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By
EWAN KENNEDY
10 November 2008
There's something nice and old-fashioned about the Nissan Navara
ute. While a statement like that may have seemed most insulting if
made about a passenger car, ute lovers don’t necessarily like
their vehicles to be in the ultra-modern mould. So the guys who
have penned the Nissan Navara have made it big and bold in its
shape, unashamedly blue collar in its makeup.
It
has a tough stance on the road, with a large radiator grille, big
guards, squared-off lines, even strong wheel design that make a
definite statement about the owner. Hard edged and purposeful.
To
say the Navara looks very Nissan sounds like a dopey remark, but
the company is doing an excellent job of creating a family
resemblance in its 4WDs models, X-Trail, Pathfinder, Navara and
Patrol and the results are showing up in the sales race.
Enough
of the appearance, what's this working vehicle like on the road?
Our test Navara was the four-door dual-cab 4WD aimed as much at
the family driver as the owner who wants to cart a crew about. So
has plenty of creature comforts. Air conditioning that works fast,
electric windows and door mirrors, and a decent stereo.
The
trim is good to look at without losing anything in the way of
practicality. There's not a huge amount of lateral support in the
seats, but they are aimed at being comfortable to a big variety of
backsides so that’s to be expected. There's space for five, and
unless they three in the rear have large rears they are likely to
fit in without too much rubbing together. Door pockets are a good
size and there are plenty of smaller stowage areas as well as
drink holders for all.
Even
with the extra-long cab to give comfort for long-legged adults
Nissan has managed to install a tray with reasonable proportions.
Long loads can be a hassle, you need a single-cab for that, but we
managed a trip to the tip with some substantial palm fronds and
the ute carried them in a single run.
Power
comes from a 2.5-litre turbo-diesel engine producing up to 125 kW,
and a strong 403 Nm of torque, the latter because Nissan has
modified the engine for 4WD use by adding the extra grunt.
It’s
not the quietest powerplant about, being somewhat old-fashioned in
its feel and sound on the road (there's that word old-fashioned
again, see our previous remarks about many buyers liking it that
way). Once on the move and in a steady cruising gait it’s quiet
enough but at idle and when asked to accelerate anything more than
gently it has the typical diesel rattle.
Transmission
options are a handy six-speed manual unit and a five-speed
automatic. The latter was installed in our test car and worked
well, but somehow we may have liked the pleasure of an manual to
give it that real ute feel.
Diesel
consumption was typically around the 10 to 11 litre mark in the
suburban stages of our testing, dropping to a low seven to eight
litres per hundred kilometres as soon as it was out on the open
road. Good figures for a big work vehicle.
Note
that word ‘big’, because this is a substantial vehicle aimed
more at the American market than the Japanese one. As such it
needs a good amount of real estate, to the extent that it was a
squeeze to get into some parking spots in shopping centres, and
there were times when the pillars on the corners were mighty
close. Perhaps it would be wise to ask your Nissan dealer to let
you test drive it in those circumstances if you think you have
potential problems in your day-to-day travelling.
And
while you’re at the dealer get them to give you a run through
the various bodies, engines, transmissions and models on offer.
There really is a staggering number of choices in the current
lineup.
Navara
received a revamp midway through this year, with extra models,
including a King Cab being made available. Our recent week in the
dual-cab was a thoroughly enjoyable one and we suggest that anyone
purchasing a vehicle in this class should add this Nissan to their
short list.
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Marque Publishing Company
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