Nissan D40 Navara Dual Cab (2005-)

BOTTOM LINE: A new class leader?

OVERVIEW
Nissan finds itself at the close of 2005 in the box seat as the first manufacturer in Australia to capitalize on the splintering of the light commercial one tonner market into two sizes. By retaining the earlier and smaller D22 Navara range from Japan with a price cut and supplementing it with the keenly priced new D40 Navara dual cab from Europe which is a full size bigger, Nissan now has the widest coverage of any light commercial range in Australia. The new D40 Navara has also leapt to the top of the class in most dimensions and specifications.

It is such a good drive and so pleasant inside that it should prove to be the first of its type to be openly accepted by women drivers, a critical factor in its purchase as a second family vehicle. In this area, it has the potential to affect local ute sales.

The strategy of again linking a new full chassis Pathfinder SUV with the Navara commercials as they were when they were first launched two decades ago now makes sense. It has delivered a new Navara that is tougher than ever but is much more car like in the way it drives and feels from the driver's seat. However, this leverage of a new commercial and SUV range from the one platform may have come at a cost.

For many buyers, the latest Pathfinder is a backward step over its smooth-looking and compact predecessor but for buyers of the new Navara, this two from one approach has delivered an absolute winner with its butch looks, extra grunt, bigger size and Euro interior. As the new Navara wins widespread acceptance, Nissan must hope that the new Pathfinder will be swept along.

Why has Nissan made the move? As CarPoint was one of the first to identify how this market has undergone radical changes as well as extraordinary growth. Half of overall sales are now diesel dual cabs while petrol dual cabs make up 20 per cent, diesel cab-chassis 21 per cent while a trifling 2 per cent are petrol cab-chassis sales leaving the remaining 5 per cent for diesel king cabs and 2 per cent petrol king cabs.

Because the workhorse component of this market is no longer the primary focus, Nissan has done well to keep its previous Navara workhorse models alive and well clear of its new Navara range. For many top level dual cab buyers spending $50,000 or more, the stripper cab-chassis versions of the Toyota HiLux and Ford Courier to name two of the worst affected by such a link, are unwelcome reminders of their vehicle's bottomline under-$20,000 origins. The D40 Navara escapes this by being available only as a dual cab, at least until other versions arrive at the end of 2006.

Nissan's buyer profile for this segment highlights why this is so important. The buyer is male led in 80 per cent of purchases with an average age of 44 and over half are married with children. Income is in the $50-80,000 range, mainly tradespeople and small business professionals then farmers, production or transport workers.

FEATURES
If there is any single area where the new Navara snatches a clear lead, it is in the number of innovative features that transform this type of vehicle.

The most obvious is the new bodystyle clearly aimed at Western tastes. It is a genuine wide body, not a skinny Japanese design bulked-up with plastic wheel arch extensions and side steps. This is one of the few of its type where big Australians won't clash elbows and it is a genuine three seater in the rear.

The body is all steel, including the wheelarches and extends below grille level, which means the optional bull bar is less imposing than most. Its European origins deliver fat protection mouldings through the waistline as an option.

At 5220mm long (5133mm at RX entry level) it is longer than Ford Courier and Holden Rodeo but 22mm shorter than HiLux. At 1850mm wide, it is substantially wider than all of these which at various times were the biggest of their type. It is also taller than HiLux and Rodeo but slightly shorter than Courier and therefore has the measure of the Courier's class-leading headroom. A tray length of 1511mm places it well ahead of Rodeo, almost equal to the HiLux and just short of the class-leading Courier. However, a tray width of 1560mm places it at the top of its class and the extra width between the Navara's subtle wheelarches delivers a huge advantage. A tray height of 457mm is a useful compromise between the Courier's too shallow 405mm and the Rodeo's deep 470mm allowing easy side loading.

Towing capacity is 3000kg, placing it well in front of the Hilux's 2250kg, the best of the rest. Because this Navara is knocking on the door of the big Ford F-series and the biggest and most expensive 4X4 wagons, don't be surprised if they start showing up as the tow vehicle of choice at boat ramps and motor sport events. Nissan cleverly addresses the lack of gutters for roof racks with captive bolts let into the roof above each door to locate purpose designed racks.

After establishing its credentials as a workhorse, it is a bonus to discover the Navara's more clever features.

It comes as a 4X2 as a top level ST-X petrol only then as an entry level RX 4X4 petrol or diesel topped by an ST-X 4X4 petrol or diesel.

All models have a European-style dash with deep vertical face level vents that allow the sound system and heater/ventilation controls to be lifted to steering wheel height. This in turn frees up oddments space below too often missing in this type of vehicle. The dash profile is also low and windscreen relatively deep allowing outstanding forward vision. The handbrake is centre mounted and all controls operate crisply and are easily accessed by drivers of all sizes. Because it is so closely related to the Pathfinder, women should find the interior less truck-like than rivals even if it is a little dark and somber.

