Nissan Navara ST-X Dual Cab 2017 review

The ST-X rides on a 3150mm wheelbase which is 70mm shorter than Ford's Ranger, but 65mm longer than Toyota's HiLux. Its off-road credentials include a competitive 228mm of ground clearance, an excellent lateral tilt angle of up to 50 degrees, 32.4 degrees approach angle, 26.7 degrees departure and 23.8 degrees ramp-over angle, with a wading depth of 700mm.

The rugged ladder frame chassis features double wishbone/coil spring independent front suspension and a coil-sprung five-link live rear axle. Braking is via front discs and rear drums inside 18-inch alloy wheels with 255/60R18 tyres and a full-size alloy spare.

There's good driver and front passenger comfort and big grab handles on the windscreen pillars for easy entry. Rear passengers have adequate head and shoulder room, well-placed arm rests and central pillar grab handles, however tall adults may demand more rest stops on long trips due to a low seat cushion height resulting in a high knee position that concentrates weight on the lower back.

Braking is via front discs and rear drums inside 18-inch alloy wheels with 255/60R18 tyres. (Image credit: Mark Oastler)

Our ST-X dual cab 4x4 test vehicle with automatic transmission is the top rung on the Navara model ladder. At $52,490 plus on-roads it costs considerably more than the top-shelf Mitsubishi Triton Exceed ($48,000) but considerably less than either of the premium offerings from Toyota (HiLux SR-5 at $55,900) and Ford (Ranger Wildtrak at $61,590).

The ST-X comes well equipped with numerous luxury appointments including heated and leather-accented front seats with an eight-way power adjustable driver's seat, leather accented handbrake and tilt-adjustable steering wheel, dual-zone climate and multi-media dashboard interface including smartphone and Bluetooth connectivity, six-speaker sound system and lots more.

It's also well-dressed outside with a polished alloy sports bar, satin alloy roof racks and side steps, LED projector headlights, heated power door mirrors, heaps of chrome highlights and a slide-adjustable load securing system in the cargo bed, to name a few.

The Navara's slightly firmer unladen ride will probably go unnoticed by most owners. Acceleration is brisk and braking is good but the steering has an overly heavy or ‘dead weight' feel to it that remains linear regardless of road speed.

It feels outdated compared to the latest variable-ratio electric and hydraulic systems in rivals, which are very light at parking speeds and become firmer as speeds rise.

However, the ST-X is still a competent and comfortable highway cruiser with only 1800rpm at 100km/h and 2000rpm at 110km/h which right in middle of its 1500-2500rpm torque zone. We noticed a bit of wind noise at these speeds, mostly around the large door mirrors, but tyre noise and other sources of NVH were pleasantly low. Unladen ride quality was generally good with a slightly jittery feel on some surfaces due to the firmer suspension.

We then loaded 770kg into the cargo bed, which with a 92kg driver was a payload of 862kg, or just under 80kg less than its 941kg peak payload rating. Despite the slightly stiffer rear springs the Navara displayed a similar tail-down-nose-up stance to its predecessor, with the front rising 15mm and the rear dropping 80mm.

The 2.3-litre twin-turbo diesel and seven-speed auto proved a good team on our long 14 per cent gradient set climb.

Given that the ST we tested in 2016 compressed 120mm with about 60kg less load, this may seem like an improvement in springing support. However, the ST was fitted with 16-inch diameter wheels (50mm smaller diameter than the ST-X's 18s) and we always measure from the top of the wheel rim to the wheel arch lip, so it's much the same.

A look under the tail also revealed that, like its predecessor, the rear coils had compressed to a point where the load was again largely being supported by the solid rubber cones which sit outboard of the coils on each side of the axle housing. Although these are designed to progressively engage with the chassis rails as a second stage of damping under heavy loads, it is still in effect like riding on extended bump stops.

Even so, the 2.3-litre twin-turbo diesel and seven-speed auto proved a good team on our long 14 per cent gradient set climb with more than three quarters of a tonne on board; the ample 450Nm of torque easily maintaining the 60km/h speed limit at 2000rpm in sixth gear all the way to the top.

Its engine braking was also impressive for such a small capacity engine, with only the occasional brush of the brake pedal required to peg over-run at 4000rpm (4500rpm redline).

Nissan includes a three year/100,000km warranty, with extended warranty option for the Navara ST-X.

There's also a three year 24 Hour Roadside Assistance Program.

Servicing is required every 12 months or 20,000km whichever comes first, and capped price servicing applies to the first six scheduled services up to 120,000km, with costs varying between $547.00 (minimum) and $738.00 (maximum) per service.