Nissan Navara King Cab – Alone in the Throne
Entries in the Malaysian pick-up truck market feature either the single cab or twin cab body styles. The king cab body style never managed to take off here in Malaysia, though it can be argued that this was simply because nobody has ever bothered to try selling a king cab pick-up in our market.
There are good reasons for the car makers to feel apprehensive about bringing king cab pick-ups here, of course. Asian buyers place great importance on passenger space. In Thailand, you can legally carry passengers at the rear space behind the front seats; you can’t do the same in Malaysia, at least not where the cops and JPJ can spot you.
The above reasoning is mere speculation of course, but we now have the opportunity to see for sure if the various manufacturers’ skepticism are justified. Our salute then, to Edaran Tan Chong Motor (ETCM) for being the first to take the plunge into the king cab segment with the Nissan Navara.
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| King cab bodystyle is popular in Thailand. |
It is not usual that, no wait, it has never happened before that I bring a test vehicle home and then choose to drive my own car when heading out, which is exactly what happened to the Navara King Cab reviewed here. In such a scenario, you would probably imagine that the said test car was so nasty that I’d rather be driving my own car. Well, the Navara was not in any way poor to drive, but because there is only legal seating for two, it had to stay at home when a group outing was on the agenda.
That part of it was unfortunate, because I have always enjoyed driving the Navara. Having tested it in several guises (4×4 A/T, 4×4 M/T and 4×2 A/T), the Navara consistently scores high marks in my evaluations of its refinement and performance. Sound insulation are at levels that will shame passenger cars, and ride quality is excellent for something that sits on a ladder frame with leaf springs propping a live rear axle.
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| Suicide rear doors enable access to rear compartment. |
The engine, meanwhile, is simply fabulous. Using a variable nozzle turbo (VNT), Nissan was able to coax what is by far class-leading outputs from the 2,488cc YD25DDTi engine. Vital statistics read 172hp @ 4,000rpm and 403Nm @ 2,000rpm, comfortably exceeding even some 3.0-litre alternatives.
Accusations have been leveled against this engine shoving all its torque in one brutal punch at its peak rather than spreading it over a wider plateau. It is not an invalid criticism, but remember also that the torque curve does not dip below 300Nm until you reach the 4,000rpm mark. There are many engines out there that do not even have 300Nm at its disposal. When you floor the throttle, the Navara accelerates at a barely believable, but very addictive rate. If you need to deliver your cargo to anywhere in a hurry, the Navara is the truck for the job.
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| 6-speed manual transmission. |
Like its engine, the King Cab’s 6-speed manual transmission is also identical to twin cab versions of the Navara. The gear change felt rubbery at first, but improved notably upon familiarization. The pedals are well-spaced and well-weighted, being suitable for use even with thick-soled shoes and boots, which you would expect to be typical footwear of a Navara user, especially one with an even greater commercial bias.
Indeed, the Navara King Cab’s commercial inclinations are made obvious by two crucial omissions in our test car – the bedliner and rear bumper – both of which are standard items in the twin cab versions. It is nevertheless not a bare-spec vehicle, as LSD, front fog lamps, electric side mirrors, power windows, reverse sensors, and side steps on either side are included in the standard equipment manifest.
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| Bedliner is optional with the King Cab. |
In order for the King Cab to appeal to the commercial clientele that the folks at ETCM are aiming it at, the ringgit and sen will need to add up. At RM82,800 with insurance, the entry-level Navara is even priced higher than a number of 4×4 twin cab alternatives such as the Mitsubishi Triton 2.5 Standard (RM79.9k), the Ford Ranger XL (RM76.5k), and from ETCM’s own stable, the venerable Nissan Frontier (RM82.7k).
Lined-up side-by-side, the three aforementioned rivals will have no answer to the Navara’s superior engine and transmission. In addition, the King Cab also boasts a bigger cargo bed and has comparable levels of creature comforts, albeit only for two occupants. Question for the buyer is, are these virtues worth ditching the rear seats for?
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| Will it take off in Malaysia? |
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