Nissan Navara

Pick-up trucks were designed to haul – that is indisputable. The huge metal bed out back, combined with the leaf-spring rear suspension, means a pick-up can carry lots and lots of things without complaint. 

However, if you use a pick-up to tool around town with passengers, the harsh ride and the spartan interior will definitely be sources of many complaints. And then we have the Nissan Navara, which is arguably the most comfortable pick-up on the market today.

Nissan Navara is one of the SUV cars issued by the Japanese car brand, Nissan. This type of SUV is a combined type of wagon and pickup vehicle, so it is able to carry passengers and goods without reducing agility in fairly heavy terrain. Nissan Navara is a car that is very suitable for automotive lovers, especially offroad fans and SUV fans.

History

The Nissan Navara is a double cab and pickup truck manufactured by Nissan. This truck went on sale in 1998 as a successor to the Nissan Hardbody truck D21. Since 2002, the D22 series is no longer sold in the Japanese market and its main market is moved to North America. The name Navara is taken from the Navarre region, northern Spain. For the European region, this car is made at Nissan's factory in Barcelona. 

The Navara nameplate arrived in the Philippines sometime in 2007 with the debut of the D40 series, which succeeded the Nissan Frontier. At the time, its common-rail, direct-injection turbodiesel engine made it, for a time, the most powerful pick-up in the segment.

On February 2015, this was replaced by the NP300 Navara, which remains in production today. It was given a facelift on March 2021 and more safety equipment on June 2022.

Price and Variant 

The Nissan Navara price in the Philippines starts at P1,041,000. There are eight variants of the 2022 Nissan Navara available in the Philippines. The lowest price is the Nissan Navara EL MT 4x2, ranging all the way up to the Nissan Navara PRO-4X AT 4x4 Aspen Pearl White priced at P1,781,000.

There are currently nine variants of the Navara, from the utilitarian EL 4x2 to the fully loaded and off-road-oriented PRO-4X 4x4. Prices are as follows:

The 2021 facelift gave the Navara a much more aggressive fascia, dominated by a black, trapezoidal grill that stretches down to the lower bumper.

Lighting

The E, SE (MT), SE (AT) and V gets Halogen headlights and fog lights, while the VL and VL PLUS features LED projector headlights with LED daytime running light. This grill is flanked by pointed headlights, which get black trim in the higher-end models. The lower bumper is likewise more chiseled than the pre-facelift model, particularly in the PRO-4X variant.

The Navara also remains to be one of the less slab-sided choices in the segment. Its lightly flared wheel arches swoop smoothly into one another, while the character line on the doors raise the beltline somewhat. 

Dimensions

Wheels

The Navara is available with either 17-inch or 18-inch alloy wheels. Single Cab and E variant make do with 16’ steel wheels with 205R16C tires. SE (MT), SE (AT) and V gets rugged 16’ alloy wheel with 255/70/17 rubber. The top VL and VL PLUS gets a bigger 18’ alloy wheel wrapped in 255/60/18 rubber.

Inside is where Nissan really pulled out all the stops with the NP300 Navara. From its debut in 2015, the Navara has made its name for cosseting rather than rattling its passengers. 

This is largely down to Nissan’s highly effective “Zero-Gravity” seats. The company said this was inspired by NASA’s study into the right “neutral posture.” The Navara’s front seats are designed to maintain this posture at all times, thus reducing fatigue in long drives.

As you sit behind the wheel of the Navara, you find a clean and uncluttered dashboard that perhaps doesn’t have as much flair as the Toyota Hilux or the next-generation Ford Ranger. 

The center console is topped by the air-conditioning vents, with the infotainment system and the air-con controls all in one logical place. Higher-end models get more flourishes, such as a sports steering wheel in the top-spec PRO-4X model.

On the whole, the generous use of fabrics and leather, along with the logical interior layout, makes the Navara a very nice place to sit in, especially on long drives on tarmac.

Dashboard

At the front, the Nissan Navara has a dashboard design that is quite futuristic and modern which makes it easy for the driver and front passenger to activate the desired features at any time. With the Fine Vision Meters feature, it will also provide driving indicator information that is easily monitored by the driver without having to distract while driving the Nissan Navara.

Instrument cluster

The V, VL and VL Plus variant gets a full colour Advance Drive Assist Display (ADAD), with 8 informative screens that allow driver to get various vehicle information such as fuel economy and driving distance. As for the Single Cab and E variant, both model gets the simple-looking analog meter.

