Nissan NP300 Navara: Key features explained

Nissan and pickups go a long way. In fact, the Nissan Navara traces it roots to 80 years ago. Nissan has always had its roots deeply entrenched in the pickup sector whereas, its Datsun brand carried on the mantle of making affordable cars for the masses. Here in the Philippines, the Nissan Navara is a daily sight. It not only is the most used car but also the most trusted here. Actually just scan your eyes on the horizon and you will find pickups of all shape and size on the streets. So, while Nissan got a new-gen Navara with the NP300 badge, it is imperative that we take a look at it. Here are some of the key features of the new Nissan NP300 Navara pickup.

Engine

Nissan offers the NP300 Navara with the choice of a lone diesel engine in two different power configurations - 163PS/403Nm and 190PS/463Nm. Both these engines can be ordered with either a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed automatic transmission. Nissan offers the 4x4 choice only on the higher powered engine. Reports claim that the Nissan NP300 Navara’s engine is one of the most refined in its class and the torque delivery is quite linear. It is easy to forget that you are seated in a 2,500 kg truck. The rev counter barely nudges the 2,5000 rpm at 120 kmph on the highway. This is with a full complement of passengers and some heavy load. It doesn’t suffer much in terms of fuel efficiency and gives around 13 kmpl fuel efficiency.

Equipment

While the Nissan NP300 Navara will mostly be used for hauling goods and the likes, this hasn’t stopped the Japanese manufacturer from kitting it up. A 360-degree camera, anyone? This makes parking the almost 5.5-metre long pickup a breeze. Even the slightest of obstacles can be detected and one can also zoom in on to a spot to check whether the bumpers will lose some paint or not. Then there is the reverse camera with sensors, a touchscreen music system with additional controls on the steering wheel, a tilt and telescopic steering wheel, eight cup holders in the cabin, automatic climate control, rear AC vents, push-button start and more. Nissan doesn’t make bones of the fact that they want the Navara to be used an everyday vehicle and not just for bringing in the refrigerator or vegetables in bulk from the farms. For this, they have used breathable fabric upholstery for the seats. Speaking of which, the seats themselves are very comfortable and finding a good driving position using the electrical seat adjustment is also no bother here. One is perched higher up in the cabin with a commanding view all around.

Nissan also offers cool LED headlights with cornering function. These are very useful in the night and help dispel the darkness which our streets are usually prone to given the electricity department’s inability to fulfill their duty. Go for the Sports trim and Nissan will give you additional leather in the cabin, bed cover for the cargo, anti-roll bar and sporty looking front as well as rear bumpers.

4x4 drivetrain

What is an NP300 pickup without a four-wheel drive? Well, for starters, Nissan’s research shows that most of the customers will want a pickup just for their daily use. This might involve just going to the grocery store, sty or to the culling place for buying groceries, pigs or meat for the hotel. This will rarely need the power to be sent to the rear wheels, eh. So, the front wheel drive option has been given on most of the trims. The 4x4 option itself is a serious hardware but doesn’t have the small stick next to the gear lever now. Instead, it has become a shift-on-the-fly option. All you need to do is rotate the knob and the pickup will start transferring power to all the four wheels. Pretty nifty then! If you feel the need to go for some mud ploughing, the four high or four low option will be your saviour. Of course, the 190 horses too count here.

Chassis and safety

Nissan has used a lightweight chassis for the NP300 this time around. A fully boxed in and full-length ladder frame chassis enables the pickup to take on the rough easily. High tensile steel is being used everywhere in the cabin to ensure rigidity and low flex. This and the safety tech available, make the Navara one of the safest pickups around. The safety features include ABS with EBD, dual front SRS airbags, hill ascent and hill descent control, vehicle dynamic control, limited slip differential, brake assist and ISOFIX tethers for the rear seat.