Nissan Navara
LUXURY-CLASS TRUCK
Engine — 2.5 L, diesel
Peak power — 174 hp at 4000 rpm
Maximum torque — 403 Nm at 2000 rpm
Top speed — 170 km/h
Sprint 0-100 km/h — 11.5 s
Fuel consumption:
combined cycle — 9.2 L
city — 11.7 L
highway — 7.8 L
Transmission — 5-speed automatic,
drive — rear, plug-in all-wheel drive with low range and locking center differential
Curb weight — 2059 kg
Length — 5220 mm
Width — 1850 mm
Height — 1886 mm
Cargo platform dimensions:
length — 1511 mm
width — 1487 mm
side height — 457 mm
Payload capacity — 775 kg
Permissible trailer weight with brakes — 3000 kg
Ground clearance — 233 mm
Tires 255/65R17
Equipment:
tilt steering wheel adjustment, leather steering wheel with control buttons, electric power steering, ABS, central locking, ESP, CD receiver with MP3, fog lights, climate control, power driver's seat with 8 adjustments, front and side airbags, roof rails, rain and light sensors
Price — $50,879 (407,025 UAH), base version — $43,032 (344,250 UAH)
Maintenance intervals:
10,000 km
Service 1 — $112 (893 UAH)
Service 2 — $380 (3,034 UAH)
Service 3 — $112 (893 UAH)
Service 4 — $416 (3,324 UAH)
Service 5 — $112 (893 UAH)
Service 6 — $745 (5,954 UAH)
Service 7 — $112 (893 UAH)
Service 8 — $416 (3,324 UAH)
Service 9 — $112 (893 UAH)
Service 10 — $436 (3,482 UAH)
Service 11 — $112 (893 UAH)
Service 12 — $785 (6,279 UAH)
Warranty — 3 years or 100,000 km
Alfred Mardanov, "Avtoclub-Kazan"
Navara has been present on our market for a long time, but we still decided to put it to the test. Personally, I was prompted by the hero of the "Ownership Experience" section — Mitsubishi L 200, or rather, its owner, my good friend. Ford Ranger and L 200 (as well as Mazda BT-50) share one platform and are considered classmates, but Navara stands a step higher, so the choice fell on it, especially since we already had a Ford Ranger test. Ford left pleasant impressions, as did the very concept of a pickup, which is still new to Russia — such cars invariably stand out in the monotonous flow of sedans, station wagons, hatchbacks, and crossovers. Navara is larger than all three brothers and noticeably more "luxurious," if you can say so. And this is exactly what leaves its mark on its use. It's hard to imagine a ton of firewood or bags of cement in its bed — rather, a quad bike, snowmobile, surfboard, or something like that for active recreation, although, on the other hand, one of my friends hauled construction waste in the trunk of his Lexus 350. Ha! And why not?! The spacious bed with a folding tailgate that can increase the usable area is equipped with the C-Channel system. It allows securing cargo with straps, plus there are additional clamps that move along special rails along the sides.
Outside, the "face" of Navara is an exact copy of Pathfinder, hence its brutal, masculine, and even warlike appearance. Perhaps the name, echoing the names of North American Indian tribes, also played a role. The external kinship with Pathfinder is not accidental — they are built on the same platform, but… Navara has a chassis with a frame made of high-strength steel F-Alpha (Nissan's proprietary technology), which provides strength and rigidity without excess weight. At the front — double-wishbone suspension with coil springs. At the rear — a solid axle on leaf springs. Thanks to the solid wheelbase, the car confidently swallows road irregularities, and only serious potholes remind that there are leaf springs at the rear. If you threw about 400 kg of cargo into the bed, it would ride noticeably softer. The coziness and comfort in the cabin are eloquently indicated by the close kinship with Pathfinder. Driver's seat with electric adjustments, climate control, cruise control, steering column with tilt adjustment. The quality of materials is top-notch — sometimes you forget that you're sitting in a little truck. Wide front and rear doors compensate for the high threshold, so entry is comfortable. True, I managed to dirty my trousers on the thresholds, but that's from habit — you just need to use the step, not jump like a moose back and forth. But that happened at the end of the test, when Navara was dirty, because it was drizzling that day. By the way, such weather even pleased me: it's boring to drive such an "off-roader" on dry dirt and asphalt. Remembering the lessons of past test drives, I put on boots — in such mud, shoes can't be saved anyway. But Navara, even on highway tires, performed excellently on our off-road course. What can I say, Nissan guys know how to make off-road vehicles. Moreover, in normal mode, Navara is rear-wheel drive, as intended in the efficient second-generation Nissan All Mode 4x4 all-wheel drive system.
