Game Changer

The latest Navara is on its way. But it’s more than just another new bakkie, because Nissan has come up with a big surprise or two. JACO KIRSTEN attended the launch in Morocco.

We know the bakkie market is competitive, and every manufacturer is trying their best to come up with something that would set their vehicle apart from its competitors. So we’ve become accustomed to incremental improvements: A more efficient engine here, a clever gearbox there and maybe a distinctive appearance.

But the new Nissan Navara is something that will truly set the cat among the pigeons. Not only is it more luxurious, and has a better engine/gearbox combination than its predecessor, but its suspension – and specifically the five-link, coil spring setup at the back – makes for handling that no other local bakkie can rival.

Some readers will know that the new Navara has been on sale for more than a year in other markets. We all wondered why it wasn’t on sale here sooner. The reason is actually quite simple: South African Navaras have a different specification level to those sold in Europe (more about that later); and they first have to complete the new Navara assembly line at Rosslyn, outside Pretoria. In the meantime, the first run of local Navaras will be imported from Thailand.

Exterior

Not only is the Navara’s design completely fresh, but mechanically they began with a clean slate too. It’s a little bit bigger and heavier than its predecessor. The load bin, for example, is now 67 mm longer than before, and it weighs between 5- and 38 kg more, depending on the model you choose.

If you look at the high sides of the nose and bonnet, you recognise the same line as on the upcoming Mercedes-Benz X-Class – and then you remember that the X-Class will be built for Mercedes-Benz by Nissan.

New power plants