Nissan Navara 2015 News

Forget Holden v Ford, the new car battle is Toyota Corolla versus Mazda3, and the Toyota now has an almost unassailable lead.

Child restraint improvements elevate Nissan's new Navara ute to a maximum safety rating.

The dual-cab pick-up version of Nissan's all-new NP300 Navara ute will go on sale in May, with prices starting at $26,490.Cab-chassis models, as well as all single-cab and king-cab variants are slated to arrive in the third-quarter of this year. Nissan says prices for the later arrivals will be confirmed closer to their on-sale date.The all-new Navara will go up against the five-star safety rated all-new Triton (due in May), refreshed Ford Ranger (August) and top-selling all-new Toyota HiLux (October).RELATED: 2015 Nissan Navara review | first driveDiesel NP300 Navaras will feature a 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel engine, in either 120kW/403Nm or twin-turbo 140kW/450Nm form paired to a six-speed manual or seven-speed torque converter automatic transmission.RX, ST and ST-X Navara trim levels will have the turbodiesel under the bonnet, and a choice of either two or four-wheel drive.The price-leading Navara DX variant will be fitted with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine.Features of the Navara DX include daytime running lights auto headlights, cloth trim, vinyl floor, six-speaker audio, full-size spare, and it rides on 15-inch steel wheels.Stepping up to the RX adds chrome door handles and mirrors, powered rear windows, carpet flooring and 16-inch steel wheels.The ST adds reversing camera, alloy sports bar, 5-inch multimedia screen, auto-levelling LED headlights, LED running lights, side steps and 16-inch alloys.The top-spec ST-X builds on all that came before, adding dual-zone climate control, rear parking sensors, 7-inch multimedia system, satnav, full-size alloy spare, heated front seats with leather accents, power sunroof, two-channel Utili-Track tray storage system and 18-inch alloys.

It is the single-cab version of the Nissan D23 Navara. Nissan has already previewed the dual-cab NP300, which arrives in Australia late next month.But no such fuss has been made of the single-cab low-riding D23, which will play a crucial role in Australia when it gets here about September.Until now, Nissan has sold two Navaras, the cheap and simple previous generation D22 and the more advanced current generation D40.Nissan has stopped making both and now will build only the new generation D23.So, there will be no more cheap last generation models this time.Nissan Australia says the D22 was popular. "It developed a real cult following, especially with farmers who appreciated the simplicity," says spokesman Peter Fadeyev.The D23 single-cab, sitting in the shadows at the edge of Nissan's Bangkok stand, will have to cover for it.Fadeyev says Nissan hopes to coax rusted-on D22 owners into the more modern Navara but won't comment on whether it can match the former's sharp pricing, starting from $24,490.New dual-cab Navaras will incorporate a coil-spring rear end, for improved occupant comfort, but the workhorse models will keep leaf springs.Australian Navaras will run a new 2.3-litre diesel with one turbo or two. A petrol 2.5-litre four-cylinder also will be available.The single-cab's cockpit is modern and there is a long steel tray with built-in footboards and tie-down points.

You really need to know where to look online to find a bargain.

With a wave of new or updated utes around the corner, the sharp deals continue on Australia's favourite workhorses.

