Nissan Navara is quite the leisure bakkie

Bakkie’s always fascinate me, and the love people have for them, is interesting to witness. Many people use them as daily’s and as they are primarily workhorses, they have now switched up into offering the rugged, arduous work capability, comfort, and superb styling.

The Navara is one of the best looking bakkies on the market right now, it is hard to miss it on the roads. The large LED’s, the black grille and the Nissan logo slotted in the middle finished in red is just marvellous to look at. my test unit was black, and it stood out so beautifully. The new tailgate design has the Navara name on it, and on the side, you have this large Pro-2X decal which makes the car look sporty and robust.

The interior is just abysmal for me. It still looks dated; some finishes are of poor quality, so I was not entirely happy. The 8-inch infotainment system looks decent and it’s easy to use albeit the reverse camera quality is horrendous. There is Apple Carplay and Android Auto connectivity available, and a built-in navigation system. But the multifunction steering wheel is lovely to use, so that makes up for the odd feel around the cabin. This is where the Ranger has an advantage – I think its interior is the best in its class. The leather upholstery felt great and the seats with the red edging also made the interior a lot better. I would have loved to have heated seats especially during this chilly winter season. With regards to safety, the Navara has 7 airbags, electronic stability control and hill-descent control. Other notable features include blind-spot monitoring, lane keep assist and collision warning.

You might need to have deep pockets for this car because you will be at the petrol station quite often. Nissan claims a consumption of 8.1l/100km, I was averaging about 10l. I know I have  heavy foot, but shucks, it’s a guzzler. It uses a 2.5l turbodiesel that produces 140kW/450Nm mated to a 7-speed automatic.

The Navara is comfortable and nice to drive, its not a conventional heavy and clunky drive we associate with bakkies. It sits on 17-inch alloys and give it any terrain; it will carry itself well. I have done some offroad activities with the car – on launch and at a recent Nissan Next Experience event and its offroad capability is commendable. I think the Navara has nailed the leisure bakkie concept, it looks good, drives well, the load bay is spacious, yet all that is needed is a better interior. It is aimed at business owners, people who have farms or frequent industrial areas or construction sites. I’ve learned over the years that a bakkie is essential in households, especially for when the young ones grow and need to move to varsity residences, families needing assistance during weddings or funerals or for just having that better view of other motorists on the road. The bakkie segment in SA is very much loved, and we have a plethora of options to choose from, so it all boils down to preference really. You have the Navara, Ford Ranger, GWM P-Series, Isuzu D-Max, Peugeot Landtrek, Toyota Hilux, Mazda BT-50, Volkswagen Amarok, and the newly launched Jeep Gladiator. I would recommend this car, fully. It is a lovely and competitive offering plus, it is locally built in Rosslyn, Pretoria.

The Pro-2X is priced at R699 900.