Nissan has secured top safety ratings for two of its light commercial vehicles, with the Townstar and Interstar both awarded five stars under the latest Euro NCAP commercial van assessment scheme.

Five stars for Townstar and Interstar

Both the compact Renault Kangoo-based Nissan Townstar and the large Renault Master-based Nissan Interstar achieved the maximum five-star rating, with Euro NCAP re-assessing all three Nissan vans during 2025. Each model is available with either internal combustion power or an all-electric powertrain.

The new rating is a step forward for the Townstar as under the previous medal system, it held a ‘gold’ rating — equivalent to four stars — but has now moved up to full five-star status following reassessment against the more demanding criteria.

Euro NCAP noted that the Interstar’s five-star rating was “well-deserved”, reflecting its strong performance across the organisation’s updated safety tests.

Four stars for Primastar

The medium-sized Nissan Primastar achieved a four-star rating, which Euro NCAP described as making it “a good choice for those seeking a safe commercial van”. While it fell short of the top rating, its results remain competitive within the medium van segment.

Nissan Primastar scores four stars in Euro NCAP

How the vans scored

Euro NCAP’s current commercial van assessments place strong emphasis on advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), with particular focus on crash avoidance and the protection of vulnerable road users, including pedestrians and cyclists.

In the ‘safe driving’ category, the compact Townstar achieved a score of 79%, followed by the Interstar at 73% and Primastar at 68%. For crash avoidance, the large Interstar led the way with 76%, followed by the Townstar at 74% and Primastar at 61%. All three vans recorded an identical 80% score in the post-crash safety category.

Townstar received particular praise for its autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system, which Euro NCAP said performed “excellently” when approaching stationary or slower-moving vehicles, avoiding collisions in almost all test scenarios. The system was also noted for performing consistently well when target vehicles were offset rather than directly ahead.

Since 2023, Euro NCAP has put commercial vehicles through more demanding testing, raising the bar for five-star performance. Nissan says its strong results are due to the advanced suite of safety technologies fitted as standard across its LCV range, rather than limiting key features to higher trim levels.

Commenting on the results, Francesco Russiello, LCV category manager at Nissan, said: ‘‘The outstanding performance of our Light Commercial Vehicle range across all safety categories demonstrates our clear commitment and dedication to improving passenger and road safety.

“It’s great to see our efforts recognised in this way, but more importantly, it’s hugely reassuring for our customers.’’

Phil Huff
Latest posts by Phil Huff (see all)
Published on