But the start of 2015 is gearing up for more hot deals than usual because new car sales stalled last year for the first time since the Global Financial Crisis.It means dealers are overstocked and they're even more eager to make way for fresh metal.Adding to the pressure - and putting buyers in the driver's seat - is the uncertainty around Australia's currency, which has taken a hit in recent months. Buying a new car now could mean a double-saving; get the discount on end-of-year bargains and beat possible price rises.Record low interest rates and favourable exchange rates saw new car prices fall to 20-year lows in 2014 as affordability hit a 38-year high in 2014.But once the cars imported at last year's exchange rates are cleared, the chances are new models won't be discounted as heavily, or prices may even rise.Most cars sold in Australia are sourced from Japan (30 per cent), Thailand (20 per cent) and South Korea (12 per cent) - rather than the US (5 per cent) - but most car companies buy in US dollars as it has historically been more stable.The prices of Japanese branded cars are likely to remain steady because the Japanese Government artificially devalues the yen to boost exports. But the value of the Australian dollar against the currencies of Thailand, South Korea and the US is less stable.It means price rises are likely on almost every ute sold in Australia because most are made in Thailand, including the top-selling Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger, Nissan Navara, Mitsubishi Triton and Holden Colorado, among others.South Korean brands Hyundai and Kia, two of the industry's biggest discounters, may also lose some of their bargaining power if the Australian dollar continues to head south.But one brand you may not be expecting to go backwards due to a shift in currency is Holden, which sources eight of its 12 models from South Korea and two from Thailand.With that in mind we have assembled the 10 cars we reckon are worth waiting for. Remember to always judge a car by its build date (the day it went down the production line and how its age will be measured when it comes time to sell), rather than the compliance plate (in effect, when the car cleared Australian customs).Be warned: there are still some 2013-built cars out there (Nissan, we're looking at you), so be sure to haggle hard and make sure the factory warranty starts the day you take delivery.Sometimes it's worth waiting for an all-new model, or at least knowing if you have more bargaining power if the dealer is trying to clear not only last year's model but one that is about to be superseded.The successor to Australia's cheapest car from a mainstream brand is just around the corner with a new look and a new name. The Suzuki Celerio is bigger than the Alto and the 1.0-litre three-cylinder has been tuned to run on regular unleaded (rather than premium like its predecessor), making it one of the cheapest cars to own and operate. Expect a super-sharp $13,990 drive-away starting price when it goes on sale in February.Australia is going to be crawling with pint-sized SUVs next year but the Mazda CX-3 is likely to take most of the spotlight. Available with a 1.5-litre turbo diesel or a 2.0-litre petrol engine it is expected to start between $20,000 and $25,000 when it goes on sale in March. It will join the Honda HR-V (February), Renault Captur (February), the next generation Suzuki Vitara (June), the unusually named Citroen Cactus (June), and the cutesy Fiat 500X (November).The city-sized soft-roader market is so huge globally even off-road brand Jeep has joined the fray. The Jeep Renegade may look like a scaled-down Tonka Truck but it is based on the same underbody as the Fiat Punto, Alfa Romeo Mito and the Fiat 500X. Powered by a 1.4-litre turbo petrol or 2.0-litre turbo diesel matched to a segment-leading nine-speed automatic transmission, the Renegade is due in showrooms in October priced between $20,000 and $30,000.The first new Nissan Navara in 10 years arrives in showrooms in April with two new 2.3-litre turbo diesel engines (one with a single turbo, the other with twin turbos). The outputs are almost the same as the previous 2.5-litre turbo diesel, despite being smaller in capacity (a 118kW/403Nm version and a 140kW/450Nm version). Payload and towing capacity are yet to be confirmed but bank on a one-tonne cargo rating and a 3500kg towing limit (bringing the Navara into line with class leaders). The 550Nm Navara with the Renault 3.0-litre turbo diesel V6 has been dropped. It will be a big year for utes, with a rebodied Mitsubishi Triton due in May, significant updates due for the Ford Ranger and Mazda BT50 in July, an all-new Toyota HiLux in October.Take a close look at the new Ford Mondeo due on sale in April. This is a pointer to the vehicle that will eventually replace the Falcon. Available in sedan and wagon body styles, likely with a choice of 2.0-litre turbo petrol or 2.0-litre turbo diesel engines, prices are expected to range from $30,000 to $50,000. It will also be loaded with technology including LED headlights, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, and industry-leading rear seatbelt airbags. A hybrid version will join the Mondeo line-up later in the year.Jaguar is making a second attempt at the lucrative mid-size luxury sedan market dominated by the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C Class. After learning from the ill-conceived 2002 X-Type based on the Ford Mondeo, Jaguar has started with a cleansheet design and aluminium construction. It will be available with a 2.0-litre petrol engine, and a 2.0-litre turbo diesel said to sip 4.0L/100km, less than the Audi A4 (4.8L/100km) and BMW 320d (4.5L/100km) aided by an eight-speed auto. At the other end of the scale: a supercharged 3.0-litre V6 with a 0 to 100km/h time of 5.1 seconds. Due on sale in September, it's likely to start about $60,000.The first new Volvo XC90 in 12 years is also the first all-new model developed since Volvo was bought by China's Geely motor company in 2010. Promising to the world's safest SUV it will automatically slam on the brakes if you're about to turn in front of an oncoming car, and can also spot cyclists and pedestrians at night. It even has eyes in the back of its head: a radar system can detect if you're about to be hit from behind, and will prepare the seatbelts and headrests for the sudden impact. It will be available with a choice of four-cylinder petrol or diesel power, and a plug-in hybrid that can travel up to 40km on battery power alone (before switching to petrol power), the first seven-seater of its type in the world. Due in showrooms in July priced about $90,000.Mazda has gone back to basics – in every sense of the word – and wound back the clock with the new MX-5 sports-car. The first all-new MX-5 since the original was launched 25 years ago goes back to its lightweight, low cost roots (each wheel only has four locating nuts instead of five, for example) and promises a soft-top roof and a sub-1000kg mass for the first time since last century. Since 2006 the Mazda MX-5 has had a folding metal roof to help it weather storms and thwart thieves, but this has added weight, complexity and cost. The new model is expected to be available with a choice of two engines – a 1.5- and a 2.0-litre – when it goes on sale in September priced below $40,000.The Ford Mustang returns to Australia in October for the first time since 2003, but it will be the first time in the nameplate's 50-year history that it will be made in right-hand-drive on a Ford production line (Flat Rock, Michigan). All models before this one were converted to right-hand-drive locally. It will be available with a choice of 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo or 5.0-litre V8 power in coupe and convertible body styles. Prices will range from $50,000 to $70,000.Mercedes-Benz's answer to the Porsche 911 arrives in July priced about $270,000. Powered by a twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 that will also power the upcoming AMG C63 sedan, it can complete the 0 to 100km/h dash in just 3.8 seconds. Fun fact for the tech heads: it has a better weight distribution (47/53 front to rear) than either the Porsche 911 (39/61) or Cayman (46/54). Game on.

