Upping the ante
Many South Africans tow their caravan with a bakkie. Nissan, it would seem, is taking this market segment seriously with its new Navara.
The Nissan Navara’s first model made a big impression, but it feels as though the latest models lost some momentum with their more modest looks. We drove the brand-new Navara as a test vehicle for a week, and more than one person along the road said: “Nice bakkie!”
It’s true: Nissan has breathed new life into the Navara with this more aggressive look. And if towing and camping are important to you, the new Navara might just catch your eye, too.
Getting hitched
The first Navara model we tested 10 years ago had a 2,5 ℓ diesel engine that delivered 140 kW and 450 Nm. The next generation got a 2,3 ℓ diesel engine with exactly the same muscles. Now, the wheel has turned, and the latest model has the 2,5 ℓ engine again – yes, with exactly the same power output. It seems to be a winning recipe for Nissan, and there are no grounds for complaints.
What is different, though, is the vehicle’s towing capacity. The model we tested back then, the 4x4 LE (automatic), had a towing capacity of 3 000 kg and a fivespeed gearbox. With the 2,3 ℓ engines, the towing capacity has been increased to 3 500 kg, and the Navara has a seven-speed automatic gearbox. This limit also applies to the new model, which means it’s still one of the leading towing vehicles in the country. All models come equipped with sway control called Trailer Stability Assist (TSA).
The Navara is, therefore, made for towing, but ironically, the towbar doesn’t come standard. In the PRO-2X (test vehicle) and PRO-4X, the towbar is part of the purchase price, but customers also have the option of buying these models without one.
Like the 2.3 ℓ models we tested before, the new Navara still has a removable towbar.
Looking all around
The blind-spot sensors are a useful tool, but in the Navara it doesn’t automatically switch off the way it does in some vehicles when you hitch a trailer or caravan. One of the reasons may be that the computer doesn’t know something’s been hitched. If you turn sharply to the right, you would expect the sensor to recognise the caravan as a vehicle, but this doesn’t happen. The left-hand sensor flickers sporadically while you’re driving, as though the caravan wants to overtake you.
The Navara probably has one of the best rear-view camera systems. The caravan coupler is nice and clear on the screen when reversing, but you also get many combinations from various angles around the car. When you put the vehicle in reverse, the
screen turns on automatically, but there is also a Camera button to activate the screen, and so you can choose between the different angles. (It doesn’t work when in motion.) This system was available on the model we tested in late 2018 (the 2.3 D LE 4x2 automatic). It gives you all-round vision – the screen shows what’s going on in front of the car and a wide shot to the rear, or the sidewalk at the left front wheel for when you park. The screen also has dynamic index lines that curve as you’re reversing.
Because the computer doesn’t register when you plug in the caravan, the alarm sounds when you reverse with the caravan. Silence it with a button by your right knee.
Cool extras
The small electric sliding window at the back of the cabin has been a feature of