TAKE TWO
JUST TWO YEARS AFTER IT ARRIVED, NISSAN’S NEW-GENERATION NP300 NAVARA HAS UNDERGONE A MAKEOVER TO BECOME THE SERIES II.
WHEN the Navara NP300 arrived in 2015, it was a rule breaker. On all but the base RX model, coil springs replaced leaf springs – the ute staple rear-end – in what was potentially a gamechanging move. In another significant departure from standard class practice, on most models the Navara adopted a relatively small diesel engine with two turbos rather than one. Before the Navara arrived, only the Amarok had this feature in a ute. Also distinguishing the Navara from the pack was its seven-speed automatic gearbox.
Sales-wise, the NP300 Navara hasn’t really worked for Nissan, failing to emulate the success of the D40 Navara, which, in its heyday, was second only to the all-conquering Toyota Hilux. In 2016, the NP300 was, in fact, outsold by the Hilux and the Ford Ranger by more than two to one, and it also fell behind both the Mitsubishi Triton and the Holden Colorado in overall sales.
Here at 4X4 Australia we weren’t great fans of the NP300 as a general purpose onand off-road ute, and we were particularly unimpressed by the way it performed in our seven-ute, maxxed-out load and tow test comparison conducted last year.
Fast forward to 2017 and Nissan has headed back to the drawing board for the update. Nissan has given it a suspension revamp, spec and equipment changes, and the addition of a new work-spec model (the SL) that has the bi-turbo engine, rear coils, and sits above the leaf-sprung, single-turbo RX. Nissan also has also dropped the NP300 moniker, so the new model is simply called the Navara Series II.
POWERTRAIN AND PERFORMANCE
THE Renault-sourced 2.3-litre fourcylinder diesel has, as mentioned, two turbos rather than one. This is reasonably common with European-designed diesel engines and involves a smaller turbo that works off idle and under small loads coupled with a larger turbo that takes over as the engine speeds and loads increase. This arrangement offers quick low-rpm response combined with good power at higher engine speeds – two ideals that are hard to achieve with a single turbo.
The result on paper – 140kw and 450Nm – is what you’d expect of a larger-capacity diesel, and the Navara delivers on-road thanks to this and other attributes including the relatively close ratios of its seven-speed automatic. Throw in the Navara being one of the lightest utes of the current crop – and one that runs lower overall gearing than most (top gear gives around 55km/h/100km) – and there’s plenty of performance on offer. In fact, when we last ran the current crop of utes against the clock, the Navara was the quickest in the 80-120km/h sprint; although, the Holden Colorado, which has since been revised, may now do better.
The Navara’s engine is generally quiet, except at wide throttle openings where it becomes noticeably noisier. For its part, the seven-speed auto adds to the
general driveline refinement with smooth and quick shifts. However, it tends to grab a taller gear more often than you may want in give-and-take conditions, perhaps because the shift protocols are tuned more towards economy rather than performance. And, speaking of economy, the Navara has an excellent ADR figure of just 7.0L/100km, but it’s less distinguished on the road with a figure of 11.5L/100km for this test.
ON-ROAD RIDE AND HANDLING
SUSPENSION changes have resulted in much better on-road steering and handling. Gone is the too-heavy steering, while the front-to-rear suspension match is also much improved. You may think coil springs would provide a more supple ride than the leaf springs fitted to competitor utes, but this isn’t the case. If anything, the Navara rides more firmly than before – and certainly no better than competitor utes – but getting the front-to-rear balance right has made the change to a firmer and crisper ride one for the better.
A positive of the Navara’s rear suspension, when compared to its leafspring competitors, is less axle tramp when accelerating through and out of bumpy and corrugated corners.
OFF-ROAD
THE two top-spec Navaras come standard with a rear locker and, like the lockers used in the Ranger and Amarok automatic, engaging the locker doesn’t cancel electronic traction control (ETC) across the front axle. This is a notable positive and helps improve the Navara’s performance in gnarly conditions; whereas lockers that cancel ETC across both axles often don’t bring an improvement.
That said, the Navara is still no off-road hero compared to the likes of the class leaders – Ranger, Hilux and Amarok – due in part to the fact it doesn’t have comparable wheel travel and it rides a little lower than most in its class. The Navara’s over-bonnet vision does no favours off-road, either, and shorter drivers in particular will find themselves wishing to sit a little higher.
On a more positive note, the shift protocols of the seven-speed work well offroad, and there’s a notably low crawl ratio.
CABIN, ACCOMMODATION AND SAFETY
WITH no less than seven airbags, Navara dual-cab utes offer five-star ANCAP safety in a modern car-like cabin that’s generally comfortable up front, but smaller than most across the rear seat. Of the current mainstream utes, only the Triton has a smaller rear seat.
There is no reach adjustment for the steering wheel, either; although this is unfortunately the case more often than not with this class of vehicle.
Two things worth noting is that the topspec ST-X offers a sunroof as an option (previously standard), a unique feature in this class of vehicle. The centre panel of the Navara’s rear window can also be opened and, while this may seem like a why-bother feature, it improves cabin ventilation without adding the wind buffeting you typically get when opening a rear side window.
PRACTICALITIES
THE Navara’s 3500kg tow rating matches the best in class on paper, but when we tow-tested it – before the suspension upgrade – it did a poor job of hauling 3500kg. Likewise, while the Navara has reasonable payload figures, it doesn’t carry a maximum payload well. We won’t know whether the recent upgrade has improved these two aspects until we get a chance to carry out a full load and tow test.
The four fixed tie-downs in the ST’S tub (ST-X gets adjustable tie-downs) aren’t ideally located either, as they are mounted high on the tub’s sides and not down on the floor where they should be. However, the ST gets a 12-volt outlet in its tub.
The ST runs 16-inch wheels, which is a bonus in terms of tyre choice and practicality, but, as is usual ute practice, there are no recovery points at the rear and just one at the front. Before you drive off into a creek you should also note the engine’s air intake is behind the bonnet lip, and the claimed wading depth is a very low 450mm – something we feel would have to be addressed to turn the Navara into a serious 4x4.
The Navara comes with a 20,000km service interval, which is longer than most.