The Star: October 07, 2021

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Thursday October 7 2021 The Star 35
Nissan Navara comes to the rescue
MY WIFE AND I have called it
the week from hell.
Firstly, our power went off
thanks to a corroded wire from
the street. While we thought we
were well advanced in terms of
preparedness – generator, gas
cooker, torches and plenty of
batteries – for 24 hours we struggled
without electricity with an
overnight low of a miserable -5
deg C.
Secondly, the fluctuating power
surge as the wire arced against the
house, spelt the end of one of our
freezers, it was full of frozen food,
quickly defrosting.
Thankfully, and at short notice,
we had a rental delivered until the
time we could buy a new freezer
and have it installed so no food
was lost.
That’s where Nissan’s new
Navara ute comes in. We bought
a new freezer and I used the ute
to pick it up from the collection
depot, I also used the vehicle
to deliver the old freezer to the
Parkhouse Rd recycling centre
along with a dryer that had long
been sitting in the garage unused
and was well past its used by date.
That’s where today’s double
cab ute comes in, it’s not only the
working vehicle with substantial
off-road, four-wheel-drive ability,
it’s the sedate and versatile carryall
that will also whisk families to
all those environments we travel
to on a daily basis and, might I
add, in comfort.
Nissan has just released a new
Navara, well, it’s a new shape with
a major overhaul inside, but the
mechanicals are largely a carryover.
That’s fine, the 2.3-litre
four-cylinder diesel engine is a
cracker in terms of sophistication,
so much so that Nissan must
have the other ute manufacturers
thinking hard about refinement.
The Navara also has a complex
rear suspension; gone are the
old leaf springs that are mostly
traditional with today’s pick-ups,
the Navara has a coil spring,
multiple-link set-up that locates
the live rear axle. It eliminates a
lot of the jiggle you get with utes
over uneven surfaces.
At the other end the twinturbocharged
diesel is rated by
Nissan at 140kW and 450Nm. The
origins of this engine hark back to
Nissan’s early alliance with Renault
and that collaboration shows,
there are high power outputs and
a smoothness that’s hard to match.
There’s no lumpy diesel throb here,
it works away in a soft, silent manner
and is very responsive. Not
only do the power outputs impress
through its 2298cc displacement,
it is also a fuel miser.
Nissan claims a 7.6-litre per
100km combined cycle average.
My time with the evaluation
vehicle required a lot of inner-city
running around incorporating
those tasks I mentioned in my
FOUR-WHEEL-DRIVE: Genuine off-road ability.
NISSAN NAVARA ST-X: Home appliances are easily catered for on the ute’s deck..
introduction. That being the
case, I wasn’t expecting to come
close to Nissan’s claims, but I
did return it to the dealership
with 9l/100km showing on the
readout. On my long highway
run to Hororata and Dunsandel,
a steady 100km/h cruise had the
engine sipping fuel at the rate of
6l/100km instantaneously, the
rev counter pointing to a lazy
1750rpm in seventh gear.
Yes, the ST-X has an automatic
seven-speeder and it, too, is one
of relative smoothness, shifts are
quick and can be encouraged
through a sequential shifting system
at the main gearshift lever.
Another interesting driveline
function is the four-mode
drive-type selector, it ranges
from standard to sport, tow and
off-road, I largely left it in normal
mode, but for those who like to
explore maximum efficiencies
those modes are there to help.
Elsewhere, the Navara is also
very car-like to drive, sure at over
5.2m it is a big vehicle and a trial
to fit into a standard city metered
car park, but it has a purpose
and it’s unashamedly suited for
that. On the deck you can load
the traditional one-tonne, and it
is rated with a 3500kg tow figure
(braked).
In terms of transportation it
will also carry five adults, the rear
seats don’t have a lot of rake but
• Price – Nissan Navara ST-
X, $57,490
• Dimensions – Length,
5255mm; width, 1850mm;
height, 1815mm
• Configuration – Fourcylinder,
four-wheel-drive,
2298cc, 140kW, 450Nm,
seven-speed automatic
• Performance – 0-100km/h,
9.4sec
• Fuel usage – 7.6l/100km
they are easily as comfortable as
any of the competition.
Up front there are heated seats
(full leather trim), and as much
technology as you could expect
from a modern ute. Satellite navigation
is fitted in ST-X models
along with cruise control and full
electrics.
On the highway the Navara
moves quietly and with much
dignity. In terms of handling it
enters a corner with solid turn-in
and little transition of weight. The
rear is far from lively and even
though part of my highway evaluation
was on wet roads, I never
thought the suspension would
let me down in terms of keeping
the tyres gripping well the road
surface.
Interestingly, the Navara rides
on 255/60 x 18in Toyo tyres and
they must be commended for
their quiet operating manner and
effective feedback to the driver.
Nissan has a comprehensive
Navara line-up – single-cab, king
cab and double cab – with two
and four-wheel-drive drivelines
and manual and automatic transmission
options.
The range starts from $41,990
and ends at $67,990 for the flashy
Pro 4X. I drove that model prior
to picking up the ST-X and it
made an immediate impression
on me for its body kit and chunky
tyres, yet, it too, drives in the
civilised manner that this series
of Navara can take enormous
credit for.
The ST-X on the other hand
doesn’t miss out on much to the
Pro 4X, but it is not so in-yourface
in terms of style. That being
the case, I’d easily settle for the
base to mid-grade models.
The new Navara comes at an
opportune time. The Government
tax on utes is set for January
and buyers are flocking to them
to save the extra cost that is expected
to be somewhere between
$2780-$5175.
Nissan assures me supply is
constant and interest in the newcomer
is high. I can see why, it
certainly sits as one of the market
leaders.
I know it certainly arrived in
my driveway at an opportune
time. My wife and I are so
grateful.
WOF
only $50
• Courtesy cars
• Oil changes
• Full mechanical repairs
• Brake & clutch repairs
• Transmission flush service
• Tyres & batteries
• Petrol & diesel servicing
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