All-wheel drive (with torque distribution between axles 50/50) is engaged in 4WD mode. Plus, there is a low range and rear differential lock. An excellent set for conquering off-road, but remember, guys, about the tractor that you can chase once, and why? Because of the long wheelbase and axles! If you sit on the axles — that's it, you're done. This is not an easy task, but it seems possible to me; I've sat on axles in worse situations. So this time, on our signature climb, the rut was badly broken up, either by a "Belarus" tractor or a quarry dump truck, and still I decided to storm it, hoping that if I got stuck, gravity would help roll back down. Visually, I chose a trajectory, engaged 4WD, thought a bit — and forward. The road up wound like a snake, and at the first turn, I was pulled into the rut, and through the window, only the sky was visible. "We won't make it!" — I thought aloud and pressed the gas. Ha! Navara didn't even hesitate but surged upward and literally jumped onto the hill. A sigh of relief in the cabin brought me back to reality and the realization of what we had done. Yeah, we didn't dare repeat that a second time for photo shooting. Further riding through the mud and washed-out road was frankly boring — no worthy obstacle for our Nissan was found. The return trip on the highway revealed one peculiarity of the engine's operation. For Navara, this engine is offered in a version with 174 hp and a maximum torque of 403 Nm. So, it annoyingly presses on the ears in the range from 2 to 3 thousand rpm. The diesel pleasantly rumbles if you rev it above 3 thousand rpm, and gently chatters below 2 thousand, but between them — some acoustic discomfort. The five-speed automatic is an ideal pair for such an engine. Perfectly tuned brake system, informative steering; oddly enough, tenacious suspension with a hint of handling, sometimes you just forget that there's a bed behind you, not the cabin of a regular crossover. Summing up, we can say: the car has not in vain gained popularity THERE and, most likely, will be in demand here too — thanks to its off-road capabilities and transportation possibilities. I haven't mentioned that it can tow a trailer with brakes weighing up to 3 tons in total. It can be used to transport a small boat or a camping van.
Vadim Sadykov, "Avtoclub-Kazan"
Usually, we try to take new models for testing, but this time we made an exception: too unusual and little-known car — Nissan Navara. Unlike the USA, pickups are not in high demand here. And in vain. It can be used for work (a mini-truck for 800 kg), and it's not shameful to go out "in public." One of my acquaintances bought a pickup when he started building a house. He saved a lot of money by refusing to hire "Gazelles."
But enough reasoning, we will evaluate this pickup as an ordinary city car with increased cross-country ability. First, I sit in the back seat. It's clear that there's less space here than in a regular "jeep," but it doesn't press on the knees. True, the backrest is too vertical — it will be uncomfortable on a long trip. Surprisingly, the rear hardly shakes on road irregularities. I remember when we drove a Ford pickup, the shaking was felt strongly. Leaf springs! To withstand the weight of cargo, they must be stiff enough. Maybe it's all because Navara has rear leaf springs with progressive stiffness characteristics. And the cab itself is attached to the frame through rubber mounts that reduce shaking. A few words about the cargo compartment. In the open version, you can install a divider net or a safety arch. In the closed version — a folding tent or a solid body. In the latter case, Navara loses all resemblance to a truck. In the front passenger seat, there are no differences from a regular "jeep": just as comfortable and spacious.
Now I get behind the wheel. Under the hood is a 2.5-liter turbodiesel. In character, it's not as "torquey" as, say, the two-liter unit in the Ford Kuga or the three-liter in the Land Rover. However, in city traffic, you won't feel a lack of power. Acceleration isn't breathtaking, but it's quite decent. True, at three thousand rpm, the engine starts to annoy with a loud hum. So it's most comfortable to keep the tachometer needle in the 1500–2000 range: acoustic comfort is normal, torque is in place, and acceleration is available. On the highway, the pickup holds confidently. There's only a slight aerodynamic hiss from the large mirrors, but it stays within acceptable limits. By the way, about the mirrors: visibility is simply excellent! You can safely load bulky items into the bed, completely blocking the view through the rearview mirror, and not suffer. But let's get back to the highway. The only thing that disappoints is that overtaking slow trucks takes longer than you'd like.
On the dirt road, it was mostly Alfred who drove. What stood out most was the first climb uphill, where the road was cut by deep ruts — you could easily sit on the axles. However, we managed on the first try, without even resorting to the lock.
We return to the city. In normal mode, the car drives on the rear axle — this saves fuel. In my opinion, a stability control system would clearly be useful here. But at low speed, you can engage four-wheel drive on the go. I won't tire of praising the signature Nissan switching scheme — clear and convenient: "2H-4H-4LO." A separate button activates the lock. As I already said, visibility is excellent, so maneuvering this not-so-small pickup is easy. Of course, snow and mud are a piece of cake for it. I liked the car. A true "workhorse" with a quite comfortable cabin.
