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By
EWAN KENNEDY
28 November 2005
Nissan Australia is now importing two different
Navaras. The just launched new model, designated the D40 Navara,
is very much an entrant in the burgeoning sports ute bracket. It
complements the existing D22 model and follows on from the
striking styling theme used on that car. A theme that electrified
the market with its bold lines, big front and huge guards. Now the
D40 takes that shape even further.
Under the control of Renault these days, though
the two companies prefer to describe it as a partnership, Nissan
has come up with some stunning styles. Which is good to see
because the ute market in particular was in a pretty boring state.
That has changed in a big way and the boys in
their D40 Navaras will be able to hold their heads high at the
pubs as well as on work sites.
Initially at least, the Nissan D40 Navara is to
be sold only as a dual-cab. It’s a large vehicle so the rear
part of the cabin is suited to three adults, though as is
generally the way, two and a child will be a lot more comfortable.
There's good head and legroom as well as the safety of lap-sash
seat belts for all five occupants.
This latest Navara features a powerful 4.0-litre
V6 petrol engine with no fewer than 198 kilowatts. There's also a
2.5-litre turbo-diesel model for those more into grunt than sheer
power, and with over 400 Nm it has plenty of oomph.
We have road and off-road tested two versions of
the turbo-diesel Navara. One with a six-speed manual gearbox, the
other with a five-speed automatic transmission. It’s certainly
unusual to have a six-speed manual in a working vehicle and this
adds to the sportiness of the Navara equation.
There's an abundance of punch from the diesel
with acceleration, while not exactly rivalling that of a large
passenger car, that will bring a smile to the face of any ute
owner. Overtaking can be done with a minimum of time spent on the
wrong side of the road, a valuable safety feature.
To some extent the torquey diesel engine is let
down by the new Navara's fairly primitive chassis. The coil-over
front end is fine, but the use of leaf springs at the back doesn’t
do this sporting ute any favours. You get the usual spring wind-up
on bumpy surfaces and corrugations give the rear of this big ute a
mind of its own at times. Any speed on rough dirt roads that is
more than moderate will demand the hand of an experienced driver
to keep it under control.
We haven’t had a chance to drive the petrol
variant at this stage, our Navara having been written off during
an extreme storm off the Cape of Good Hope whilst on its way by
ship from the Nissan factory in Spain (true!).
Nissan gave us some excellent off-road
conditions in the Yarra Valley as part of the press launch program
and the D40 stood up particularly well. It uses a part-time 4WD
system that, while not as good as the All-Mode setup as fitted to
the passenger 4WDs, gave plenty of good traction in genuine 4WD
running. The use of low-range is a welcome addition and lets you
power your way to areas simply not accessible to softer 4WDs.
Sports ute drivers will love it. The weak point in serious
off-road running was the long-wheelbase inevitable in any big
dual-cab ute, this saw us dragging the Navara's belly on quite a
few anti-erosion humps.
This new Nissan D40 Navara will be offered in
2WD as well as 4WD, though the latter won’t be in Australia
until the early months of 2006.
When it arrives the 2WD will sell from $37,990
in upmarket ST-X format. In the meantime the 4WD D40 Navara is
priced at $38,990 as a petrol RX and $43,990 for the ST-X. The
diesel is an attractive proposition at only $2000 more than the
petrol. Automatic transmission adds a further $2000 in any model
and on-road charges have to be added to these prices.
Nissan Navara has built up an excellent
reputation as a tough, no-nonsense vehicle when worked hard in
rugged Aussie conditions. This offering of a pair of Navaras
instead of simply a single model will do its sales aspirations no
end of good.
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Marque Publishing Company
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