Hero time for Nissan

Article By: Philip Devine

Nissan is building a mini-empire with “the most powerful bakkie range anywhere in the world” and has a new Navara and Pathfinder to prove it. The models have had quite an extensive makeover and have upgraded engines under the bonnet.

The Navara already has a reputation for being a tough and powerful off-roader and despite a crash in sales that bottomed out in 2009, the bakkie is making a strong comeback. Sales have doubled in the past two months and are on the way to record 300 units per month, compared with 100 in 2009.

Nissan SA product manager Ross Garvie at a media briefing on Tuesday said the Navara has been “refreshed” and is now all about “quality and driving experience”.

Top of show

I inspected a model on display for the media and it was immediately apparent that the cabin of the Navara LE is sleeker and more spacious than previous models. A plush fabric covers the seats, door trim has been updated, chrome inserts surround the gear lever and the instruments and switchgear are new. The effect has been to neaten the centre console and create a more upmarket atmosphere inside the cabin.

The body retains its tough appearance but has a tweaked front and rear end to set it apart from its predecessors. Changes at the front include a new bonnet, a revised grille with more space between the silver uprights and a new bumper assembly. The changes add 80mm to the length of the bakkie.

The Navara LE retains its 2.5-litre diesel engine but now has 2000psi injectors. The effect of the extra 200psi creates an 11 percent gain in power and torque, with output rising to 140kW and torque growing by 47Nm to 450Nm, in the 4X4 LE models. The 4×2 models receive a similar upgrade and produce 128kW and 403Nm.

As the power goes up, fuel consumption and emissions go down, with the new bakkie recording a combined cycle of 8.5l/100km, which is a drop of 1.3 l/100km from before.

Top of the class

This act is followed by the new Pathfinder, which has advanced so much that it may even deserve a class of its own. Nissan have created a luxury SUV on the inside and a stylish, tough 4×4 explorer on the outside.

The shape of the vehicle is more refined, with curves and the appearance of a lower roofline. Think Land Rover meets BMW 130 and you have some idea of the powerful image it portrays. The cabin is covered with leather and the door panels and centre console offer more storage space.

The infotainment system looks like something out of a jet airliner, with myriad glowing buttons, switches and knobs that mushroom into a large satellite navigation console at the top. If you can’t find an entertainment option here (including DVDs with theater-like sound via a Bose system) then it probably hasn’t been invented yet.

This seven seater has a split tailgate for easy loading, 64 seat combinations to cope with any load and lays claim to the biggest boot space with all three rows in use.

The luxury continues with items like Bluetooth connectivity, dual climate control – with separate control panels for the front and back row. Nissan SA product manager for the Pathfinder, Terry Mashoko, said the cabin is the cherry on the top for a vehicle that is “intelligent”.

“A perfect combination of 4X4 strengths with modern automotive comfort and technology, the new Pathfinder will please even the most demanding SUV buyer,” she said.

Nissan hasn’t left the engine out in the cold either. The 2.5-litre dCi has been equipped with the latest diesel technology and matches the Navara with 140kW and 450Nm torque. A similar drop in emissions and fuel consumption is also achieved.

Top Dog

That is not the end of the line. The most powerful Navara is yet to come. Set for an August debut in South Africa, the bakkie sports a VX9, V6 diesel engine that rolls out 170kW of power and a whopping 550Nm of torque.

Nissan for now remains tight-lipped about what else the new model will carry as standard specification, and even what transmissions and technical specifications it will have.

What I am sure of is that it will be a bakkie that will make a place for itself in motoring history. I can’t wait.