Luxe ride, meagre loads
The upgraded Navara is refined, comfortable and thrifty — just don’t stick too much on the back
A NEW model comes along occasionally with design or engineering issues that nobody at the factory picks up before production begins. In many cases, an employee spots the problem but management decides to go ahead anyway, confident nobody will notice.
This approach never works so, inevitably, the “fix it” update soon follows. Nissan’s 2017 Navara is the latest example.
It’s a tweak of the 2015 D23 model, which compared with its D22/D40 predecessors has bombed in the sales charts for a few reasons, including Nissan’s decision to fit double cab pickups with coil springs at the rear instead of leaves, which everybody else uses.
So while the ride is luxurious for a ute, the D23 drags its bum on the ground if you put a heavy load in the tub, or hitch up a decent-size trailer.
Did nobody at Nissan ask the obvious question: “But isn’t that what blokes buy these things for?”
DESIGN
They must have now, because the 2017 Navara “Series 2” — which in industry code means “we stuffed up the first one” — gets stiffer springs (still coils) with commensurately heavier duty dampers and revised bump stops.
Why didn’t they just fit leaves, as used on all earler variants, including the doublecab chassis?
Ah, well, this time next year you’ll be able to buy the Navara double-cab 4WD pick-up from a Mercedes-Benz dealer — stand by for the X Class, the ultimate tradie status symbol — so the coils are re probably necessary to achieve a ride-handling compromise omise acceptable to Mercedes, which will sell the rebadged Navara as a luxo truck.
Other Series 2 updates include a new workhorse SL specification that sits between the bare bones RX and mid-spec ST 4x4 we’re in today. Oh, and they’ve also deleted the cupholders from the back seat, so if your mates want to do an early morning drive-through brekky on the way to work, they’ll have to juggle their coffees and bacon and egg rolls. Things could get messy.
AROUND TOWN
Up front, Navara is spacious and comfortable, though as in most utes there is still no steering wheel reach adjustment.
The driver’s seat, upholstered in dark velour in ST spec, is generously padded though the short cushion gives little support for long legs. Thick windscreen pillars compromise forward vision. Rear seat space is reasonable, although tall passengers sit slightly knees-up.
The centre section of the back window opens, via a switch on the dash. Why? I’ve no idea.
The ST’s central infotainment touchscreen has pretty rudimentary navigation graphics, Bluetooth pairs easily but has no message or email function and there is no voice control.
A direction indicator in the rear view mirror is useful, as are three 12V outlets and extra storage under the rear seats.
For Series 2, the Navara’s 2.3-litre turbo diesel (140kW/ 450Nm) and seven-speed automatic set-up is unchanged. Trundling around town, the auto extracts great fuel economy from the engine, regularly returning less than 10L/ 10L/10100km, a figure matched only by VW’s 2.0-litre Amarok.Am The steering is light enoughen but, at nearly four turnstu lock to lock, you have to do a lot of arm twirling justju to negotiate a simple 90 degree corner, while par parking or manoeuvring in tight spaces can be an excep exceptionally tedious process.
ON THET ROAD
Seat oof the pants, and the fact that Nissan hasn’t upgraded payload or towing weights for Series 2, say that although the rear suspension has been beefed up, it’s not by much. Use a fair chunk of Nissan’s claimed 985kg payload or 3500kg towing capacity and you still have the ST’s nose pointing at the sky.
If your trailer weighs more than 3000kg, it’s extremely difficult to stay on the legal side of the ST’s gross combined mass of 5910kg.
That said, its rear coils really give the Navara — by ute standards — a luxurious ride, especially on the ST’s sensible 16-inch alloys and tall tyres. Coils’ superior initial compliance all but eliminates that incessant, annoying body shake on rough roads common to leaf-sprung one-tonners.
Greater lateral rigidity also minimises rear end instability on potholes and corrugations.
Performance is adequate but unremarkable apart from the previously mentioned frugal thirst, which on the highway can be as low as 6.5L7.0L/100km. You can go a long way on the 80L tank.
The smooth-shifting seven-speeder can be reluctant to kick down, so manual operation with the lever is a handy option in hilly country.
Off-road hardware includes a part-time, dual-range transfer case and locking rear differential. VERDICT Let’s assume that, for some reason, you want a one-tonner that works best with a lot less than one tonne in it, or a few tonnes behind it. You will find the Navara ST to be one of the more refined, comfortable, fuelefficient utes around. You could call it a Merc at mates’ rates. Next year, it will be.