Capable, well equipped, with something of a cult following, Nissan’s Navara has become ever-more viable for ute buyers who don’t want to follow the crowd.

Sure, the Ranger and Hilux dominate the ‘commercial’ market, and the new Ranger is still New Zealand’s most popular passenger vehicle. But Nissan’s Navara really stands comparison with any of its rivals.

The Government’s clean air law (aka ute tax) doesn’t seem to have dampened enthusiasm for four-wheel drives. Dual-cab utes are the gift that keeps on giving to manufacturers in this country. Release a new one, regardless of price, and you’ve got an immediate waiting list.

Launched in the days pre-pandemic, the current Navara quickly claimed its place among the other big, tough ‘proper’ utes. In fact, the truck can trace its lineage all the way back to 2015.

Manufacturing, supply and demand were a little more closely aligned than they are now in 2023. Global supply networks have struggled to keep up with global demand, and are only slowly recovering – hampered further by war in the Ukraine.

Navara Pro4-X stands out from the pack thanks to its coil-sprung rear end. Pretty much every other ute uses leaf springs, the long-established best-practice load-carrying set-up. Coil springs immensely improve ride quality and thus are more often seen on SUVs.

Though it lowers payload, the use of coils on the rear poses a question: how often do we really need to load 750 kg of stuff in the back of our utes?

Navara’s focus is on unladen ride quality – something dual cabs never did very well. At the same time, it has retained a respectable load rating. The Volkswagen Amarok was as good as it got with leaves, at the time, and then Ford kept fettling the Ranger to make it as good as possible.

Overseas, there was some bleating about load carrying and the Nissan not being able to lug a near-tonne worth of whatever it might be in the tray. Problem is, criticism like that doesn’t take into account the fact that few people spending Navara Pro-4X money expect their dual cab to actually work for a living. Instead, buyers are much more interested in Navara’s car-like cabin and No existing leaf-sprung rival matched the on-road ride of a coil-sprung Navara.

Now, though, the game has shifted. In the closing months of 2022, the new Ranger reset benchmarks for ute dynamics, and its ‘cousin’, the coming Amarok, will also shake the status quo.

The question, then, is whether the Navara can still hang with the best in the segment. Plenty of buyers don’t care which dual cab is the best. Brand loyalty, decisions based on style, or a preference for cabin ergonomics mean the best isn’t always the one punters want.

Sitting atop the ‘regular’ Navara dual-cab pile, Pro-4X appeals to town and city buyers. It looks tough, but stylish, and over in Australia it is also the basis for the Navara Pro-4X Warrior, which is the flagship Navara product for off-road explorers. It sacrifices none of the Navara’s traditional tough off-road abilities, but is totally at home in the city, at weekend sport or on the boat ramp.

S,o take a look inside. The new Navara is quiet, thanks to increased sound deadening insulation, further reducing the stress for both driver and occupants. Additionally, the front of the cab has been gently massaged to improve ergonomics. There is a new steering wheel and the instrument display has been revised. There’s an eight-inch navigation screen and a seven-inch higher resolution TFT screen.

The rear seats are upgraded with new seat cushions and back shapes. Rear seat passengers have a new rear armrest with built-in cup holders to store beverages or smartphones.

To meet the increasing needs of connected lifestyles, the pickup is equipped with Nissan’s Connect infotainment system.
This system allows customers to seamlessly connect their smartphone to the pickup and enable convenient features such as Bluetooth streaming audio, voice recognition, and satellite navigation. 

The Navara now has multiple USB ports throughout the vehicle including a type C port in the console which can support the charging of multiple devices.

Extracting 400+NM from a 2.3-litre dual turbo four-cylinder engine isn’t a simple matter, but Nissan has offered turbodiesel power in Navaras since last century. The engine makes maximum torque in a wide plateau right where it’s needed, between 1,500 and 2,500 rpm.

Old-school 4WD fans take note: the Pro4-X is one of the few utes available with steep or slippery downhill is so much easier with manual gear shifting.

Our test truck was a torque converter seven speed auto, which these days is of course the most popular option for urbanites. It is managed by a ‘mode’ system that allows the driver to choose between sport/off-road/tow/normal).

Safety and capability are taken care of with an array of assistance systems that include hill start assist (HSA), hill descent control (HDC), a rear diff lock, an off-road monitor system and – important for a truck like this – trailer sway control. There are seven airbags -two front, two side, two curtain and a driver-side knee airbag. Tyre pressure monitoring systems are now mandatory in markets like the USA – Pro4-X has TPMS, ahead of the trend here in New Zealand where it’s not yet compulsory.

Navara owners do like to tow stuff, and buyers of this flagship version are unlikely to be much no different. A nice caravan, a big Haines fizzboat or a trailer load of toys? No problem with a top-of-the-class 3,500kg braked towing rating. As previously noted though, these trucks are probably unlikely to tote loads of wood or tools for tradies. This is all about the Kiwi outdoor lifestyle.

Outside, the truck diverges from recent trends, dropping chrome-look plastic trim that afflicts many offerings in the double cab ute market in favour of a large dark-coloured grille and colour decals.

The Pro4-X is a serious truck when it comes to off-road or overlanding use, and our test truck was fitted with aggressive but surprisingly quiet all-terrain tyres. These days, advances in tyre technology make an all-terrain design perfectly fine for on-road/all-road use.

It’s not the New Kid on the Block, but in Pro4-X form the Navara stands up well if compared with other top level double cab diesel utes. Not only that, but it’s wearing a very tough look that stands out in traffic or on the riverside tracks we explored.

There’s a lot to like about the Nissan Navara PRO-4X. It looks great, with a really well integrated design upgrade over the rest of the Navara range. It’s tough, and very capable off-road. It’s both practical and capable, well suited for Kiwis who enjoy that classic active, outdoor lifestyle.