Nissan Navara 2021 Review

The D23 Nissan Navara has been around since 2015, racking up solid sales along the way.

But as it ages and as newer arrivals turn up the heat, so the challenge increases. Buyers have so many choices now and so many of them are pretty good at what they do.

Not that Nissan hasn’t worked at the D23 pretty much continuously since it launched. One way or another, by our count the 2021 Nissan Navara is the fifth iteration.

Headline acts this time round include a lot of new driver-assist tech (see the safety section below), exterior restyling, interior equipment updates and some technical tweaking centring on the sometimes troublesome rear-end.

There’s also been some model culling and renaming; RX and DX are gone with SL now the entry-level workhorse. Then comes ST, ST-X and the new off-road oriented Pro-4X to replace N-Trek.

The Pro-4X, which arrives in a few weeks, will also be the basis for the new version of the locally-developed Warrior, which has sold out its initial 1400 examples and will return in the second half of 2021.

There’s been drivetrain rationalisation too. The twin-turbo version of the 2.3-litre diesel is more widespread, while some 4x2 manual and auto choices have gone. Prices have gone up, especially at the entry-level, partly because the DX/RX has disappeared and partly because of a substantial bump in equipment.

All up, there are three body types – single, king and dual cab; 14 dual-cab options and eight chassis-cab options; seven 4x2 variants and 15 4x4 variants.

But our attention is close to the top of the range and the top-selling ST-X dual-cab 4x4. Powered by the twin-turbo engine, its price rises from $53,100 to $55,770 for the six-speed manual and from $56,100 to $58,270 for the seven-speed auto (before on-road costs) we’re driving here.

It’s worth noting there are drive-away deals around for ABN holders and private buyers that are a bit more attractive than that.

The crux of the restyle is a nose that looks something like the Titan full-size pick-up sold in North America. That brings with it a new bonnet and new C-shaped LED projector (ST and above) headlights.

At the rear, the tub is 45mm deeper and there is a built-in step in the new tailgate. New wheels, a new sports bar and more aerodynamic side steps complete the look.

Inside there’s a new-look steering wheel, 7.0-inch readout in the instrument cluster and optional leather accents (standard for Pro-4X).

An 8.0-inch infotainment touch-screen is now range-wide and all models bar the SL get a new drive mode selector. The rear seat cushion and backrest has been reprofiled and a fold-down armrest with cupholders has been added.

Equipment ST-X shares with lesser models includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, cruise control, four USB connectors, a 360-degree camera, sat-nav, DAB+ digital radio and a powered rear sliding window.

The ST-X alone gets 18-inch alloys and shares with Pro-4X an intelligent key with push-button start, dual-zone climate control, plastic tubliner, sliding tiedown hooks and a towbar.

Driver’s seat power adjustment, front-seat heating and a sunroof are all optional. Nissan has also produced a comprehensive range of locally-developed accessories to go with the latest D23 update.

The Navara range comes protected by a five-year/unlimited-km warranty and five years of roadside assist. Service intervals are 12-month/20,000km and capped price servicing adds up to $2847 over five years for autos and $2883 for manuals.

The 2021 Nissan Navara has gone through a substantial safety update. The focus is on driver-assist systems with all models picking up autonomous emergency braking (AEB), forward collision warning and a driver alert that monitors tiredness.

From the ST upward the DAS inventory also includes blind spot warning, intelligent lane intervention, rear cross traffic alert, reverse parking sensors, high beam assist and auto rain-sensing wipers. ST-X and Pro-4X get tyre pressure monitoring.

The Navara does miss out on adaptive cruise control, which is often twinned with AEB. Nissan says that’s because the powertrain is incompatible with ACC technology.

The Navara continues with seven airbags, including a driver’s knee airbag, second-row child-seat top tethers and ISOFIX points. The ANCAP rating is five stars, but dates back to 2015.

As already noted, the MY21 Nissan Navara is technically very familiar, especially in terms of drivetrain.

The Renault-sourced YS23DDTT intercooled twin-turbo DOHC four-cylinder diesel engine in the ST-X continues to make 140kW at 3750rpm and 450Nm from 1500rpm to 2500rpm.

Claimed fuel economy has climbed significantly from 6.5L/100km for the manual and 7.0L/100km for the auto to 7.3L/100km and 7.9L/100km respectively.

