4x4 NEWS
MAJOR TECHNICAL UPDATES
FOR NISSAN NAVARA
Improvements to engine, transmission, brakes and suspension • New headlamps and alloy wheels
N
issan has announced
a raft of changes to
the Navara – which
gains signifi cant
improvements underneath while
continuing to look much the same
up top.
Styling upgrades are limited
to new black bezel inlays for the
LED headlights, plus new 17 and18” alloy designs. However the
engineering takes several major
leaps forward – among them the
adoption of disc brakes at the back,
as well as 4mm bigger rotors up
front, and enlarged brake boosters,
to deliver a 40% reduction in the
force required on the pedal.
That’s good news if you intend to
work your Navara hard, or modifyit into an off-road beast with
outsize tyres. And so too, if you’re
starting with a modest one, is the
adoption of a twin-turbo set-up on
the 163bhp version of the 2.3 dCi
engine. This improves torque output
to 313lbf.ft, which is enough to
keep more or less anything moving.
EUually signifi cant is the arriZal
of a new six-speed manual gearbox.
This has longer
ratios and a
shorter throw,
making you won’t
need to use it as
frequently and that
it will be slicker
to operate when
you do.
Finally, King-
Cab models will
now feature the
same multi-link
coil-sprung rearsuspension as double-cab models.
Replacing the traditional leaf springs
with which they are currently
equipped, this sees the rear sitting
25mm higher and the vehicle’s
payload climbing by 46kg.
If that’s not enough to be going
on with, the Navara’s standard
equipment has improved too.
N-Connecta models and above gain
an 8.0” touchscreen for the Nissan
Connect entertainment system, as
well as mobile integration through
Apple CarPlay, while all models also
get Trailer Sway Assist as standard.
The revised Navara goes on sale
from 1 July, with the range kicking
off at £21,850 plus VAT for a King
Chassis Cab in base-spec Visia
form and equipped with the new
manual gearbox. At the top end, the
N-Guard Double-Cab is priced at
£31,125, again plus the dreaded, if
you order it in 7-speed auto form.14 | AUGUST 2019 4x
coil-sprung rear you order it in 7-speed auto form.