The rear seat can be lifted up and folded back against the rear bulkhead in a 60:40 split leaving an almost flat floor for massive in-cabin storage. There is a rear centre armrest, wide enough to function as a games platform for kids. The centre rear belt is a full lap-sash type. The front passenger seat folds flat to the same level as the rear seats (as it does in the Pathfinder) generating a huge internal load platform.

The entry level RX 4X4 features air-conditioning, 16-inch steel wheels, single CD sound, limited slip diff, carpet, additional 12 volt socket, front and rear door pockets, centre console, front and rear cupholders, driver's left footrest, rear heater vents, full instruments, side intrusion bars, variable intermittent wipers, rear demister with timer, front/rear mudflaps and rear window guard frame. Not bad when you can't even get some of these on several top level rivals. Dual airbags and ABS are a $1250 option. The RX 4X4 petrol manual (six-speed) starts at $38,990. The diesel and five-speed auto both add $2000 each.

The ST-X is the hamburger with the lot. Over the RX, it gains 16 inch alloy wheels, a very effective cruise control, driver and passenger airbags, ABS brakes with brake assist, remote central locking with immobilizer, power windows and mirrors, six CD sound, sports bars, side steps and the innovative Utili-Track tie down system. That's only half the story.

The ST-X offers full driver's seat height and lumbar support adjustment plus tilt-adjustable steering column. These are critically important features that allow big Aussies and their smaller partners to find equal comfort in this type of vehicle and are too often missing. A leather bound steering wheel and shift lever, overhead sunglass holder and map lights, twin upper and lower gloveboxes, extra colour coding, chrome rear step and chrome grille frame further lift the ST-X into another class where few rivals can match it.

The Utili-Track system is worth a second look. You only get it in the ST-X as the load bed has to be specially reinforced. It features substantial C-section tracks down each side and the front of the load bed as well as the floor. It comes with massive cast alloy cleats with wings that can be moved along each track. These cleats and their wings allow you to add ropes, hooks and a whole variety of fastening systems to tie down a load. There is a huge list of accessories designed for this system including bike racks, slide-in tool chests, load extension cages, you name it.

So what's missing? Not much but the tail gate has no lock even though there is provision for one. You need to pay extra for a tonneau and its side clip rails. A special ute liner is required for the Utili-Track system. Apart from the silver and white, colours are typically dark and gloomy European and get dirty easily. The RX has a little too much charcoal plastic at the price.

Prices for the ST-X start at $37,990 for the 4X2 petrol manual (six-speed) plus $2000 for the auto. If you don't need 4WD, you wouldn't look at an RX at this price with all the extra ST-X features. The ST-X starts at $43,990 for the same petrol manual with 4WD, a massive $6000 premium just for the 4WD system. The diesel then adds another $2000 as does the auto.

Cost out the ST-X features over the RX 4X4 and the extra $5000 for the ST-X 4X4 wouldn't pay for a fraction of them so the ST-X 4x4 is a bargain, at least against its RX sibling. Yet it's the ST-X 4X2 that is the real price winner. As CarPoint predicted last year, the real cost of 4WD has become apparent as import duties drop and the $6000 saving over the 4X4 version is a big one for a feature that might only be used once a year if ever. Would there be demand for an ST-X diesel as a 4X2 at $39,990? As the market evolves in response to rising fuel costs, this could be the vital model missing in the new range.

COMFORT
Comfort in a light commercial intended for offroad use and a payload of one tonne is almost solely dependent on the suspension engineers. Get the compromise wrong as almost all Navara rivals do and the rest is window dressing. The new Navara with its European levels of body control gets the balance between reasonable ride and sway-free handling almost right with one glaring exception but more of that below.

Also critical to comfort in these vehicles is the high floor which either restricts headroom or forces the manufacturers to place the seat cushions so close to the floor that your legs are bent around your ears. Because of its Pathfinder origins, the new Navara does a better job than most. The cabin offers huge rear legroom with headroom to spare both front and rear in marked contrast to the D22 Navara. This also allows the rear seat back to be inclined at a more car-like angle.

In the front, there are firm, full-size European bucket seats with more sideways location than the scale-model flat pews in rivals, read HiLux. Yet they may be too firm for some and the aggressive non-adjustable lumbar support in the RX model will prevent the shoulders of a smaller, lighter driver from hitting the seatback. The ST-X with its adjustable lumbar support and extra seat adjustments could be critical if drivers on the opposite ends of the size and weight spectrum have to share the vehicle. Front seat comfort is otherwise outstanding with enough seat cushion height and length to support the legs of the tallest occupants.

