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Nissan Navara – pick of the pick-ups
NISSAN describes its latest pick-up truck, the NP300 Navara, as the pick-up for work and play.
It’s a claim few vehicles of this type can make, let alone deliver on.
But Nissan has been playing this game for a long time, since 1935 to be exact, and since then has pioneered the King Cab in 1977, the innovative C-Channel tie-down system in 2005 and now the first use on a one tonne pick-up of five-link rear suspension.
Add safety features like Forward Emergency Braking, curtain and knee airbags and an Around View Monitor and it’s little wonder Nissan is so bullish about the Navara.
For my part, the really rewarding element of the NP300 is its versatility, that ability to carry a family in comfort, safety and near luxury having earlier the same day unloaded a tonne of rubble and towed a cement mixer.
I actually shifted a four-seater couch from a Victorian mansion to a student gaff without too much fuss.
You can bag a Navara in either a double or king cab and a 190PS twin-turbo or 160PS single turbo version of the Japanese brand’s 2.3-litre dCi engine, which has just been upgraded to a more eco-friendly Euro 6 unit.
We’re talking real world economy in the region of 36 miles per gallon, although the official Combined figure is 44.1mpg, and acceleration of 0-62mph in 10.8 seconds – not bad for a behemoth of a vehicle.
The only downside – apart from accessing cark park spaces – is engine noise, especially at low gear acceleration.
There’s also a choice of two or four-wheel drive and a six-speed manual or seven-speed automatic transmission.
Current holder of the International Pick-Up Award 2016, the Navara really looks the part, especially in the tested model’s paint job – more of a burnt orange than the Savannah Yellow name would suggest.
It’s easy to drive and comfortable, with the likes of roof rails, side steps, a reversing camera, LED headlights, 18-inch alloy wheels, rear parking sensors and sat-nav included.
In fact opt for the more upmarket Tekna trim and you get leather and upholstery, though a sunroof will set you back an extra £450.
As a workhorse, the Nissan has a fully boxed ladder chassis rather than the three-sided channel-section frame found on some other pick-ups while the new five-link rear suspension gives a better ride and more agile handling.
There are three driving modes – four-wheel drive high for light off-roading, four-wheel drive Low for serious off-road driving in sand, snow or deep mud, or two-wheel drive for when you’re on the Tarmac.
And with features such as Hill Start Assist and Hill Descent Control, plus an electronic Limited Slip Differential, the Navara is more than capable in two-wheel drive mode as well.
The load bed, which is 67mm longer than the previous model, has moveable tie-down points and restraint hooks. It’s just a shame you have to fork out £1,350 for a sliding tray.
Overall though the NP300 Navara, which also boasts a five-year/100,000-mile warranty, is a triumph for Nissan – and sets a very high standard for the chasing pack.
- SPEC CHECK
- MAKE Nissan.
- MODEL Navara NP300 Tekna Double Cab.
- ENGINE 2,298cc, 4-cyl Twin-Turbo diesel.
- POWER 190PS at 3,750rpm.
- PERFORMANCE 0-62 in 10.8 secs, top speed 114mph.
- ECONOMY 38.2mpg Urban, 47.9 Extra Urban, 44.1 Combined.
- CO2 EMISSIONS 169g/km.
- BiK RATING 33%.
- PRICE £29,100 on the road.
WHAT’S HOT
- Quality, technology, comfort, load-bed.
- WHAT’S NOT
- Noisy engine.
- RATINGS {Out of 5}
- LOOKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
- EQUIPMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
- RIDE AND HANDLING . . . . .3
- PERFORMANCE . . . . . . . . . . .4
- VALUE FOR MONEY . . . . . . . 4