Nissan refreshes Navara to take on the new wave of utes

Thursday, 5 November 2020

Nissan has updated its Navara, following fresh competition from the likes of Ford, Toyota and Isuzu.

The refreshed Navara features a new front end, taking design inspiration from the North American Titan. There are new C-shaped daytime running lights and a chunkier nose, as well as a redesigned ute tub (with a nice little flare on the tailgate), wheel arch flares and taillights.

Under the skin has seen more changes, with a safety update and a more refined ride. Autonomous emergency braking and forward crash alert systems on the new Navara rely on a large rectangular sensor in the lower portion of the grille but, strangely, don’t include active cruise control in any capacity.

The Navara has been updated with a new face and extra tech.

There is lane centering but it uses the brakes to pull the ute back in lane, rather than adjusting the steering automatically. This is because the steering is still hydraulic, rather than electric.

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That little upwards flare on the tailgate looks very good, especially with the sports bar.

* First drive review: Isuzu D-Max

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Inside the Navara has been updated too, with slight changes to the dash, HVAC and infotainment systems.

* Road test review: Nissan Navara N-Trek Warrior

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Other new tech additions include lane departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert, and blind zone warning. It’s unclear if these will be range-wide or just for the more expensive Navaras.

The 2.3-litre twin-turbo four-cylinder diesel engine carries over, making a familiar 140kW/450Nm. It’s connected to either a six-speed manual or seven-speed automatic. Fuel economy for each transmission set-up is 7.5L/100km (manual) and 8.1L/100km (automatic).

Other mechanical updates include a stronger rear axle, more payload capacity and tray volume and a new steering lock offering faster lock-to-lock turns and response. Better insulation has reduced noise, vibration and harshness.

Two spec levels were revealed in the Australian presentation, the SL and Pro-4X, and there’s no word yet on if they will be named as such for the New Zealand market.

The Pro-4X gets a heavy-duty sports bar, chunky bull bar on the nose, a blacked-out grille, more flared wheel arches, a larger bash plate, running boards, all-terrain tyres, and a range of Pro-4X decals along with orange highlights. It’s not a full on Raptor competitor (that slot will be filled with an inevitable N-Trek Warrior replacement) but it should duke it out nicely with the likes of the Isuzu D-Max X-Terrain.

Local pricing and spec is yet to be announced but the current crop of refreshed utes is quite competitive, with most starting in the $40k range. It will be interesting to see how Nissan positions the new Navara.