The Nissan NV200, the Japanese manufacturer's first own design van in years, has been named International Van of the Year by a panel of journalists.

The panel was impressed by the new compact van "setting new standards in terms of internal space in relation to the external dimensions", it said.

Andy Palmer, senior vice pesident, Nissan Motor Co, said: "NV200 is a global vehicle that associates unmatched levels of functionality with unique and attractive design. We offer our customers a vehicle that is an efficient and reliable business tool."

The NV200 has exterior dimensions comparable to a car-derived van (4.4m long, 1.86m tall and 1.69m wide) but has a cargo load bay more than 2m in length, sufficient to carry two standard Euro pallets at the same time.

In the UK the NV200 will initially only be offered in van form, priced from £12,090.

A combi version complete with the option of seven seats will join the range later with prices announced closer to its launch in February.