The Nissan Navara has been in Australia since 1986, introduced as a simple two-door workhorse.
Since then, it – and its range – have expanded; the Navara range now encompasses a single and dual cab ute, as well as a so-called ‘King Cab’. The King Cab incorporates extra space – and seats – behind the traditional single cab area. Current prices range from $36,428 to $71,643 for the Navara Sl (4X2) and Navara Pro-4X Warrior (4X4).
Available with a petrol engine, as well as a diesel engine in two different configurations, the Navara also comes with a choice of six-speed manual and seven-speed automatic and two- or four-wheel drive. The Navara uses the same body-on-frame construction as its competition, but is unique in using coil springs in the rear suspension of select models.
This vehicle is also known as The Nissan Navara is also known as Nissan Frontier (North America), Nissan NP300 (Mexico, Europe) in markets outside Australia..
Standard gear for the Nissan Navara includes an 8.0-inch multimedia touchscreen across the range with digital radio as well as (wired) Android Auto and (wireless) Apple CarPlay.
There’s a 7.0-inch driver display screen, LED headlights and tail-lights and auto climate control, but the higher models in the range add things like alloy wheels, a leather-accented steering wheel and floor carpet, USB ports in the second row, dual-zone climate control and a wireless phone charger.
This was a long running model for Nissan (in fact, two models sold concurrently with the Navara badge, actually) so there were a few different engine options in the 2012 version. So here’s how it pans out:
If your Navara is the D22 version, it will be fitted with a version of the 2.5-litre turbo-diesel engine. As such, it will have 98kW of power and 304Nm of torque. If you have the D40 variant of the Navara, it, too, could be fitted with a 2.5-litre turbo-diesel, but in this case, it’s tuned for more performance and has 128kW and 403Nm.
But, there was also the option of a three-litre V6 turbo-diesel which had 170kW and 550Nm, as well as a petrol V6 measuring four litres and producing 198kW and 385Nm.
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You might find that at high throttle inputs, the car’s computer is switching the fan on in anticipation of higher temperatures. Or, perhaps it’s the air-conditioning fan that is switching itself on to keep things cool, because you’re using lots of throttle at that moment. It could simply be that the fan itself is noisier when you spin it harder (in line with engine revs) and that’s what you’re hearing in the cabin.
If in doubt, make a note of this with the service department when the car gets its first service. Perhaps it’s not a fan at all, and the noise is the result of a poorly adjusted drive belt or a leak somewhere in the air-intake or turbocharger plumbing. Any small leak in the trunking that conveys the pressurised air from the turbocharger to the engine can contribute a range of hissing noises.
Either way, it should be a simple fix at best, and a warranty claim at worst.
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If you check out a lot of used-car sites right now, you’ll see that a 2016 Navara ST-X can cost anywhere from $10,000 to $55,000. Why the huge price-range? Because there are so many variables with this type of vehicle. Frankly, I’d need a lot more information to make any sort of educated guess on the value of a car I haven’t even seen, so I’m not going to offer one.
Because this type of vehicle is often used off-road, its condition is crucial. If it’s been bashed up, you can take thousands off the price. Has it been a hard working tradie truck, towing a huge trailer every day? How’s the service record? What distance has it covered? What accessories are fitted? What’s its overall condition? Has it been heavily modified (A lot of Navara four-wheel-drives have)? Is it a dual-cab, single-cab? Is it fitted with a tub, a canopy or a drop-side tray?
Without all this information, it’s simply impossible to hazard a guess at the vehicle’s value.
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The Nissan Navara is available in eight colours across the range, though not for all variants. Available colours in the range include 'Alpine White', 'Blizzard White', 'Midnight Black', 'Summit Silver', 'Boulder Grey', 'Horizon Blue', 'Outback Red' or 'Kimberley Orange'.
The only no-cost colours are Alpine White, Midnight Black and Outback Red.
A 150kW/470Nm four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine lies under the bonnet, sending power to the rear or all four wheels depending on 4WD settings.
The Nissan Navara shares its interior, as with its Triton donor car, minus the Nissan badge on the steering wheel and some other small details based on trim levels.
It’s an overall basic interior with a reasonable amount of storage, with hardy (and cost-effective) materials suited to work and play. While it looks outdated, it’s reasonably convenient.
The Nissan Navara’s five-seat layout is standard for a dual-cab ute, with separately adjustable front seats and a bench rear for three.
The front driver’s seat is electrically adjustable in higher grades, with heating for both front seats.
The Nissan Navara SL Warrior's tub measures 1509mm long, 1560mm wide, 1134mm (between the wheel arches), and 519mm deep.
The tub has four tie-down points and a durable tub-liner, but it does not get the Pro-4X Warrior’s Utili-track load-restraint system.
There’s no claimed 0-100km/h time in Nissan’s official specs sheets, but the Navara’s weight, outputs and workhorse gearing means it’s a run to three-figures in around 10 seconds.
Top speed is comfortably north of 150km/h so overtaking isn’t an issue.
From the Navara’s 75L tank, a claimed 7.7L/100km is used on the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle, though on the launch drive we saw the trip computer hovering around 9.0L/100km.
Hypothetically, if you manage to get close to Nissan’s claimed consumption, you should be able to get more than 900km out of a single tank of diesel