First Drive

Nissan’s big Navara pickup has been one of those niche products with staying power.

When new in 2005 it was physically bigger than many of the pickups Brits were used to, and although a single cab version is notionally offered here, Nissan hasn’t made much of an effort to promote it, instead going for four-door, King and double-cab variants, which have attracted both lifestyle and business buyers.

People liked the Spanish-built Navara’s chunky looks and separate chassis, with a switchable two/four-wheel-drive system which gave it genuine skills off tarmac, and Nissan sold far more Navara pick ups than they did Pathfinder 4×4s, which were essentially the same vehicles, but with big, station wagon bodies and independent coil spring rear suspensions, rather than the pick up’s rear axle’s hefty leaf springs.

Now the Navara has been revised, with a front end that uses slightly rounded off wings, bonnet and lamp clusters to refine rather than change a successful look. Inside there’s a fresh, nice-to-use centre console with upgraded hi-fi and sat-nav, the instrument cluster has been refreshed, and elements like the door trims worked over too. The end result has a VW-like classiness.

Most buyers will opt for the 2.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo diesel, which has been given a range of upgrades to the fuel injection, turbo and cylinder head, which burns fuel more efficiently than before. The Navara’s claimed combined 33.2mpg is a notable improvement on the old model’s 28.8mpg.

Quicker and cleaner

The latest Navara’s 10.8 sec 0-60 acceleration is a second less than previously, and it now runs out of puff at 112mph (up from 105). Torque, the pulling power that owners of vehicles like this use for lugging big trailers, now stands at a useful 332lb/ft. The big Nissan is also 15 per cent cleaner, now emitting 224g/km of CO2.

Most buyers are likely to opt for the slightly stolid, six-speed manual gearbox, although a five-speed auto can also be specified. In manual guise, the vehicle is determinedly unstressed, providing the sort of power that pulls tree stumps out of the ground, and once it’s rolling, the driver can leave it in the higher gears most of the time, when the engine isn’t working hard and gets on with its job unobtrusively.

Anyone expecting a crude driving experience will be in for a surprise. With its mix of truck-like separate chassis frame, bulk and simple, tough rear suspension, on paper the Navara should have the dynamics of a bread van. Instead, it cornered surprisingly tidily, holding its line in bends without undue hopping about from the rear wheels. Its steering is fluid and accurate too.

With stiff rear springs (intended not to sag if the load bay, with its clever range of fixing points, is filled with heavy gear), the Navara’s ride proved un-jittery when semi-loaded. Nissan filled an optional lockable box in the load area with bags of stones, so we can’t report on it in un-laden guise, but suspect the ride would harder but not unpleasantly so.

Nissan Navara gallery:

It’s an off-roader too

Our off road experience was limited, but the Navara would be more than capable of taking its occupants into hostile terrain without getting stuck.

This sense of toughness was enhanced by the vehicle being unobtrusively well made, both inside and out, with a lot of carefully thought out design details.

For those who like even more power, Nissan is also offering a 3.0 litre V6 diesel in the Navara for the first time. The result has a mechanical smoothness approaching that found in some big German diesel executive saloons, and provides effortless grunt, making this a pickup capable of getting to 62mph comfortably in less than nine seconds and keeping on going until it hits 121mph.

This urge is abetted by 405lb/ft of torque, delivered at just 1,750 revs. In the process the V6 emits 246g/km of CO2 and Nissan claims just over 30mpg combined.

Seven-speed automatic

This engine is mated to a smooth, rapid-fire seven-speed auto box, which kicks down quickly when called to do so. The V6 Navara’s mix of high seating position and low-key, projectile acceleration is slightly addictive, but anyone seeking the lazy, relaxed performance this power train provides will need deep pockets, because it’s expected to add about £8,000 to the cost of the smaller engined Navaras when sales get underway this summer (although business users, who don’t pay VAT on pickups, enjoy useful savings).

The higher price perhaps explains why Nissan is only looking to sell 250 V6 pickups annually, but their owners are likely to have good time, and anyone going for the four-cylinder 2.5 litre Navara is unlikely to be disappointed either.

Key facts:

Model tested: Nissan Navara 3.0 V6
On the road price: £33,862
Price range: £19,807 – £33,862
Date tested: May 2010
Road tester: Martin Gurdon