2021 Nissan Navara : Hello Again, Mother

Nissan’s storied history is filled with some memorable motoring icons i.e. the Fairlady, the Silvia, and of course, the “Godzilla”, GT-R. The origin of the company can be traced back to the 1910s and the Kaishinsha Motorcar Works. However, through numerous reorganisations and mergers, modern history only remembers the Datsun (faintly) and Nissan brands. And although the company / brand is known for its cars, it had also produced trucks from way back when; they were however usually inspired by someone else’s model. The first truck to carry the Datsun badge appeared in 1934. It wasn’t until 1955 that it made its own – the Datsun 120 pick-up truck.

Thus Nissan has a long heritage of building trucks, with a lineage dating back some 80 years. The latest version of the Nissan Navara is the updated D23 generation that has been revised with some best-in-class improvements, including active safety technology. With these additions complementing a radical redesign, the new Navara marks the return of the ‘Mother Trucker’.

Riding on top of the improved Navara line-up is the PRO-4X, making it 5 variants in total with a manual box option for some. Compared to the pre-facelift Navara VL variant, the new Navara PRO-4X has gained in size. It is now 5 mm longer (5,620 mm), 25 mm wider (1,875 mm) and 15 mm taller (1,855 mm).

Appearance-wise, the Navara PRO-4X is heavily inspired by the Nissan Titan of North America. The bolder face with the large black ‘Interlock’ front grille and the stamped ‘Navara’ name on top, the black fender arches, side mirrors and door handles, as well as the C-shaped LED signature lights all show its relation to the larger Titan. Even the tailgate with its integrated spoiler, and rear bumper with the convenient integrated step are fashioned like the Titan’s. The side and rear posture of the Navara have also been elevated for a more proportionate and improved stance.

Finishing off the rugged exterior styling are the black 17″ wheels with all-terrain tyres, as well as striking magma coloured accent on the fender trim and front bumper. The Nissan wordmark on the grille, tailgate and wheel caps are also in contrasting red on black.

Inside, the seats are Nissan’s Zero Gravity inspired seats fitted with leather upholstery. These seats are developed through joint research with Yamazaki Laboratory at Keio University to put your body in a neutral posture thus improving support and comfort and reducing fatigue. The rear seats have been improved with new cushion to provide better thigh support and a curved backrest for optimal support. Cabin comfort is also improved by the noise isolating acoustic laminated glass of the front windows and windscreen.

Furthermore, there is a new armrest at the rear with built-in cup holders for added convenience. The cabin is also equipped with a total of four USB ports (one is a USB-C) for modern convenience.

For the driver’s convenience, there is a 7″ Advanced Drive Assist Display (ADAD) in high resolution full colour. This display accompanies the tachometer and speedmeter to provide important drive information. Complementing that is a new 3-spoke leather wrapped sport steering wheel, and 8″ infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto-ready connectivity, and voice recognition.

The Nissan Navara PRO-4X maintains the use of the trusty 2.5L YD25 turbo diesel engine which produces 190 PS @ 3,600 rpm and 450 Nm @ 2,000 rpm and delivered to the wheels by a 7-speed automatic transmission (with manual mode). Based on the R101 test cycle, the average fuel economy is 8.4l/100km. With its 80L fuel tank, this puts the theoretical driving range at 950 km.

The Navara’s go-anywhere, do-anything character is bolstered by such features as its practical ground clearane of 225 mm and water wading ability of up to 600 mm. It also features a strengthened rear axle and increased truck bed volume. The payload capacity has been increased to 1.1 tonnes to emphasise its ‘Mother Trucker’ capability. Furthermore, the truck bed of the PRO-4X is fitted with a Utili-Track dual-channel track system with 4 heavy-duty forged aluminium cleats as anchor points for securing cargo. The tailgate has a torsion bar system to counterbalance the weight, making opening and closing effortless.

And just like its predecessor, the updated Navara continues with the use of a multi-link suspension setup at the rear. Now using dual-rate coil springs, body toss is reduced by 33% resulting in a smoother ride on bumpy roads. Effectively, this also enhances driving stability. Moreover, the power steering system has been adjusted to make it easier to turn the vehicle or change lanes with less effort.

For the more hardcore, the Navara PRO-4X has a new electronic locking Rear Differential system that locks both wheels so that they rotate at the same speed and makes it easier to free the truck from loose sand or mud, or when one wheel is off the ground. Also, a new Trailer Sway Assist system helps to maintain the vehicle driving direction by controlling braking force when the vehicle detects swaying while pulling a trailer.

Also appearing in the Navara PRO-4X is the Nissan Intelligent Mobility active safety suite. This includes Lane Departure Warning, High Beam Assist, Intelligent Driver Alertness, Intelligent Predictive Forward Collision Warning & Forward Emergency Braking, Intelligent Around View Monitor with Intelligent Moving Object Detection, Blind Spot Warning, and Rear Cross Traffic Alert. Further, the Around View Monitor is intelligent enough to activate when you switch to 4Lo mode to help you manouevre around obstacles.

Other features from the Nissan Safety Shield 360 include Hill Start Assist, Hill Descent Control, Traction Control, Vehicle Dynamic Control, Active Brake Limited Slip Differential, Anti-lock Braking System, Electronic Brake-force Distribution and Brake Assist. There are also six SRS airbags to reduce injuries in a collision.