Marat Makhmutov
This time, we got our hands on a Nissan Navara pickup — a representative of a rare breed of universals that are equally good for transporting passengers in any direction and for hauling cargo that ordinary cars can't handle. I'll note right away: the test subject isn't a newcomer — the model was born back in 2005, and in 2008 it was named Car of the Year in Russia among pickups. Several "trucks" are vying to rival the Navara: the Ford F-150, SsangYong Action Sports, Mitsubishi L200, not to mention the Chinese. So what's the trick of this, generally speaking, utilitarian vehicle? Those familiar with the Japanese brand's products will easily recognize the donor in the pickup — the mid-size SUV Nissan Pathfinder. Indeed: the hood, front bumper with fenders, turbodiesel, transmission, interior, and front suspension are absolutely identical. The differences are only at the rear: the Navara has an open cargo platform and a solid axle on semi-elliptic leaf springs, while the Pathfinder has an all-metal body and independent rear suspension, typical for modern SUVs. So our hero is essentially the same Pathfinder, but with an open body and slightly different geometry. This comparison comes to mind immediately when you see the car in person. And the interior helps you completely forget about the body type. The test example in top trim is packed with luxury: leather seats with electric adjustment (driver's — 8 positions, passenger's — 4), six airbags, rain and light sensors, dual-zone climate control, stereo with CD changer, multifunction steering wheel, cruise control, auto-dimming mirror, and much more. So much for a "workhorse"! Rather, a steed of noble blood. It's clear why such cars are adored in America, where comfort is paramount. The presence of a five-speed automatic also speaks to this.
It's worth noting that the Navara is assembled in Spain, and the 2.5-liter turbodiesel with 174 horsepower points to the European market. The engine with Common Rail system delivers an impressive 403 N·m, allowing the pickup, besides a ton of payload in the cabin and bed, to tow a trailer — a yacht or boat — weighing up to three tons. Let's move to driving. I settle behind the wheel and note the thoughtful ergonomics. The steering wheel adjusts only for height, but that's enough for a comfortable seating position. Up front, there's enough space for the driver and passenger of almost any height. In the back, space is more modest, especially if tall people sit in front, but for this body type, it's quite tolerable. By the way, the rear bumper really lacks parking sensors. It's not just about the city: in the forest, it's easy to miss a stump that will dent the body, and in a metropolis, an audible signal about an obstacle behind for this giant is simply a necessity. I turn the key. Under the noticeable diesel hum, acceleration turned out to be surprisingly smooth, almost like a trolleybus. The suspension, despite the empty bed, decently swallows bumps, though it's far from a business sedan, of course.
If you load a couple of hundred kilograms of ballast into the bed, impacts from potholes become even softer. But even without cargo, the car allows you to drive where cars crawl at twenty kilometers per hour (remember the road to Samosyrovo — for the Navara, it's a warm-up). The behavior on suburban highways was pleasantly surprising: on smooth pavement, the pickup holds a straight line without wandering, and the suspension simply ignores small joints and bumps. The high-profile tires 265/70 R17 also deserve credit. On dry asphalt, the rear axle is the driving one, with all its pros and cons. On ice or wet muddy roads, a careless press on the gas can easily send a car over five meters twenty centimeters long into a "waltz." For slippery surfaces at speeds up to a hundred, engaging four-wheel drive is provided — via the round selector at the bottom right of the steering wheel. It has three positions: 2H (rear drive), 4HI (four-wheel drive), and 4LO (four-wheel drive with low range), and the selected mode is indicated by a lamp on the dashboard. For mud and snow, there's a button on the tunnel for forced locking of the center differential, which works at speeds up to 40 km/h.
When you engage all the electronic helpers, it seems this vehicle will go anywhere. Besides the main test, we took the Navara on a real off-road track for jeep trial in the "Standard" class. So, the workhorse on stock wheels passed all obstacles decently and never got stuck! Moreover, the powerful and torquey engine allows you to storm such climbs that the sky in the windshield ends up almost above your head. True, it wasn't without adventures. The huge length with side steps and the seemingly decent ground clearance of 233 mm played a cruel joke: at the top of one hill, we sat "on our belly." No locks will help here — the wheels spin helplessly in the air, finding no grip. We got out only by rocking and careful throttle blips, pushing the car backward.
In the end, I can say that such a car is unlikely to suit everyone — it's more a choice for wealthy people who live on the move and can afford to have it as a second or even third vehicle in the garage. Throw a jet ski or snowmobile into the bed, hitch a trailer with a boat — and you can head off for new experiences, alone or in the company of like-minded enthusiasts. It's also quite suitable for hunting trips, but the leather interior seems too luxurious for dirty clothes and boots, and the unprotected painted bed is easy to scratch with antlers or hooves. However, if you order additional protection for the bed floor and an optional aerodynamic cover, this problem is quite solvable. And one more weighty reason to take a closer look at this vehicle is decent fuel economy despite having plenty of power.
