First drive review: Nissan Navara 2016
With an impressive combination of equipment, efficiency and capability, there’s no doubt that the Navara is one of the best pick-ups you can lease. We suspect it might even be the best.
It’s no understatement to say that Nissan’s replacement Navara was long overdue, with the outgoing pick-up showing its age and the Mitsubishi L200 threatening to run away with the segment lead.
Boasting more SUV-like qualities without compromising on the practicality and capability expected from a commercial vehicle, the new NP300 Navara is sure to be an improvement, but can it take the pick-up crown away from the imperious L200?
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Styling
At first glance, it’s obvious that the new NP300 Navara is more civilised than the hardcore workhorse it replaces. The boxy shape of the old Navara has been rounded off, and a deluge of chrome gives a more driver-friendly, premium look.
Critics will call the added bling ostentatious, and they may have a point, but nobody drives a Navara because they want to blend in. That Nissan expects 90% of Navara sales to top-of-the-range Tekna models tells you that this is a truck that’s less workhorse and more fashion statement.
Even basic Navaras will be far from subtle though. At 6ft1in tall and 6ft wide, the Navara is a match for its Mitsubishi-badged rival for sheer presence.
It has a more SUV-like interior too, with Qashqai-derived fixtures and fittings and high-spec cars getting soft-touch plastics and leather seats.
Sure, there’s the odd bit of hard plastic kicking about, but it’s all solidly built and it’s a far more hospitable place to be than ever before. Without stepping straight from one to the other it’s hard to tell with any certainty, but it could even be better appointed than the L200.
Equipment
It’s certainly just as well kitted out, with even fairly basic Acenta vehicles getting 16in alloy wheels, chrome door handles, a 5in TFT trip computer screen, keyless start and keyless entry.
Top-of-the-range Teknas, however, get a more powerful 187bhp engine, bigger alloys, satellite navigation, heated seats and leather upholstery, among other accoutrements.
The Navara does have two features that the L200 can’t boast though: a 360-degree parking camera and an autonomous emergency braking system. Okay, so they may not be deal breakers, but they are useful gizmos and the emergency braking system does help to keep insurance costs down.
But for all of these road car accoutrements, the Navara is still a practical load-lugger. The one-tonne payload is a given in this class, but the ace up its sleeve is the 3.5-tonne maximum towing weight, which beats the L200 by 400kg.
Running costs
Ownership costs should be low too, because the Navara boasts one of the most economical engines currently fitted to a pick-up.
It’s a 2.3-litre diesel that’s 200cc smaller than its predecessor but just as powerful and up to 24% more efficient.
In basic Visia and Acenta vehicles, the engine produces 158bhp and is capable of 44.9mpg, while the Acenta +, N-Connecta and Tekna trims come with a 187bhp unit. Despite the extra power it’s almost as efficient, returning 44.1mpg and boasting 169g/km CO2 emissions – just 2g/km more than the 158bhp engine.
Lease rates are also incredibly competitive, with average three-year business deals costing around £260 a month compared to the £283 an L200 will set you back.
On the road
Though it may have SUV economy, but don’t be fooled: the Navara is still very much a truck.
It rolls and wallows through corners, and though the old Navara’s rear suspension has been completely replaced by a multi-link arrangement, it’s still a bit jiggly when there’s nothing in the load bay.
Of course, the two-tonne NP300 was never going to be a match for the smaller, lighter Qashqai when it came to ride and handling, but we were hoping for a little less engine noise in the cabin and a little more accuracy to the manual’s shift action.
Those are relatively minor complaints though, and they are well outnumbered by the positives.
The clutch, for example, is light and therefore pleasant to use in traffic, while the 187bhp engine in our Tekna-spec test car felt every bit as punchy as the more-than-respectable 10.8-second 0-62mph time suggests. The steering has a pleasing weight to it too, and though it can’t make up for the lack of feel, it makes the Navara feel nice and substantial.
It’s great over the rough stuff too, with four-wheel drive, 22cm of ground clearance and a 60cm maximum wading depth.
The verdict
With such an impressive combination of equipment, efficiency and capability, there’s no doubt that this is one of the best pick-ups you can lease. We suspect it might even be the best.