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NEVER SAY NAVARA AGAIN
Nissan’s Navara Brings SUV Qualities To The Workmanlike Pick-Up Genre. Steve Walker Reports…

The demands of today’s buyers have largely overtaken the previous generation of UK market pick-up trucks. Ultimately, these models were always going to be too utilitarian, both for the business people and company car users who have been attracted by the pick-up’s low commercial vehicle taxation burden and for the lifestyle buyers who want a pick-up as an outdoor activity tool. These people demand higher quality interiors and greater refinement along with better on-road performance. The current generation of pick-ups, typified by Nissan’s latest Navara, are primed to deliver exactly that.

The Nissan Pickup launched in 1998 was designed as a commercial vehicle. Primarily, it needed to be tough, functional and inexpensive. Happily, it was. The Navara version of the Pickup was launched in 2001. A higher specification derivative produced to give car-like levels of comfort, this model was a response to a marked shift in the way pick-up trucks were being employed in this country. These vehicles were increasingly being purchased for use as family transportation and ironically, it was their commercial vehicle tax status that was encouraging this non-commercial usage. A market was emerging for more luxurious pick-ups but no matter how much the Navara models dressed up the basic Pickup platform, the vehicle’s CV origins were never satisfactorily masked. The latest Navara doesn’t have that problem. The key indication to this model’s positioning in the grand scheme of things is that it’s manufactured at Nissan’s NMISA plant near Barcelona, alongside the Pathfinder SUV. It shares its basic design and many up-market features with the Pathfinder, so it’s better equipped to give today’s pick-up buyers what they clamour for.

"…the big plus comes in terms of raw power"

The gap in refinement between pick-up truck and SUV is being narrowed by vehicles like the Navara. It’s very similar to the Nissan Pathfinder SUV as we’ve already stated and it includes features like integrated satellite navigation and Bluetooth phone connectivity that you just wouldn’t have found in a UK market pick-up a few years ago. Like the Pathfinder, the Navara rides on a ladder frame chassis and uses independent double wishbone suspension at the front but it differs from its stablemate at the rear. The pick-up’s load carrying duties necessitate a more robust rigid axel arrangement out back with tough leaf springs softening the blows on uneven surfaces. Styling-wise there’s definitely more than a hint on Pathfinder about the Navara. The Nissan 4x4 family face which is now in evidence on models from the X-Trail to the Patrol pops up again here with its tri-sectioned chrome grille and large headlamps positioned in a glinting stripe across the Navara’s nose. A deep under bumper with inset fog lamps curves round at the sides merging with the accentuated wheel arches to chunky effect. The latest models also feature indicators integrated into the wing mirrors. This Navara is a substantially larger vehicle than the model it replaced. At 5,220mm in length, it’s 175mm longer and the wheelbase has been extended by 250mm to 3,200mm. Buyers can specify the Navara in Double Cab or King Cab form depending on their passenger-carrying requirements. The Double Cab now offers genuine 5-seater capabilities thanks to the extended cab dimensions in this Navara along with proper 4-door access. The King Cab also boasts a quartet of doors but here the rearmost pair are hinged on their rearmost edges so they open backwards, Mazda RX-8 style. The King Cab’s cabin is shorter than the Double Cab’s and so the rear seats are temporary fold-away affairs suitable only for children or Lord Of The Rings extras. The space behind the front seats in the King Cab is best utilised for the dry storage of luggage or equipment but what you lose in interior space with this model you gain in exterior load bay. The King Cab has a load bay of 1,861mm in length that’s 1,130mm wide while the Double Cab offers the same width coupled to a length of 1,511mm. There are no single cab versions of the Navara because the NP300 model, an update of the old Nissan PickUp, is available to cater for buyers looking for a basic workhorse truck. The Navara hasn’t only made steps forward in becoming more like a family 4x4. It’s also a more practical vehicle. Storage space in the cabin, never a strong point for any of the previous generation of pick-ups, has been improved through the inclusion of a 6.0-litre box in the centre console and twin gloveboxes in front of the passenger. There are also specialist spaces for coins, cups and cards along with a neat sunglasses holder which folds down from a console in the roof. The door pockets are much larger than before and the seats in the Double Cab can be folded into various positions to further boost the capacity. Buyers who want to can even specify the C-Channel system from the options list. It’s comprised of five rails mounted into the loadbay sides and floor. These can accommodate special cleats which slide along and lock into place to provide lashing points for securing loads. The Navara’s powertrain may well be its most impressive feature. The vehicle is powered by a version of Nissan’s tried and tested 2.5-litre diesel engine. This unit uses second generation common-rail injection technology with a variable nozzle turbocharger and twin counter rotating balancer shafts. The net result of all this is increased efficiency and refinement but the big plus comes in terms of raw power. Buyers used to UK market pick-ups with between 100 and 130bhp will feel their eyebrows raising at the Navara’s 171bhp output. There’s a massive 403Nm of torque too which gives the Navara real prowess as a towing vehicle. There’s the option of 6-speed manual transmission or a rather uncertain 5-speed automatic box but all models get Nissan’s proven part-time 4x4 system. All drive goes to the rear wheels under normal conditions but torque is split equally to all four wheels when 4x4 mode is engaged via a dashboard-mounted dial. There’s a low ratio mode for serious offroad work too and with this setting selected, drivers have the option of employing an electronic rear diff lock to extricate themselves from really sticky situations. Nissan’s Navara is a massive improvement over the previous generation of UK market pick-ups. The pick-up’s role has become increasingly leisure and family orientated in recent years and Nissan has taken these changing demands on board. The gap between pick-ups and family 4x4s is narrowing and most of the major manufacturers are getting in on the act but they’ll have their work cut out in eclipsing the Navara.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Nissan Navara ENGINE: 2.5-litre 171bhp DIMENSIONS: 5220/1850/1780 length/width/heightmm

