The Nissan Navara is arguably the first double-cab to offer a level of luxury that made it plausible to use as a daily driver. Building on the NP300 platform, the cabin was fitted in a way that made it comfortable, trendy and convenient. All of this happened back in 1997 with South Africa seeing the second generation a little later in 2006. As the saying goes, they haven't looked back.
South Africa got a taste of the third-generation Nissan Navara in 2017 and the response was overwhelming. Despite going up against tough opposition in the form of the Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger, the Navara is holding its own rather well.
1. There's only one engine.
That's right, you don't get to pick and choose here, there's only one engine on offer across the range. That's not a bad thing though because this is a rather good engine. The 2.3-litre, 4-cylinder diesel engine is fitted with a pair of turbochargers to provide power from extremely low down in the rev range and keep the engine going all the way to the redline. It produces 140 kW and 450 Nm torque, all while managing to return an average fuel consumption of 6.5 l/100km. This means that you could possibly see over 1000 km on a single tank.
2. It's crammed with driver aids.
The Nissan Navara is fitted with a host of driver aids that will help ensure your safety as well as fortify the capabilities of the 4x4 drive system. It's fitted with an Active Brake Limited Slip Differential that transfers power and braking both front to back and side to side to ensure that you have the best traction possible over loose surfaces. It works in conjunction with the ABS, Vehicle Dynamic Control, Hill Descent Control and Hill Start Assist.
3. It features an innovative suspension.
The Navara breaks the mould by employing a 5-link rear suspension setup. Usually reserved for large SUVs at Group 1 Nissan, the Navara does away with the traditional leaf-spring and live rear axle arrangement and opt sot go the more intricate way. This gives the Navara an SUV-like ride quality that is hard to fault. Despite this change, the payload rating remains unchanged and the Navara can still carry 961 kg in 4x4 trim and 1030 kg in 4x2 configuration.
Article source: https://www.autotrader.co.za/cars/news-and-advice/automotive-news/top-3-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-nissan-navara/5912
