Roadtest: Jelly on a plate

Ah, the spare tyre... and I'm not talking about that object often found beneath the body, exposed to road dirt and grime, which has to be cranked down when a flat occurs … or, in the case of this van, sensibly located inside the load area, near the rear doors, halfway up the side panel.

Nope, we're talking beer gut, pot noodle belly or, simply, middle age spread! Unless we guys catch our paunchy profile in a mirror we forget them – until we ride behind the wheel of Nissan's Interstar.

What, is this tester off his trolley?
Well, funny you should say that because this 'new' entry into the burgeoning world of panel vans has a ride much akin to a supermarket trolley. It's a jolter and a jiggler. It bounces and wobbles and generally enacts jelly on the plate. Can't say Renault's Master had the same effect.

This is odd for, essentially, the Interstar is the Master that, as you will know, is Vauxhall's Movano too. You see, the Interstar is billed as an evolution of the Master. It's the first of a three-stage launch that sees Nissan evolve from niche to mainstream. The second stage, Nissan's version of the new Renault Trafic, named the Primastar, has just been launched. And the third stage could be a Kangoo derivative although that market sector appears to be covered by the Nissan Vanette.

With the Interstar, Nissan is heralding the introduction of rear parking sensors as standard equipment to a van that's up to 5.9m long.

Stick it in reverse and the driver will hear a beep that becomes more frequent the closer the van gets to anything that could bump its rear. Even a bollard can't hide from the rear parking system.

Delivery within a week
Impressed, eh? Thought so. Of course Interstar isn't safe from following motorists with an accidental liking for your rear bumper but such a system could make urban deliveries speedier, certainly less embarrassing and may lower insurance premiums. But a word of warning: remember to turn down the in-cab music.

Possibly much more appealing, if your present van has died an untimely death, is Nissan's aim to deliver within a week, if not sooner. If you're anything other than a Nissan driver already you'll probably hire until your favoured make became available but for existing Nissan owners this 'aim' could be a real, work-saving boon.

Interstar is available in gross vehicle weights of 2.8, 3.3 and 3.5 tonnes, in three body lengths of 4.9, 5.4 and 5.9m, three heights of 2.3, 2.5 and 2.7m, three common rail diesels of 1.9 (80hp), 2.2 (90hp) and 2.5 (115hp) litres capacity and a wide selection of options to suit individual or company requirements. That's 13 base variants, all benefiting from a three years/60,000 mile warranty and 18,000 miles service intervals for minimum time off-duty Security Installer took to the sprawl of London in the Interstar 1.9 dCi 80hp low roof that has a basic price, before VAT, of £13,220.

Although a similarly configured Master has a basic price of £12,800 and the Movano, with a 2.2 litre diesel shows an ex-VAT cost of £12,650 the Nissan carries no delivery charge while for the other two you'll pay £500 and £450 respectively.

We couldn't find a load on this occasion so our driving impressions are – how to put it – half empty. It is, perhaps, understandable then that Interstar's ride quality was so unforgiving; with a decent load aboard it may well have soaked up the potholes, humps and bumps.

But we wonder whether even a full load of 1,001kg would dent Interstar's grand ride-height, lording it over all other panel vans. The lacklustre ride is even more surprising considering the van's independent front suspension. The 8cu m space Security Installer couldn't fill has a maximum width of 1784mm, a length of 2714mm and a height of 1670mm. The floor, having eight tie-down eyes, and the inside panels are bare metal thus vulnerable, although a wooden floor is optional.

Access is afforded via conventional hinged rear doors (the opening is 1632mm high) and a nearside sliding door offering an opening of 1099mm wide by 1555mm high (an off-side slider is optional). So, plenty of room, illuminated too and don't forget that easily accessible spare tyre.

While that beep may stop a bang on the rear bumper, Interstar, like most other LCVs, fails to offer any side panel protection. Not that you see so many vans damaged thereabouts, but side sliding doors do seem to get a hammering. And another thing; why not make sturdy and solid rear bumpers fixed flush with the cargo floor when everyone knows they'll be used as a load prop? A lip between the two just makes working life that little bit more tedious.

To quote Nissan's press blurb: '…in the past their (van drivers) comfort has been shamelessly neglected.' Ah, at last a driver's seat that adjusts to its maximums. Joke. That bloomin' bulkhead gets in the way again. So, for us taller guys at Security Installer, it was back to school – upright and alert.

At least we didn't have to fiddle with the knobs since wheel-mounted audio controls come as standard. There's sufficient door bin storage on the driver's side and the fascia has a deep dish and useful glove-box on the passenger's; the floor is flat; the side windows deep; the doors wide-opening; the controls readily to hand; the dials clear. And the cab's colour? Well, grey of course. That's pampering for you!

Well, it's no better, no worse than everyone else's efforts to subdue it. Yes, you'll know Interstar runs diesels, yes, you'll feel Interstar runs rubber on tarmac and yes, despite the full width bulkhead, you'll hear the mechanical clatter from the rear. Of course, with a load on board or a double mattress (why?) those sounds may become inaudible. Luckily Nissan's partnering with Renault has come after the old Trafic in which noise was unbearable.

Has Nissan launched something that will have you beating at its dealers' doors? We think not. It's an alternative – nothing more, nothing less. We admired the discs at each corner, the power steering as standard and the useful, boxy cargo area. However, to have flab is one thing … to be constantly reminded of it is quite another!