Nissan Navara Review & Buyers Guide

Nissan Navara Review & Buyers' Guide

Rate this article -

( 1 Vote )

£16,648 – £28,240

Available as	Engine options	Volume (m³)	Payload (kg)	MPG
Pick-up	TD2.5 190hp, V6TD3.0 231hp	TBA	1,110 – 1,125	TBA

Our Verdict
We love it and reckon you will too. The only downside is the unavailability of a Single Cab or lower specification ‘utility’ models.

While Mitsubishi’s L200 has been awarded much of the credit for turning the humble workaday pick-up into a must-have style icon a few years back, at least some of it should go to Nissan’s Navara.

Fitted with selectable four-wheel drive, the Navara received a makeover in the middle of 2010 which brought with it a new bonnet, grille and bumpers, a reworked interior and an engine upgrade. It remains marketed as a four-seater King Cab with half-width, rear-hinged rear doors, or as a full-blown four-door five-seater Double Cab.

Power is generated by a 190hp/450Nm version of the original 2.5-litre diesel, with a 231hp/550Nm V6 diesel added to the line-up.

Four-wheel drive, including a low ratio option, is selected using a turn-wheel on the fascia.

Two specification levels are up for grabs; Acenta on the King Cab and Double Cab, and Tekna solely on the latter. A six-speed manual gearbox is standard, with a five-speed automatic offered as an option on Tekna Double Cab only. The V6 Double Cab comes in Outlaw specification and features a seven-speed automatic transmission.

Whichever trim you pick, the goodie-quotient is high, with dual-zone climate control and Bluetooth connectivity standard on everything. Go for Tekna and you get leather seats, roof rails, cruise control and an in-dash six-CD autochanger.

Payload capacities run from 1,110kg to 1,125kg depending on the model.

Out on the road Navara performs remarkably well, with so much power on tap that you really have to question whether it’s necessary to add the V6 to the line-up. Nor do we have any quarrels with the ride or the handling; noise levels are well-controlled too.

It doesn’t disgrace itself off-road either, churning through the mud and dealing with potholes and hummocks with aplomb.

In short, it’s a vehicle you cannot help but like; unless of course you’re a sandal-wearing muesli-munching tree-hugging knee-jerk-reaction hater of big 4x4s of course. If you are, then you’ll have a fit when the V6 comes rolling over the horizon.

Service intervals are set at 18,000 miles for the 2.5-litre diesel and 12,000 miles for the high performance V6. The mechanical warranty stands at three years or 60,000 miles.