Nissan reveals new generation Navara pick-up for Australia
Yes, there will be two distinct Navara models for different markets
So the new generation Navara has finally been unveiled, and Nissan selected Australia as the location for the reveal, banking on the continent’s importance as a market for 4x4 utes (AKA: pick-up trucks).
Unlike before, however, this Navara is a shared project as it shares a lot of its underpinnings (from the chassis, engines, and other bits and pieces) with the Mitsubishi Triton. Collaborations between Mitsubishi and Nissan aren’t new, as both are part of the Renault Nissan Mitsubishi Alliance (albeit the alliance itself is having a few… problems) and Nissan does have a 24% stake in Mitsubishi (formerly 34%). That’s also why we have models like the Xpander which was rebadged and restyled as Livina.
This generation of Navara is the same. While the platform is Mitsubishi’s, the face is very Nissan and very different from the model it succeeds; actually, it may not be a successor per se, as it appears Nissan will be splitting the Navara line with the one currently made in Thailand (which we get) and this other one that will probably be made by Mitsubishi in Thailand.
Either way, the biggest change is the face, as it is a production-ready version of the design concept shown to us by Ken Lee at their top-secret design center in Japan as a side trip of our 2023 Japan Mobility Show adventure. The grille is very boxy, similar to the Dynamic Shield of Mitsubishi, but features more LED lights and a bulbar-like front bumper.
It won’t be cost-efficient for Nissan (something they’re focusing on now) to change key body panels, so Nissan didn’t. That’s why panels like the doors, the chunky door handles, and other bits that would require new stamping dies were not changed from the Triton, or at least these don’t appear to have been changed.
Even the shape of the truck bed quarter panel is the same, and that’s why the little extended tip at the lower corner of the taillight is the same as the Triton too, even though the design of the taillight is different. The tailgate itself features the same handle as the Triton, but with NAVARA letters stuck on to it.
Nissan showed many versions shown by Nissan during the livestream from the core models that would serve as workhorses for customers, all the way to the lifestyle-oriented Pro-4X variant.
As expected, the Pro-4X features gloss black details all around, including red accents on the extended fenders and lettering, as well as a black sports bar and 17” wheels.
What is also interesting is that Nissan sought the expertise of Australian engineering firm Premcar with the suspension tuning of the vehicle. The two have collaborated before on some key Nissan projects, such as the Y62 Patrol Warrior and D23 Navara Warrior, and they even have a Warrior concept for the new generation Navara.
Powering the “parallel universe” Navara will be a 2.4-liter turbodiesel engine; yes, the same engine displacement as the Triton. Power is quoted at 204 PS and torque is quoted at 470 Nm; both figures are higher than the current D23’s 2.5L turbodiesel powerplant. Nissan says it has an “Easy 4WD” system that automatically switches between 2WD and 4WD. The vehicle will have 7 drive modes: Normal, Eco, Gravel, Snow, Mud, Sand, and Rock.
What is unfortunate, however, is that the Philippines might not get the Navara they just revealed in Australia. As I referred to earlier, this will be the “parallel” Navara, because it will be made by Mitsubishi for Australia and New Zealand only (for now).
Nissan may be resorting to using another facelift of the D23 we have had since 2015 for the Philippines. We will find out soon enough what the plan is.