The engine continues to hook up to either a six-speed manual or the far more popular seven-speed auto, a part-time 4x4 system with high and low range and an electronically locking rear differential. The ST-X also gets hill start assist and hill descent control.

The Navara follows one-tonne ute orthodoxy for the most part, being based on a ladder frame with a double wishbone front-end. But the rear-end eschews leaf springs for coils and multi-links, a move that has required several retunes through the years.

But this time the focus is on the live rear axle, which has been strengthened. Combined with 25mm bigger rear drum brakes and more fade-resistant front discs, that’s allowed dual-cab payloads to be bumped upwards.

Every model can now carry more than one tonne. In the case of the ST-X it’s 1032kg as a manual and 1024kg as an auto. It’s a tidy lift from 939kg/933kg previously.

Nissan’s done all this without retuning the suspension, which went to dual-rate springs in 2018.

The extra payload coincides with a 45mm deeper tub that liberates added cargo volume. But the width between the wheel-arches is still too narrow to allow an Aussie pallet to fit.

Check out the key numbers and the new ST-X is about 160kg heavier than its predecessor (which helps explain the increase in fuel use), has a 240kg higher GVM at 3150kg and is 76mm longer. It retains its 3500kg braked towing capacity and 5910kg GCM.

It should be noted that a steering rack announced as new for MY21 at the global reveal last November in Melbourne had actually gone into the Aussie model for 2020, as had noise-deadening lamination of the windshield and front-side glass.

But for 2021 there have actually been more sound deadening materials installed in the engine bay and bulkhead to make the cabin a quieter place to ride.

By the way, there’s a little piece of Australian manufacturing in the Navara. Every example is fitted with a transmission case made at Nissan Casting Australia in the Melbourne suburb of Dandenong. Proud!

Payload and towing was the focus of the launch drive of the 2021 Nissan Navara. A 55km loop in the ST-X with 325kg in the bed was followed by another 30-or so kays towing a 500kg single-axle trailer loaded with 600kg in weight, while another 120kg sat in the bed.

Of course, all this would have been within the remit of the previous Navara iteration too, so no surprise the MY21 accounted for this load efficiently enough. The coils were not challenged, put it that way.

Compared to driving without a load – which we also undertook as a comparison – the Navara’s nose rose a little more with weight in the back or behind, the engine required that little more throttle pressure to respond at a brisk rate and the low-speed ride tended to be that bit more brittle.

But the changes were not night and day and there was no sense of dire struggle. Of course, the engine has never blown us away in terms of sheer grunt so more weight doesn’t help. A V6 would be a nice option for those who want it.

And that was the driving. No gravel, no serious off-road, just a bit of country asphalt and a freeway blat across Melbourne. From that experience we reckon little has changed. The Navara was a competent drive before and it remains so now.

And so to the other MY21 changes.

The sound deadening seems to have quelled the engine that bit more. The new widescreen information screen between the speedo and tacho dials is an undoubted improvement in terms of clarity. The new rear seat seems comfy enough, although leg room is a tad tighter than some rivals.

Less impressive is the relationship between steering wheel and driver’s seat. The wheel still only adjusts for height not reach, and can’t be raised high enough – even with the seat powered down to its lowest position.

Other than that, we didn’t get to assess the new driver-assist systems in an emergency situation – thankfully! – but it’s a positive Nissan is now up there with most of its rivals in having AEB.

All that’s left beyond that is to ponder the styling. And that may be the biggest help to sales of all. The Navara has evolved from inoffensive to making quite the statement with its bluff new nose.

The Nissan Navara’s significant boost in safety equipment is undoubtedly its most important improvement for MY21.

Its relevance against the likes of the dominant Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux (and Isuzu D-MAX, Mazda BT-50, Volkswagen Amarok and GWM Ute, etc) has just increased markedly.

The boost in payload is worthy as well. After all, what is a ute for if not for carrying stuff?

Throw in the Titan-esque nose and the other details changes and that gives Nissan salesmen around the country something fresh to work with.

It’s not enough to suddenly vault the Navara to the top of the charts, but those solid sales should continue.

How much does the 2021 Nissan Navara ST-X dual-cab 4x4 auto cost?
Price: $58,270 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 140kW/450Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.3L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 192g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2015)