Space and Practicality

Despite it burly outlook, inside is not as spacious as you think. You’ll get decent amount of headroom for both the front and rear. Storage spaces are aplenty; large glove compartment, deep door pockets and the dash-top tray with its own 12 V power socket.

Bed Size

Nissan Navara's Double Cab features a bed length of 1,503 mm, width of 1,560 mm, and depth of 474 mm – tons of space to carry items. The Single Cab model gets a longer bed rated up to 250kg with a built-in side step; the latter is said to be first-in-class.

Safety features

Unlike its Frontier predecessor, the NP300 Navara is loaded with various safety features.

All models come with front, front-side and curtain airbags, anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution, vehicle stability control, 3-point seatbelts for all passengers and ISOFIX child-restraint anchors.

VE Calibre variants and up add collision-mitigation braking, while the VL and PRO-4X models also come with blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert and lane-departure warning.

The NP300 Navara also scored four out of five stars in a 2015 ASEAN New Car Assessment Programme crash test. This model only had two front airbags and was tested prior to the inclusion of the active safety systems.

Comfort Features

VL and VL Plus variant gets leather seat, dual-zone automatic climate control, rear air conditioning vent, auto-dimming rear view mirror, and Zero Gravity inspired seat for the driver. Lower variant gets fabric seats and analog climate control.

Infotainment features

Navara owners who actually want to take their trucks off-road get a wide range of electronic systems to help them through rough terrain.

4x4 models get hill-descent control and an electronic locking rear differential for when you need to have the best traction through loose surfaces.

Engine and transmission

Under the hood of the NP300 is Nissan’s YD25DDTi turbodiesel engine, mated to either a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed automatic with a manual mode.

It displaces 2.5 liters, uses common-rail direct injection, has twin-cams and 16 valves, along with a turbocharger and intercooler. 

The EL and VE Calibre 4x2 models with a manual gearbox produce 163 PS and 403 Nm of torque. The rest of the range gets 190 PS and 450 Nm of torque.

Transmission

Single Cab, E and SE (MT) models come standard with a 6-speed manual gearbox, while SE (AT), V, VL and VL Plus variants are offered solely with Infiniti-sourced 7-speed automatic with manual mode.

Driving characteristics

On the road, the NP300 Navara remains to be one of the best in class.

The steering is light, which makes tight maneuvering much easier, although it does lack feel in high-speed cornering. Braking performance is also very good for the class. The pedal has a good feel and sufficient travel to properly modulate braking pressure.

The suspension offers a much smoother ride than nearly all its rivals, particularly the rather harsh Toyota Hilux, although juddering is occasionally felt over bumps because of the Navara’s ladder-frame chassis design.

However, because it is a heavy pick-up, there is still plenty of roll in hard cornering.

Finally, the 2.5-liter turbodiesel offers good power in lower and middle parts of the RPM range. But typical for diesels, it runs out of puff as it gets near the redline.

Riding&control

Sound Proofing

Compared to its predecessor, the current Nissan Navara feels more refined. Acoustic windscreen, among others such as engine cover makes it quieter. Nissan Navara added sound-absorbing material to the centre console, firewall and transmission tunnel to further reduce noise.

Passenger Comfort

Thanks to the multi-link rear suspension, the Nissan Navara soaks up undulations well, but it doesn’t feel revolutionary, much to what Nissan wants you to believe. There is no hiding the fact that the base is still ladder frame; you’ll still get the judder and shimmy whenever you run over bumps. Rear seats are too upright and feels a little too cramped to get truly comfortable, but the addition of rear air-con vents on the VL and VL Plus makes it sweeter.

Storage space

Given that this is a pick-up truck, you are driving around with a giant storage box out back. Here are the dimensions and payload of the bed:

 Meanwhile, the interior has plenty of useful storage spaces. These include a large glove compartment, door pockets, cupholders and a storage box under the center armrest.

Nissan claims the fuel consumption for the diesel single turbo engine is between 6.4 to 7.1 litre/100km, depending on which model, while the claimed fuel economy for the diesel variable-turbo option is between 6.5 litre to 7.0 litre/100km.

If you want a pickup truck that drives comfortably on the daily, the 2022 Nissan Navara is worth buying, despite its shortcomings. It is a looker, has solid build quality, reliable and comes equipped with a great engine. For pure off-roading purposes however, there is a better pickup out there.