Power up with the new Navara

The new Nissan Navara has it all – with sheer comfort setting it apart from the rest

A beast on the road, offering brute power as well as comfort – this best describes the new Nissan Navara double cab, which comes with a powerful twin turbo diesel engine.

The days of bakkies being used strictly as workhorses is a thing of the past as most people simply don’t have the luxury of owning more than one car anymore.

So one that performs equally well on and off road, as well as offering good fuel consumption and comfort – in terms of style and spaciousness – are key factors in deciding which bakkie to buy.

The double cab market is highly competitive, so for every new model on the market there has to be something that sets it apart from the rest.

For the Navara this has to be the comfortable ride based on the fact that it offers a rear coil suspension similar to what is found on large SUVs.

Nissan says the Navara heavy-duty five-link coil rear spring suspension versus a traditional rear leaf suspension offers exceptional comfort and absorbs the bumps on and off-road.

And in a country where our roads are riddled with potholes, while some gravel roads are hardly ever maintained, this rear coil suspension is very handy.

Known for its power, which has earned the Navara millions of admirers, its stylish and modern interior design will surely convince more people to give it a go.

On first impressions when test-driving the vehicle recently, I will admit to being a little taken aback by the digital compass display on the rearview mirror which continuously displays the direction you are travelling in (if you choose not to switch it off).

But it should come in handy for those motorists, who, for some strange reason, do not use a GPS for directions in 2018.

The Navara features a nice touch screen radio as well as standard steering-mounted controls.

The DVD player also impressed me as the family can watch a movie while stuck in traffic or when making a pit stop.

The DVD screen goes blank, however, as soon as the car is in motion – only sound is heard.

The Navara is also spacious inside, meaning no matter how long your journey is, you will not be dog-tired by the time you get to your destination.

I also found that the Navara drives really well, and gladly gives more power at the urge of a pedal, even uphill.

It never feels like you’re speeding, so it is important to continuously look at the speedometer.

The Navara has a claimed 6.5 litres per 100km fuel consumption – making it fuel efficient.

In the time I had the bakkie I found this to be true. Driving between Mdantsane and Beacon Bay in East London at an average speed of 100km an hour for a distance that amounted to 420km, I used just a little more than a half a tank of diesel.

What should put safety concerns at ease is the fact that all models of the Navara come with a standard anti-lock braking system and electronic brake-force distribution.

The double cab comes with seven seat belts, ensuring everyone can buckle up.

That said, the biggest disappointment I had with the vehicle was its park assist, which is supposed to help motorists detect objects while reversing.

The Navara simply does not do this and if one is not careful, one might reverse into other cars or objects.

Instead of beeping when nearing an object, the Navara park assist goes dead silent and only displays the surroundings. Nissan could have done better here. But for a bakkie retailing from R461,900, the Navara is worth every cent.