Five utes that are really a Nissan Navara

Friday, 28 September 2018

The Nissan Navara has been with us since the name first appeared on the D21 Nissan pick up that began production in 1986.

Since then it has not only been a popular choice for consumers, but also other car makers looking for a quick and easy way into the ute segment. Mercedes-Benz may be the latest, but there are and have been several others - here are five.

Mercedes-Benz X Class

The latest ute to be spun off the Navara platform - this time the newer D23 - the X Class was developed this way for one simple reason; time.

* Renault's luxury ute, the Alaskan, is revealed

* Changes to Nissan Navara will carry it through 2018**

Mercedes engineers say that using the Navara as a basis saved them at least five years in development time, allowing them to get into that increasingly competitive one-tonne pick up segment far quicker.

They did do significant development of their own, however and, contrary to popular belief, the X Class shares no exterior panels with the Navara. Not even that rear door pressing and the distinctive window shape that everyone points straight at when proclaiming 'It's just a re-badged Nissan!'

The Nissan Navara has supplied its underpinnings to a surprising number of utes from other manufacturers over the years. Here are five.

Peugeot Pick-up

This one is slightly convoluted. The Pick-up is actually a re-badged Dongfeng Rich sold by Peugeot exclusively in the North African market, which makes sense as Chinese company Dongfeng bought 13 per cent of Groupe PSA (Peugeot's parent company) in 2014.

The Dongfeng Rich is based on the venerable D22 Nissan Navara that originally made its debut in 1997 (and soldiered on alongside the newer D40 here for quite some time too), so it is hardly cutting edge technology, but certainly has a rugged pedigree that would be necessary in North Africa, we would assume.

There's no Nissan on the outside, but under the skin the Mercedes X Class was developed from the D23 Navara.

Renault Alaskan

Given that Renault developed the engines for the D23 Navara, it is fitting that it sell its own version of the Nissan, even if it really is just a new face slapped on the familiar Navara body.

But it is a handsome face and one that we might see here one day. Maybe. Possibly.

The African-only Peugeot Pick-up is based on the old D22 Navara.

Renault NZ have been promising the to bring the Alaskan to our shores for a while now, but so far there has been no sign of it. Currently the Alaskan only sells in Europe, but is built in right hand drive form for the UK market (which is still part Europe…)

Suzuki Equator

Much like the Renault Alaskan and unlike the Mercedes, the Suzuki Equator was literally just a D40 Navara with a new face. Built by Nissan for Suzuki to sell in the US and Canadian markets, it featured the same Nissan four cylinder and V6 diesel engines.

Renault New Zealand say they are bringing the Alaskan here. Just not when.

Yep, that's a Navara under there somewhere. A D40 double cab, to be precise.

The Suzuki Equator looked cool, but wasn't a sales success.

The Equator wasn't a massive success and was only built between 2008 and 2012, with Canada dropping it in 2010. Sales rarely exceeded 200 units a month and a rather dismal total of just 5,800 units were ever sold.

Along with the tiny and awesome Mighty Boy Kei car, the ill-fated Equator remains Suzuki's only other venture into the ute/pick up segment.

ACMAT ALTV

Bet you couldn't pick the Navara in this one quite so easily, but that is exactly what this thing is.

ACMAT (Ateliers de Construction Mécanique de L'Atlantique) is a French manufacturer of military vehicles that is currently owned by Renault Trucks (there's the link) and builds its ALTV (which, confusingly stands for ACMAT Light Tactical Vehicle, meaning that it is technically named the Ateliers de Construction Mécanique de L'Atlantique Ateliers de Construction Mécanique de L'Atlantique Light Tactical Vehicle…) from the D40 Navara.

Versions that actually have roofs and doors are available and the D40 heritage is clearly obvious there, despite the brilliantly Lego-style nose.