Nissan Navara RX King Cab 2018 Review

The Nissan Navara was updated earlier this year with retuned coil springs at the rear and a faster steering rack up front – but these changes were made only to the Dual Cab range, workhorse Single and King Cab variants (last touched-up in 2016) sticking to the tried and true, leaf-sprung rear-end.

And while it is the dual-cab range that gets most of the attention on these pages, it’s trade-tough models like the one on test that are highly prized by trade and agricultural buyers.

The RX variant on test sits one up from the DX in Nissan’s 19-variant-strong Navara line-up. Like most its competitors, the Navara is offered in 4x2 and 4x4 configuration and with six-speed manual and seven-speed automatic transmissions.

Three cab styles and two tray formats are also common to the majority of the light commercial utility cohort, the Navara on test an RX Series III 4x4 King Cab cab-chassis with six-speed manual transmission, to be exact.

Nissan’s Thai-built D23-series Navara range kicks off at $25,990 for the entry-grade DX Series III 4x2 Single Cab manual and tops out at $54,490 for the bells-and-whistles ST-X Series III 4x4 Dual Cab. The RX Series III 4x4 King Cab cab-chassis on test runs for $35,490 (plus on-road costs), which includes the 1178kg rated alloy tray. The 3500kg rated tow kit was not fitted to our test car, but retails for $1011.

The main difference between the low and high-end of the Navara range – excusing the expected feature and equipment upgrades and aforementioned suspension and steering differences – is the 2.3-litre four-cylinder diesel engine. Lower tier RX and DX models receive a single-turbocharged version making 120kW/403Nm while SL, ST and ST-X grades score a twin-turbocharged type producing 140kW/450Nm.

Where available, Nissan’s seven-speed automatic transmission attracts a $2500 premium. Metallic paint is $550.

The Navara is covered by a three-year/100,000km warranty which includes roadside assistance. Nissan lists pricing on its website for the servicing of all models, the Navara’s service intervals set at 12 months or 20,000km (whichever comes first). For the first five years the Navara RX Series III 4x4 King Cab cab-chassis manual on test will cost $3047 to maintain.

Lower-grade, built-to-work utes like the Navara RX generally appeal more to trade and agricultural buyers. The alloy tray, generous off-road geometry and no-frills cabin are well-suited to blue-collar callings, many of the expensive pick-up-style dual-cab light commercial utility variants offering smaller trays and luxuriant cabin finishes out of step with the realities of real-world use.

To that extent we find proper outboard tie-down rails and liberal tray bed dimensions, the factory-fitted alloy tray shown here measuring 2120mm long by 1785mm wide and 250mm deep. Like most in the class the Navara’s high ground clearance means the tray bed is higher off the ground than is always practical (950mm), the wider-than-body set-up also significantly blocking the view from the wing mirrors.

The tray fitted to our test car did not have a mesh headboard to protect the rear window (and occupants).

The Navara King Cab’s 2+2 seating arrangement gives the cabin a spacious feel, although the back seats are really for temporary use only. There is, however, more real estate in the tray than Dual Cab models and more cabin space than Single Cab models. The area is also mighty useful for securely storing tools or perhaps a fridge – especially if you’re handy enough to unbolt the foldable seats and manufacture a couple of anchor points…

Value is a hard thing to measure in the light commercial ute market. On paper, the contenders are closely specified, and on-road (or off) the experience at the wheel quite analogous – it’s a conundrum with which we wrestle each time we compare the major players.

But, in isolation, the Navara proves a relatively competent and user-friendly machine. The engine is strong in its lower reaches meaning there’s very little lag with which to deal, and equally, no real need for high (and noisy) RPMs. It’s good on fuel as a result, and with the cooperation of the six-speed manual’s positive shift feel and well-spaced ratios, is livelier than its output figures would have you believe.

We did, however, find the road and wind noise at freeway speeds excessive when viewed against recently-reviewed rivals. The steering rack is slower than many in this class, too, and when combined with a larger turning circle (11.8m) and lack of reversing camera or parking sensors can be hard to wrangle in suburban supermarket car parks.

The tech offerings are also rather meagre. The very basic head unit provides Bluetooth and USB connectivity, single-CD player and AM/FM radio, but radio reception is weak and sound quality average. The trip computer is also pretty basic, the Navara omitting a digital speedometer, too. Speedo accuracy was rather poor, over-reading by 10 per cent at commonly-travelled speeds.

On the plus side, headlight performance is decent, though we did find relying on the Auto setting a little haphazard, especially when entering tunnels.

The Nissan Navara scored a five-star ANCAP safety score when tested back in 2015 [find out more about ANCAP testing here]. It is fitted with seven airbags, anti-lock brakes, traction and stability control, but unlike its twin-under-the-skin Mercedes-Benz X-Class, does not feature autonomous emergency braking.

The revised Navara Series III tested here went on sale locally in February 2018; though as we noted earlier did not receive the updates found in its (rear) coil-sprung counterparts.

In essence, that means the Navara RX Series III 4x4 King Cab cab-chassis manual on test is unchanged from its ‘Series II’ debut in 2016, that iteration itself an update of the original D23-series launched locally in 2015.

At a bare bones level that still makes the Navara one of the younger utes on the Australian market, alongside the Mitsubishi Triton and Toyota HiLux (also hailing from 2015). Ignoring mid-generational updates, the three-year-old Navara is a baby compared to the Holden Colorado and Isuzu D-MAX (2012), Ford Ranger and Mazda BT-50 (2011), and Volkswagen Amarok (2010).

The Nissan Navara RX Series III 4x4 King Cab cab-chassis slots into the popular Pick-Up/Cab-Chassis 4x4 VFACTS segment locally. It’s a dominant market sector that includes two of Australia’s best-selling vehicles – the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux – as well as cheaper Chinese and Indian-built models, and larger American-made ‘trucks’ like the RAM 1500, 2500 and 3500 Laramie.

But, against its direct counterparts, the Navara really seems to struggle. Nissan says it values profits over sales numbers, but with just 8359 units sold to September 2018, the brand’s 7.3 per cent market share was not as strong as it ought to be.

To September 2018, and in order, the Navara was outsold by the Toyota HiLux (25,104), Ford Ranger (24,899), Holden Colorado (11,032) and Isuzu D-MAX (8484). It is trailed by only the Mazda BT-50 (6164) and Volkswagen Amarok (5882).

The Navara is a pretty good thing, but as we noted in our most-recent 4WD Dual-Cab Comparison Test, it can be a little undisciplined dynamically when viewed against its immediate rivals. It’s not as sharp or car-like in its reflexes as the Ranger, Colorado or Amarok, and the noise and ride comfort from within the cabin border on disappointing.

That aside, as a tool-of-trade vehicle that’s likely to spend most of its life hauling a load, the Navara’s bona fides are hard to argue with. Its payload and towing figures are as good as it gets, the spacious cabin and high-mileage service intervals another plus for those for whom the Navara is a mobile office.

We really do love that engine. It might be a little noisy when pushed, but its lag-free response, accessible low-end torque and lean, real-world fuel consumption make it a pleasure with which to live. It’s just a shame a few of the Navara’s other elements aren’t quite as well-finessed.

How much does the 2018 Nissan Navara RX Series III 4x4 King Cab cost?
Price: $35,490 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.3-litre four-cylinder single-turbo diesel
Output: 120kW/403Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Fuel: 6.6L/100km (ADR Combined); 8.4L/100km (as tested)
CO2: 174g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP (2015)