercial vehicle arm had hoped for. This Townstar though, just might be. It shares an awful lot with its close cousins, the Renault Kangoo and the Mercedes Citan and, like those two small LCVs, can be had in both combustion and full-electric forms. Which means that the Townstar was able to replace the diesel NV250 and the electric e-NV200 models in one hit. Obvious Stellantis Group rivals like the Peugeot Partner, the Citroen Berlingo, the Fiat Doblo and the Vauxhall Combo Cargo can offer similar powerplant flexibility. But they can't match this Nissan's long 5 year warranty. Nor can combustion segment rivals like the Volkswagen Caddy Cargo and the Ford Transit Connect. So this Townstar is worth a second look.

Driving Experience word count: 246

The Townstar shares both its powertrains with its Renault Kangoo and Mercedes Citan donor models. For the first time in a small Nissan van of this sort, there is no diesel engine option. Instead, if you want a combustion-powered Townstar, you will need the 1.3-litre turbocharged petrol unit that puts out 130PS and 240Nm of torque. The company certainly ought to put a little more effort into promotion of this van in petrol form because it's actually quite a good little combustion package, with a 6-speed manual gearbox and a healthy 240Nm of torque, which eases you smoothly through the ratios on the way to an irrelevant top speed of 114mph. The alternative is the full-electric Townstar, which has a 45kWh battery powered by an electric motor producing 122PS and 245Nm of torque. When fully charged, this variant can offer up to 183 miles of range (269 miles on the city cycle). That's around 45% more than the old e-NV200. The electric Townstar combines intelligent energy management and effective battery thermal cooling in one package. On the road, the high-set gear lever falls easily to hand and is complemented by light, feel-less but fairly accurate steering, which has an even lighter 'Town' mode for easier urban use. The brakes are strong and ride quality's well-judged, but can get a little choppy when the vehicle's unladen, though it's better in longer wheelbase form. All models have great forward visibility courtesy of the extensive windscreen and truncated bonnet.