for better ride comfort, and a firmer (harder)
rate when laden for better load carrying. The
changes to the springs also mean the MY18
Navara sits up 25mm higher at the rear when
unladen than its predecessor, and 40mm
higher when laden.
The steering ratio was also quickened for
more direct handling, with the two changes
designed to improve handling while towing.
Due to circumstances beyond our control
the CW team were forced to deviate from
our usual tow test procedure which sees an
author drive the test car in both laden and
unladen states. Unfortunately, this wasn’t
possible, so the author has driven the car
unladen, while senior editor Tim Van Duyl
has driven it laden.
Tim towed a sparkling new 2019 Jayco
Silverline Outback 21.65-4 over a 230km route,
split roughly 80/20 between highway and
rural back roads, between Melbourne and the
Mornington Peninsula.Jayco’s Silverline Outback is a sizeable unit,
with a travel length, width and height of
8065mm, 2470mm and 3055mm respectively,
and a body length of 6760mm.
Its Tare of 2730kg and a towball weight
of 190kg are both well within the Nissan’s
certified towing capacity.
Van Duyl also noted the engine’s brisk
and almost petrol-like performance when
unladen, but felt the sequential twin turbo
four-pot lacked a bit of urge when laden. With
the caravan hitched he said it felt like a non-
turbo petrol engine, rather than the usual
grunty low-rev performance expected of the
turbodiesel configuration.
In van Duyl’s experience the engine “felt
peaky, like power was only above 2500rpm,”
despite the specs suggesting there’s 450Nm
available across a tableland flat torque curve
between 1500-2500rpm.
On the other hand, he reckoned the auto
gearbox has to be one of, if not the best in“This ST-X also came fitted with the
optional $1500 leather-accented
seats and door trims”
124 caravanworld.com.au
FROM TOP Two ISOFix child-seat mounting
points are standard; optional leather accented
seats are a nice touch