{"id":659,"date":"2017-03-14T02:20:00","date_gmt":"2017-03-14T02:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/in4ride.com\/?p=659"},"modified":"2025-10-21T02:23:45","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T02:23:45","slug":"all-new-nissan-navara-now-in-mzansi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/in4ride.com\/?p=659","title":{"rendered":"ALL-NEW NISSAN NAVARA NOW IN MZANSI"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
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What is heritage? In this particular case, it is 14 million units<\/strong> produced and sold in 180 countries<\/strong> by Nissan<\/strong> since 1934<\/strong>. I was shocked to find this out as I was under the impression the other Japanese brand (Toyota of course), championed<\/strong> this market segment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It was in 2005<\/strong> when Nissan introduced the Navara<\/strong> brand, and it went on to be quite a popular bakkie, not just an alternative. I can recall the 2.5Tdci<\/strong> high power output motor was one of the most powerful at the time, with a staggering 140kW<\/strong> of power, and 450Nm<\/strong>. Nissan also availed a more humble 106kW<\/strong>\/356Nm version for those who deemed all the extra power not be necessary. The range-topping 4.0-litre V6<\/strong> petrol was just overkill if you ask me. Still, it was hugely popular with tow truck operators<\/strong>. Heck it still is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So how do you improve<\/strong> on that in a segment dominated by the Toyota Hilux, and [more recently], Ford\u2019s Ranger?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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March 13, 2017<\/strong> marks the dawn of a new era for Nissan. This is when they launched the all-new Navara<\/strong> to the local media contingent, introducing several innovations<\/strong> for the brand as well as the prized model itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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To start off with, the aesthetics<\/strong> are immensely improved<\/strong>, internally and on the exterior. The bonnet has bulges on either side that look like muscular<\/strong> shoulders when viewed from the cabin. The new Nissan Navara double cab is the only bakkie offered with LED headlights<\/strong> as standard, and they are well-incorporated into the grille<\/strong>. The front bumper air intake<\/strong> may look small however it serves a purpose. These small details form what the Nissan design team call the V motif<\/strong>. The side profile is mainly dominated by beefed-up<\/strong> wheel arches and the trapezoidal<\/strong> window form. The LE spec\u2019s 18-inch polished alloy<\/strong> wheels fit the pickup very well. The tailgate offers an industry segment first; a tailgate wing. Over all, it may very well be the best-looking<\/strong> bakkie on our roads right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I spent most of my time with the LE on launch, keyless entry<\/strong> and push start button<\/strong> are some of the first features one notes. The leather seats (with a R13 000<\/strong> heating<\/strong> option) set the tone. The driver\u2019s seat itself can be electronically adjusted<\/strong>, while both front seats feature something called Spinal Support<\/strong>, which is said to reduce fatigue<\/strong> over long journeys. The dashboard is made of good quality<\/strong> materials, and the centre console is neatly consolidated<\/strong> into it. The split-zone air conditioning<\/strong> is what takes most interest as it paired to rear air vents for superior cabin comfort<\/strong>. The multi-function steering<\/strong> is wrapped in a leather feel material; the use of the various buttons did prove daunting<\/strong> at first though. The navigation infotainment<\/strong> system is standard across the range. One of the easier one to operate as well, it does look a little after-market<\/strong> though. The cabin is quite comfortable and even had an industry-first powered rear sliding window<\/strong>. The button could be better placed though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The new Navara is 176kg lighter<\/strong> than its predecessor, it boasts an all new powerplant; this 2.3-litre twin turbo charged diesel<\/strong> engine is the sole engine offered in the range. It generates 140kW<\/strong> of power and 450Nm<\/strong> of torque. It is either mated to a manual 6 speed<\/strong> gearbox, or a Nissan-first 7-speed automated<\/strong> unit.  The manual shift felt dated and inaccurate<\/strong> at our first drive, while the automatic proved the better choice for ultimate comfort and better fuel consumption<\/strong>. Even in 7th<\/sup> gear in manual mode the torque surge is impressive. In comparison to competitors it punches well above most 2.0-litre 4 potters<\/strong> out there. The delivery of the power is linear<\/strong> if not near perfect for a diesel. This does not take anything away from the superb<\/strong> fuel figures even though we were nowhere near the claimed 6.5L\/100km.