The chunky Nissan Navara is about to get a French facelift to join the Renault family.The re-bodied and rebadged ute is being fast-tracked into the Renault line-up and could be in Australian showrooms as early as the final months of next year.The French connection is being forged as Hyundai and Kia both struggle to convince their head office in South Korea of the urgent need for a work-and-play pick-up to boost their rapid sales rise Down Under."Still nothing to report. We're still pushing but there is nothing in the plan," says Hyundai Australia chief operating officer John Elsworth.But there is plenty happening in the French direction, with global styling boss Laurens van den Acker confirming details of his styling makeover."We're going to do it. For sure," van den Acker confirms to CarsGuide at the Paris motor show.He also details the changes needed to ensure the latest Nissan Navara, only unveiled this year and being built in Thailand for Australian buyers, picks up DNA from the Renault gene pool."We have to make sure...that it's very different to Nissan. What we should do is share everything underneath and differentiate the visible parts." He says demand from Australia, where Renault is now the second-biggest global market for Renault Sport cars, helped swing the vote on the ute project."This opens up, because there are also South America and the US where 50 per cent of the market is pick-up trucks."So if you don't have it, then you don't play." Apart from the ute, Renault is also pressing ahead on expansion of its SUV line-up from today's Koleos, again tapping Nissan for the mechanical platforms used on the Qashqai, X-Trail and Pathfinder. 'We're very late, but thankfully the crossovers we are doing are quite successful. We are trying to share the platforms, so we're looking to the (Nissan-Renault) Alliance to share the platform," he says."Early next year we'll be launching the (compact) crossover, which is based on Qashqai. New Koleos will be the biggest, bigger than today, based on the Pathfinder." According to van den Acker, Renault is also going to try again for success with larger sedans in the Holden Commodore-Ford Falcon-Toyota Aurion size."It's an important segment to be in, for your image. If you don't have a (family) sedan you're not a real car company, in some way," he says."It is a segment under pressure but it holds your own." Without confirming it for Australia, he drops a solid hint in naming the factories that will build the newcomer."We will produce it in Korea and in Europe. Here (Europe) it is planned for 2016," van den Acker says."In the next two years we will roll out all the mid-sized and big ones."