ACE AVENTURA
Nissan’s Navara Pick-Up Is A Commercial Vehicle But In Luxurious Aventura Guise, You Wouldn’t Necessarily Know It. Steve Walker Reports

It wasn’t so long ago that gap between the typical UK market pick-up truck and a family 4x4 passenger car was a vast chasm, a infinite gulf of differing values and capabilities. They were like chalk and cheese, black and white, Mike Tyson and John Inman. One had leather seats, the other vinyl, one came loaded with advanced technology, the other had mechanicals that were advanced, but only in years. The pick-up was a simple working vehicle, the family 4x4 was a fashionable lifestyle accessory and that was that. Then models like the latest Nissan Navara massively raised the pick-up’s game and distinctions that were once stark have been blurred. In range-topping Aventura guise, the Navara can out-spec a Land Rover Discovery.

The improvement in quality that we’re witnessing in the UK pick-up market is partly due to the major protagonists all coming to the end of their lengthy lifespans at the same time and being replaced by more modern vehicles, but there’s also the little issue of tax. As a commercial vehicle, the Nissan Navara offers tax benefits both to company car users and to businesspeople. A self-employed person buying one through their business can reclaim the VAT on the purchase price and motorists choosing one as their company car only pay a flat rate of tax that’s much cheaper than the Benefit In Kind charges levied on passenger car drivers. The pick-up has grown in popularity because of these factors and with people increasingly buying them for use as family transportation rather than as commercial vehicles, the manufacturers have been gradually offering models with more and more opulent specifications. The Nissan Navara Aventura is just about the poshest UK market pick-up you can lay your hands on at the moment and so it represents the current state of this working vehicle’s gentrification. At this point, you’ll be wanting to know exactly what you get for the £21,500 (ex VAT) it takes to secure a Double Cab Aventura, so here goes. There’s climate control, remote control central locking, automatic headlamps, headlamp washers, rain sensing windscreen wipers, a trip computer, cruise control and a 6-CD autochanger but these features are also included on the Navara Outlaw which is a step down the ladder from the Aventura. In addition to these items, Aventura buyers also benefit from an MP3-compatible premium audio system, DVD-based satellite navigation and Bluetooth phone connectivity. Group these features together and they are known as the Hitech Pack - an optional extra which can be specified on lesser Navara models for a £1,700 premium but which is standard on the Aventura. Furthermore, the Premium Pack (a £1,375 option on the Outlaw) is also included as standard. This features an electric glass sunroof, front, side and curtain airbags, leather trim and heated, electrically adjustable seats. This level of specification would have been totally alien to pick-up buyers a few years ago, but not any more.

"The Nissan Navara Aventura is just about the poshest UK market pick-up you can lay your hands on"

The Navara Aventura is only offered in Double Cab form which means that there are four access points into the cab and a full rear bench behind the two front seats. The Double Cab benefits from roof rails, which do not feature on the smaller King Cab models, along with imposing 17" alloy wheels and the bold Nissan 4x4 family grille. There’s the option of 6-speed manual or 5-speed automatic gearboxes mated to the impressive 174bhp 2.5-litre common-rail diesel engine. The Navara is actually based on Nissan’s Pathfinder family 4x4 which goes someway to explaining the quality of its interior and the level of technology featured. The Navara hasn’t only made steps forward in becoming a more comfortable and luxurious proposition. It’s also a more practical vehicle than its pick-up forebears. Storage space in the cabin, never a strong point for any of the previous generation of pick-ups, has been improved through the inclusion of a 6.0-litre box in the centre console and twin gloveboxes in front of the passenger. There are also specialist spaces for coins, cups and cards along with a neat sunglasses holder which folds down from a console in the roof. The door pockets are much larger than before and the seats in the Double Cab can be folded into various positions to further boost the capacity. Aventura buyers also get the C-Channel system which is comprised of five rails mounted into the loadbay sides and floor. These can accommodate special cleats which slide along and lock into place to provide lashing points for securing loads. The Navara’s powertrain may well be its most impressive feature. The vehicle is powered by a version of Nissan’s tried and tested 2.5-litre diesel engine. This unit uses second generation common-rail injection technology with a variable nozzle turbocharger and twin counter rotating balancer shafts. The net result of all this is increased efficiency and refinement but the big plus comes in terms of raw power. Buyers used to UK market pick-ups with between 100 and 130bhp will feel their eyebrows raising at the Navara’s 171bhp output. There’s a massive 403Nm of torque too which gives the Navara real prowess as a towing vehicle. It will actually tow 2.6 tonnes and carry 1,097kg in its load bay but, if you unhitch the trailer and unload whatever you’ve got in the rear, it will also average over 33mpg. All Navara models get Nissan’s proven part-time 4x4 system. All drive goes to the rear wheels under normal conditions but torque is split equally to all four wheels when 4x4 mode is engaged via a dashboard-mounted dial. There’s a low ratio mode for serious offroad work too and, with this setting selected, drivers have the option of employing an electronic rear diff lock to extricate themselves from really sticky situations. In terms of specification, the Navara Aventura puts many family 4x4s in the shade but it is still a pick-up truck despite all the passenger car refinements. The tough leaf springs on the rear that enable it to carry weighty loads also make for a bumpier ride than you’d get in a decent family 4x4 but the ride and handling are both far better than in pick-ups of the past. Most Aventura customers will be buying the vehicle as everyday transport and when used in this way, it’s a comfortable and extremely versatile product.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Nissan Navara Aventura pick-up range ENGINE: 2.5-litre 171bhp PERFORMANCE: Max speed 105mph / 0-60mph 11.5s DIMENSIONS: 5220/1850/1886 length/width/heightmm