Nissan Interstar F35 L3 Diesel 2.0 DCI 170PS Acenta D/Cab Dropside

Ten Second Review

Nissan re-invents its largest van, the Interstar, for a new era. It now has a sharper look, a totally redesigned cabin and a completely new level of media connectivity and drive assist features. The diesel engines are more familiar, but they're now joined by a full-EV version.

Background

You might be forgiven for not even knowing that Nissan made a really large van. Partly because the last generation version of the model it sold couldn't decide over its lifetime whether it wanted to be called 'NV400' or 'Interstar'. It's 'Interstar' now and, like all other Nissan LCVs, is Renault-based, in this case created around the engineering of the fourth generation Renault Master. Which means it's a cutting-edge commercial product based around a platform that can accommodate three power sources - diesel, electric and hydrogen. Whatever your choice of variant, Nissan claims it will be able to go further, carry more and cost less than its predecessor. Well, cost less to run anyway. The Japanese brand reckons it's 'the ultimate ally for essential businesses that keep society running', but every large LCV in the segment claims to be that. Why might your company want this one? Let's take a closer look.

Driving Experience

Nissan's proud of this second generation Interstar's 'truck'-style looks, but operators won't want a 'truck'-style driving experience. And of course that's not served up here. Mainly because all the drivetrains come bolted to a completely new 'Multi-Energy' platform which has apparently been developed for three different power sources - diesel, electric and hydrogen, though Nissan says it has no plans to offer a hydrogen-fuelled Interstar in the UK market. That platform has also been developed to accommodate both front and rear-driven formats, though all British-bound Interstars will be front-driven. For the time being, most of them will be diesel-powered too; right at present, the least likely class of van to be fully-electric is a really large one. To ease the transition a little, you might have though that the Renault Nissan Alliance would have developed a mild hybrid system to add into this LCV's core 2.0-litre Blue dCi turbo diesel engine, but nothing like that's offered here, though efficiency's usefully improved - as you'll learn in our 'Cost 'section. The Interstar gets this unit in a slightly wider range of flavours than the Renault Master does, with a 105hp variant added in at the foot of the line-up. But the core versions of this powerplant are shared between the two models, developing either 130hp, 150hp or 170hp, with the latter two offering the option of 9-speed automatic transmission. As before, four cylinder unit is a willing, torquey thing, with pulling power rated at up to 380Nm in 170hp form. For our test, we chose to try the all-electric Interstar-e. From launch here, this EV variant was offered with the option of a smaller 40kWh battery, but Nissan quickly discontinued that because it turned out that everyone wanted the more usable 87kWh battery we tried, which is rated at up to 285 miles between charges and is paired with a 143bhp motor developing 300Nm of pulling power. You'll need to restrain yourself from using all of that torque if you're to get anywhere near the EV mileage figure we just quoted. To manage that, you're also going to have to virtually always engage this 'ECO' button on the dashboard (which dampens throttle response considerably); and make sure you always engage the 'B' regenerative drive format via this gearchange stalk behind the wheel.

Design and Build

Nissan, who crafted the look of this new generation Interstar at its design centre in London, says it was going for exterior styling 'that exudes the feeling of a full-sized truck'. You're going to have to like that; the assertive front grille certainly gives this van a commanding look, with square lamp units and the Interstar name across the nose. The boxy grille incorporates sharp LED daytime running lights, plus aerodynamics have been optimised with a raked windscreen and a flat floor. The result is a Cd factor 20% sleeker than the previous model. Inside, thankfully it doesn't feel much like a truck, though the steering wheel is more vertical than before. The sculpted dashboard features a 10.1-inch touchscreen angled towards the driver to make it easier to read and use. There are two large cup holders, large overhead shelves, ten open storage areas, plus another three closed areas that together offer nearly 80-litres of stowage space, including a multi-purpose central seatback workspace unit and a large under-seat storage box. Around 135-litres of cubby space is available around the interior. There's the usual three-seat cabin bench, with harder-wearing upholstery and the option of heated seats. With the bench format, the back of the middle seat folds down into a desk, while the base houses a slot to store a laptop and there are USB-C ports to power devices. If you go for the EV version or a high-spec diesel variant, you get a 7-inch instrument screen.