Nissan Navara to get 3.5 tonne towing, one-tonne payload and multi-link rear suspension. The all-new Nissan Navara will finally match the rest of the competition with a 3.5-tonne towing capacity and a one-tonne payload when it goes on sale in the first three months of 2015. It is also likely to get a five-star ANCAP safety rating thanks to the fitment of seven airbags (including one for the driver's knee), and an all-new chassis and body structure, putting it back on the eligibility lists for the many government departments, mining companies and big business fleets that insist on top safety scores for work vehicles. Meanwhile the first all-new Nissan Navara in 10 years promises car-like driving characteristics, with a multi-link rear suspension system on selected dual-cab models, and a leaf-spring rear end on the workhorses in the range. Other technology highlights: hill descent control, hill hold assist (for inclines) and an integrated rear-view camera and a touchscreen navigation system on selected models. The highly regarded 550Nm twin turbo V6 turbo diesel sourced from Renault has been dropped from the new line-up due to emissions requirements.Two new 2.3-litre turbo diesel four-cylinder engines have replaced the previous 2.5-litre turbo diesel four-cylinder engines. The outputs are almost the same as before, despite being smaller in capacity -- a 118kW/403Nm version and a 140kW/450Nm version.  Fuel consumption figures are yet to be published but the company claims there are fuel savings of up to 20 per cent. Nissan is also working on a larger capacity four-cylinder turbo diesel to replace the 550Nm V6, but it will be added to the line-up later. Both engines are now backed by either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed automatic transmission, with shift-on-the-fly up to 100km/h on 4WD models. However, the 4WD still will not operate on tarmac as do some Mitsubishi Triton and Volkswagen Amarok utes.Nissan says the weight of the new Navara's body and chassis have been trimmed by a total of 70kg, bringing the vehicle's mass to between 1905kg and 1960kg for the dual cab models.There will be three body styles and tray sizes: single cab, extra cab and dual cab.The new model is slightly shorter in overall length (5255mm versus the old model's 5296mm) marginally wider (1850mm versus 1848mm) and has a shorter wheelbase (3150mm versus 3200mm), apparently designed to improve manoeuvrability. Nevertheless, the cabin is a lot more comfortable, with more room in every direction, bigger storage cubbies, a sensor key on top models, and air-conditioning vents on the back of the centre console on selected dual cab versions, to keep rear seat passengers cool.Most of the information in this story is based on official material distributed by Nissan at the global media preview of the new Navara in Thailand overnight. Some of the information -- such as towing capacity, payload and the likely ANCAP safety score -- has been gleaned from speaking with Nissan experts.Australian media are in Thailand today and tomorrow getting to grips with the first all-new Navara in 10 years. Check back within the next 24 hours for our first drive impressions. Nissan Navara: what's official so far-- Made in a brand-new Nissan factory in Thailand (previously Navara was made in Spain, and a Thai factory shared with Mitsubishi)-- Six-speed manual or seven-speed automatic transmissions-- Hill descent control on selected models-- Hill hold on selected models-- Seven-inch touchscreen navigation and rear view camera on selected models-- Seven airbags (including one for the driver's knee)-- Three body styles: single cab, extra cab, dual cab-- Rear air-conditioning vents on selected dual cab models-- Sensor key on top models-- Multi-link rear suspension on high-grade dual cab models-- Choice of two 2.3-litre turbo diesel engines with very similar outputs as before: 118kW/403Nm, 140kW/450Nm-- Length/width/height/wheelbase: 5255/1850/1820/3150mm (dual cab 4WD)-- Approach angle is 31 degrees, departure angle is 25.6 degrees (ramp over angle TBC)-- Wade depth: 600mm-- Turning circle: 12.4 metres (dual cab 4WD) Nissan Navara: what's not official but likely-- 3.5-tonne towing capacity on selected models-- 1.0-tonne payload on selected models-- Five-star ANCAP rating (offset frontal crash test score likely to exceed 12.5/16, the minimum to be eligible for a five-star rating)-- On sale first three months of 2015