<\/strong> Our best was 9.8<\/strong>, then again we were doing some spirited driving on the Northen Cape<\/strong> roads. Blame it on the fun motor. What is evident is this 80 litre fuel tank<\/strong> can do 1 000km<\/strong> if not more when driven in a humane manner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How is the Navara drive? Sublime, on just about any terrain. The 5 point rear<\/strong> coil suspension is magnificent; watching it work is truly magical<\/strong>. Driving behind one on the sand dunes of Lamberts Bay,<\/strong> I witnessed something truly mesmerising<\/strong>. This translates to unbelievable comfort<\/strong> on the road, with superb handling characteristics when dealing with the twisty bits. As a solid off-roader, it delivers in bucket loads<\/strong>, thanks to several improvements on approach angle, lateral tilt angle of 50 degrees<\/strong> and ride height with ramp over angle of over 25 degrees<\/strong>. Dealing with hill declines is made easy via Hill Descent Control<\/strong>. You can also shift between 2H <\/strong>and 4H<\/strong> while driving, which makes the experience even more fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Now to work stuff. The new Navara load capabilities have been improved from its predecessor, with the towing capacity now at 3 500kg<\/strong> (braked), payload is over a 1 tonne with 39kg<\/strong> deficit to the automatic gearbox<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Nissan has launched the Navara with two options; the lower level SE manual<\/strong>, or higher specification LE in manual<\/strong> or automatic<\/strong>. I am sure those with workhorse interest are asking \u201cwhere is the single cab<\/strong>\u201d? Well that will be introduced at a later stage<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To conclude, the new Navara comes with a comprehensive<\/strong> list of standard features and kit, making it a valuable proposition<\/strong> in a highly competitive<\/strong> segment. It is as good as it gets. It certainly gets my vote on several key issues of importance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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New Nissan Navara Prices<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Double Cab SE manual – R514 900<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Double Cab LE manual – R565 900<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Double Cab LE automatic – R597 900<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The 4X2<\/strong> double cab range will be available in the last quarter of 2017<\/strong>, with prices ranging from R450 000<\/strong> to R520 000<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What is heritage? In this particular case, it is 14 million units produced and sold in 180 countries by Nissan…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":661,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_regular_price":[],"currency_symbol":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[80,145],"tags":[288,150,287],"class_list":["post-659","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-nissan","tag-navara","tag-nissan","tag-nissan-navara"],"post_slider_layout_featured_media_urls":{"thumbnail":["https:\/\/in4ride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Navara-3rdHouse-top-of-hill-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"post_slider_layout_landscape_large":["https:\/\/in4ride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Navara-3rdHouse-top-of-hill-1200x800.jpg",1200,800,true],"post_slider_layout_portrait_large":["https:\/\/in4ride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Navara-3rdHouse-top-of-hill-1200x1280.jpg",1200,1280,true],"post_slider_layout_square_large":["https:\/\/in4ride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Navara-3rdHouse-top-of-hill-1200x1200.jpg",1200,1200,true],"post_slider_layout_landscape":["https:\/\/in4ride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Navara-3rdHouse-top-of-hill-600x400.jpg",600,400,true],"post_slider_layout_portrait":["https:\/\/in4ride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Navara-3rdHouse-top-of-hill-600x900.jpg",600,900,true],"post_slider_layout_square":["https:\/\/in4ride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Navara-3rdHouse-top-of-hill-600x600.jpg",600,600,true],"full":["https:\/\/in4ride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Navara-3rdHouse-top-of-hill.jpg",1920,1280,false]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/in4ride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/659","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/in4ride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/in4ride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in4ride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in4ride.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=659"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/in4ride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/659\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":666,"href":"https:\/\/in4ride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/659\/revisions\/666"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in4ride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/661"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/in4ride.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=659"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in4ride.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=659"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in4ride.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=659"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}