The rear seat should be much more comfortable than it is. The seat cushion is too short and unnecessarily close to the floor. The fold-up facility appears to have compromised passenger comfort. The weight of taller drivers is concentrated on a small contact patch in the nether regions as legs are forced well clear of the seat cushion. It's a shame when there is room to spare inside the cabin to deliver an outstanding rear seat.

As for the rest of the vehicle, entry and exit are easy front and rear providing you can make the climb. The ST-X leather bound steering wheel is an outstanding piece of kit in a vehicle of this type with its spoke-mounted cruise control buttons. Airflow through the big vents can match a stiff breeze and good all round vision contributes to relaxed and comfortable driving.

SAFETY
Primary safety is very good with unusually neutral handling for a light commercial. This is enhanced by accurate rack and pinion steering, again rare for this type of vehicle. Nissan claims that the overslung rear springs contribute as they better cater for the variation between laden and unladen.

The front airbags which bring seat belt pre-tensioners as well as ABS with brake assist where specified are now the bottomline in passenger cars. It is good to see that they are at least available on all models. Their inclusion as an option on the RX reflects the price sensitivity in this market but one can only hope that most families value their safety at the reasonable $1250 option price. Side intrusion bars are an overdue feature front and rear given the passenger carrying role and not always found in Navara rivals. The three-point seat belts for all occupants are also worthy of another mention.

Nissan claims that the inherent safety of the ladder frame with its in-built crushable zones plus the similar crumple zones of the separate body deliver dual zone protection. Unless an NCAP test tells us otherwise, it is reassuring to know that the Navara shares its European crash protection levels with the Pathfinder and not some cheap as chips cab-chassis.

It would have been good to see rear disc brakes but the Navara's rear drums are the norm in this segment where a powerful handbrake and lack of brake lock-up when empty are also high priorities.

MECHANICAL
This is the new Navara's big claim to fame. There are two outstanding new engines with transmissions that bring the absolute best out of them. The four wheel drive system is the time proven and simple part-time system which leaves the vehicle in rear drive when not engaged. The second lever normally found in this system is replaced by a rotary dash control that electrically selects four wheel drive in high and low ratios.

The 4-litre petrol engine is a bigger version of the VQ 3.5lt found in the 350Z, Murano and Maxima. It is a gem as you would expect of an engine that has won an award every year since 1995 as one of the world's ten best engines. In this application it delivers 198kW and 385Nm giving it a huge advantage over all rivals. It makes light work of a vehicle that weighs 1840-1995kg depending on 4WD and equipment. Its V8 levels of power and torque outgun the Hilux's 175kW/343Nm and is almost 25 per cent ahead of other V6 rivals.

The standard manual transmission is an equally outstanding six-speed with close ratios and a shift quality that local V8 drivers once could only dream about. This is achieved with double cone synchronizers on first, third and fourth with triples on second. Reverse also has synchromesh for graunch-free engagement.

The optional five-speed auto is not a bad thing either. There is a down side.

Fuel consumption averages out at 12.7/12.9 litres/100 km for the 4X2 manual/auto but jumps to 13.6/14.0 for the 4x4 manual/auto versions. This compares to 9.0/9.5 litres/100 km for the manual/auto diesel version. It is just as well that the diesel is also equally ahead of its rivals.

The diesel is a new version of the YD series with 2.5-litres and turbocharging but pumps out 128kW@4000 rpm and a stump pulling 403Nm of torque at an amazing 2000 rpm which has a big influence on how you drive it. It features the latest common rail technology, variable nozzle turbo, intercooler and twin balancer shafts. It outgrunts the 120kW of the HiLux and relegates the sub-100kW outputs of the Rodeo and Ford/Mazda to another age. It also comes with the choice of a six-speed manual or five-speed auto.

Suspension is conventional for this type of vehicle with the front double wishbones featuring coil springs, not the more usual torsion bars and rack and pinion steering as dictated by the Pathfinder market. At the rear, a conventional live axle is used with a hefty centre diff capped by a neat finned cover that is visible from the rear. The spare is a full-sized steel wheel. Fuel tank capacity is a welcome 80 litres allowing a decent range between cheap fuel.

COMPETITORS
This is where Nissan has been a little clever. The almost $2000 price incentive on the D22 Navara continues as Nissan contests the entry level of this segment with the most powerful diesel and most attractive styling of all the compact light commercials.

The Ford Courier and the recent Mazda B-series update which matches the recent 4.0lt V6 Courier facelift neatly straddle the large and smaller sizes with competitive pricing. However, the dated styling, lumbering diesel, old cabin design and more basic equipment levels leave it to compete only on price when it belongs to another age. Women tend to veto the truck-like feel and umbrella handbrake. Apart from width, cabin space and load length are in the same ball park as the new Navara and the suspension tuning in the V6 models is better.

The once class-leading Rodeo cannot match the new Navara in cabin size or load area and its choppy ride and more basic seating are now exposed. The new Navara suddenly makes the $41,990 entry price for a Rodeo LT 4X4 Crew Cab petrol manual look steep especially when you have to find another $2200 for air-conditioning.