Market and Model

Interstar asking prices at the time of this test in Autumn 2025 were pitched from just over £32,000 excluding VAT for the combustion models which will be Nissan's initial focus with this second generation design, understandably so since at the time of this test, 93% of European large-segment vans were still diesel-powered. There's a choice between two body lengths and two roof heights; and four versions of the Blue dCi diesel engine, with 105, 130, 150 or 170hp; the latter two available with 9-speed auto transmission for £1,500 more. Interstar-e asking prices are pitched from around £43,000, from which you can of course deduct the £5,000 Plug-in Van Grant. Only the 87kWh battery is now offered. Whatever your choice of drivetrain in this Nissan, there are two main Gross Vehicle Weight options - a 3.5-tonne '35' version or the 4.0-tonne '40' variant; and with the panel van, two main body lengths, L2 or L3. Plus you get a choice between two trim levels - 'Acenta' or 'Tekna'. If you don't want the conventional panel van body shape, Nissan also offers Dropside and Luton van options, along with Chassis and Platform variants for those needing a basis for bespoke conversions. Stick with the diesel Interstar and as well as all these choices, there's also a heavy duty chassis version, along with 1-way and 3-way Tipper variants. With this Interstar-e panel van, you have to have this H2 roof height. With a diesel 35 variant, you could also order a higher H3 roof option. Let's talk about spec. The mainstream 'Acenta' trim level includes most of what you'd need. Specifically a nearside side-loading door, rear parking sensors, powered heated door mirrors, headlamps with auto high & low beam, LED daytime running lights and front fog lamps, a Thatcham alarm, an anti-theft immobiliser, a spare wheel, and cruise control with a variable speed limiter. Inside, there's air conditioning and a six-way-adjustable driver's seat with an arm rest. The Electric models get a 7-inch digital instrument cluster too. Media tech's taken care of by a 10.1-inch centre screen that includes 'Apple CarPlay' and 'Android Auto'. And all Interstars get an LED light for the loading area. The top 'Tekna' trim level, identifiable by the full covers applied to the 16-inch steel wheels, adds a raft of useful upgrades for a price uplift of £1,200 + VAT. These include automatic air conditioning, a heated windscreen, a rear-view camera, front parking sensors and flank protection, 270-degree opening rear doors, a 12V plug in the loading area, an additional 10 anchorage fixing rings on the C & D-pillars, upgraded 'Tekna' upholstery and lumbar adjustment on the driver seat.

Practicalities and Costs

The big news with this second generation design is the optimised aerodynamics, which not only improves efficiency but also allows this Nissan to allocate more of its Gross Vehicle Weight to payload. In terms of what this Interstar can carry, that hugely helps the EV version - to the point where it can offer payload figures (between 1,197kg to 1,694kg) that are very little different to those of the diesel version (rated at between 1,175kg to 1,862kg). You're going to want to know about cargo capacity. The base-shape L2H2 variant offers 3,225mm of floor load length, with 1,885mm of load area height and 1,789mm of load area width, narrowing to 1,380mm between the wheel arches, all of which translates into a cargo area volume of 10.8m3. If you need more, the L3H2 offers 3,855mm of load area length, which boosts volume to 13.0m3. And the biggest high-roof L3H3 derivative (only offered as a dCi) offers that extra length with 2,138mm of load area height, boosting volume to 14.8m3. Disappointingly, there's no load-through hatch into the cab (even as an option) to increase the loading length for longer items. The sliding side door offers an aperture which has a 40mm wider opening with this MK2 design - now 1,312mm in width, so forklifts are going to be able to get pallets in and out even more easily. There's 1,753mm of side door loading height. As for running costs, well, Nissan says it's worked hard in this area, though has no plans for the kind of hydrogen-powered drivetrain Renault plans to offer in its equivalent Master van. The diesel Interstars are said to consume substantially less fuel than they did in their previous generation (6.4mpg versus the old model on average), with up to 37.8mpg possible on the combined cycle, depending on variant. Nissan also reckons it's made big strides on cleaner emissions, the CO2 figures down by as much as 39g/km on before. The Interstar-e electric version's 87kWh battery provides a WLTP range of 285 miles. The centre monitor also has an 'Energy' section with a powerflow meter and menus to set charging times and battery charging limits. On the subject of charging, the Interstar-e will charge at up to 130kW from a DC rapid charger, which means a full charge of this 87kWh model will take 1 hour and 10 minutes - and you can add 112 miles of range in just 19 minutes. What about AC charging? Well if you'll be doing that using a typical 7.4kW single-phase wallbox, a full charge of this 87kWh Interstar-e would take 13 hours and 54 minutes - and you could add 112 miles of range in 5 hours 44 minutes. Pretty much everything we've told you in this section would also apply to this model's Renault Master design clone. What different with this Nissan though, is the warranty that comes with it, a 5 year/100,000 mile package that gives you two years more cover than you'd get with the equivalent Renault.

Summary

From being segment also-ran, the Interstar in this form transforms itself into a large van contender businesses shouldn't ignore. Obviously, being able to offer a full-EV option for the first time will be key for this Nissan's prospects, but the diesel versions too are now more credible alternatives to the usual class choices. As before, it's certainly true that all the same design and engineering can be yours in this model's Renault Master clone. But if the deal on offer and the convenience of your local Nissan franchise swings you this Interstar's way, there's lots to like here. As expected, the diesel engine line-up is much the same as with this Nissan's predecessor, but it would have been nice to see a PHEV option for those undecided about the switch to electric. If you are going the full-EV route, the Interstar-e's decently sized 87kWh battery delivers a very usable proposition. Like its Renault cousin, to look at and to sit in, this Nissan now feels like an LCV product of this century's third decade rather than its second. And the result is a thoroughly rejuvenated product. It'll be interesting to see how the market takes to it.