Nissan Navara – double delight

NISSAN describes its tough and stylish Navara pick-up truck as ‘the ultimate working tool’.

And with its rugged hardware, huge load bed, 600mm wading depth and powerful towing stability there’s no doubt it fits the bill for the most demanding tasks – both industrial and agricultural.

But there’s an awful lot more to the Navara than operating as one of the most desirable workhorses in the business – it’s also got style, family-friendly features and impressive comfort, get here extra information.

A dozen versions of the Navara are currently up for grabs in Double or King Cab body style, all featuring four-wheel drive and a 2.3-litre diesel engine developing either 163 or 190PS of punch.

And from the middle of the five-level list of trim grades comes our tested N-Guard special version, complete with an eye-catching design upgrade plus extra standard equipment.

As it is based on the flagship Tekna grade, it means the front grille, fog lamp surrounds, mirror covers, door handles and rear bumper are all finished in black.

There are also matching side steps and roof rails along with 18-inch alloy wheels and flashy decals at the base of the doors, while a powered sunroof with tinted glass is also included as standard.

Move into the cabin and such is the refinement that you could be forgiven for believing you were aboard a high-end SUV or saloon rather than a pick-up.

The seats are well bolstered, comfortable and stand out courtesy of blue double stitching while the dash is dominated by a large colour touchscreen from which the latest generation NissanConnect entertainment set-up with smartphone integration is operated.

In fact the only giveaway is the noise from the twin turbocharged 190PS dCi diesel engine, which actually performs far more economically than it sounds.

Official average fuel economy is set at 40.4 miles per gallon and our own return over 250 miles of fairly mixed urban and A-road motoring was 34.2mpg – pretty reasonable for a vehicle of this size and weight.

Acceleration to 62mph takes 11.2 seconds and if you need to brake quickly then there’s a shorter stopping distance than before, accomplished by changing the rear drum brakes to discs and callipers along with large front discs.

Hitch it up to a caravan, or in our case a small trailer, and its multi-link rear suspension plus Trailer Sway Assist ensures both towing stability and comfort for occupants – even if there’s a mound of gear in the load-bed.

A trio of drive modes comprise 4WD High for light off-roading, 4WD Low for more hardcore off-road work in sand, snow or deep mud, or two-wheel drive for when you’re on Tarmac.

Safety tech includes the likes of Hill Start Assist, Hill Descent Control, emergency braking and an around view monitor while a reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors and headlamp washers are all part of the package.

What Nissan has managed to achieve with the latest Navara is to offer a pick-up that really looks the part, is relaxing rather than heavy to drive and combines refinement and comfort with rugged versatility.

Prices start at £27,890 and all Navaras come with a five-year/100,000-mile warranty.