The Mitsubishi Triton with its compact size and ageing presentation is now catering to the cost-conscious buyer with some success but you really wouldn't consider the two in the same equation such is the huge difference in size, dynamics and presentation.

The big question is how it stacks up against the new Toyota Hilux, a vehicle that is as flawed as it is outstanding. The Hilux looks are going to polarise more buyers than the Navara and the bleak industrial grey interior and small seats will cause many women buyers to veto it. At the top levels, equipment is very evenly matched. Where the Navara ST-X 4x4 petrol starts at $43,990, the HiLux SR5 equivalent starts at $45,920 while falling short in several mechanical specifications. Life has suddenly got much tougher for the Toyota HiLux.

The new Navara ST-X in both 4X2 and 4X4 versions has also robbed the Holden Crewman of its power and transmission advantages while closing the gap on its passenger car feel and performance. The same pluses must also place it on some shopping lists for buyers of the popular medium and larger four-wheel drives especially with its 3000kg towing capacity.

ON THE ROAD
A shipping delay meant that the launch examples were diesel although CarPoint managed to sneak in a fast blast of a V6 petrol Navara while its Nissan executive driver was eating his lunch. To experience such lift in a light commercial was a new experience and reminiscent of the days when you could buy a locally assembled Ford F150 with a 351 Cleveland under the bonnet. The D40 Navara petrol is seriously quick with roadholding to match even if the higher driving position can feel a little daunting at first. Aside from these initial impressions which suggest that a Commodore or Falcon ute driver would not be disappointed, a more comprehensive assessment will have to wait.

The diesel was the primary focus of the drive program when this combination accounts for over half of all light commercial sales on its own. There was a mix of fast open highway cruising and some challenging and very steep offroad work.

The entry level RX impressed with its overall refinement and a feel that was not as downmarket as others. The sprawling space really makes a difference and the neutral handling and rack and pinion steering add an unexpected level of driver enjoyment. The road feel and lack of body roll in hard cornering comes as a surprise although whether this continues with a full load on board remains to be seen.

The other pleasant surprise is the diesel's ability to dispatch overtaking with safety. The trick is not to rev the engine out in the lower gears but use the manual's six close ratios to keep the engine running just above its 2000 rpm torque-peak and marvel as the diesel's enormous pulling power reins in slower traffic and gets you back inside the white line with the minimum of fuss. Despite a substantial sound pad under the bonnet, it is not a quiet engine while working and the manual is best used to keep the diesel just above tick over as much as possible. Fuel economy seemed to be impressive.

The five-speed auto while a good match for the diesel in terms of performance and flexibility seemed to set up a drone at 100km/h, almost as unpleasant as an old Falcon taxi. The slip in the torque-converter seemed to allow the engine to rev just that much higher than the manual which in turn increased the noise levels. The diesel's pulling power and the six-speed manual are so good in this case that an auto is almost redundant.

Offroad there is little in it between transmissions when low range delivers such strong engine braking and crawling power. Wheel travel seemed good and it seemed as if little could stop a Navara in situations that most families would find themselves in. Its only limitation was the relatively long wheelbase which would cause the underbody to scrape on high ridges. Its extra width and length meant you needed to plan before negotiating some tricky spots.

Back on the highway, the Navara's long distance cruising ability really shone except for the one shortfall alluded to above. A company that does not incorporate Australian testing and engineering input in the suspension of any vehicle with SUV or light commercial pretensions is taking a short cut.

Unfortunately, this one tonne light commercial segment is the home of some of the most primitive and underdeveloped suspensions on today's market, some bordering on dangerous with their lack of suspension control while others are brutally firm. Against its rivals including the HiLux and Rodeo, the new Navara is one of the better ones but that is damning it with faint praise.

As sold here, the Navara feels as though it is set up for something between European and US road conditions which doesn't cut it in Australia. The first Ford Explorer was an example of how far off the pace US settings are for Australia. While the Navara is a long way ahead of the Explorer, there is a hint of the same lack of damper control over corrugations and uneven sealed surfaces. While the Navara is perfectly at home soaking up the really big stuff, it is the smaller bumps at highway speeds that seem to catch it out. It could be damper fade or just not enough fine tuning under these conditions.

The Australian aftermarket is well-experienced at upgrading the rubbishy suspension on some Japanese and Thai-built models so a simple damper upgrade should fix it. The South African suspension upgrade for the Ford Courier V6 is a striking example of what can be achieved. Holden has long since found that its local suspension work on its European models is quickly applied around the world. It's a pity that the talent at Nissan Australia was not given more input as all markets would benefit. Otherwise, this new Navara has the potential to force a wide range of Australian buyers to think beyond their usual vehicle purchases.