The Nissan Navara has had a mid-life facelift five years after this generation went on sale. Here’s everything we know so far.
The biggest change to the Nissan Navara since this generation went on sale in 2015 gains a bold new look borrowed from the Nissan Titan in the US, including an oversized grille and new bi-LED headlights with C-shaped daylight running lights.
Although at a glance the rest of the visual changes may seem minor, the 2021 Nissan Navara has new sheetmetal forward of the windscreen plus redesigned ute tub fenders, tailgate, wheel arch flares, and tail-lights.
The pick-up tub internals are identical to the current Navara – and Nissan’s clever adjustable tie-down rails remain – however the outer skins and tailgate are new, with a more integrated rear lip for better aerodynamics. Nissan has also tucked in the corners of the rear bumper for better airflow at freeway speeds.
There is a long list of advanced safety tech, the promise of improved refinement, and the introduction of a new flagship model.
In addition to its tough-truck looks, the Nissan Navara Pro-4X gains a heavy-duty sports bar which is expected to be able to handle some more weight than the chrome show bars on most other utes. However, it is not expected to handle as much weight as the heavy-duty sports bar on the Toyota Hilux Rugged-X (rated to handle a 75kg vertical load and a 200kg tie-down load).
The new badge means the locally-developed Nissan Navara N-Trek Warrior will likely be renamed Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior. That model is yet to be unveiled, however it is likely to be introduced some time after the rest of the new Navara line-up in the first half of 2021.
There is no extra power expected for the twin turbo 2.3-litre four-cylinder diesel (140kW/450Nm), which remains paired to a six-speed manual or a seven-speed auto as with today’s model. Towing capacity remains capped at 3500kg, the legal maximum on a 50mm tow ball. The tailgate on certain models will gain spring loading, to make it easier to close.
However, Nissan promises improved payload, with up to 1.1-tonnes of carrying capacity in the Pro-4X and up to 1.2 tonnes on workhorse models. Exact details on each variant will be released closer to local launch. The sides of the ute tub are 20mm higher, though this is more for styling than to create extra usable space.
The interior gets a minor makeover to accommodate some of the advanced safety tech. A new, more compact steering wheel (similar to the current Nissan X-Trail) comes with extra buttons which work in conjunction with the new larger digital display between analogue dials in the instrument cluster.
The new widescreen panel greets drivers with a digital image of the new Navara on start-up and the functions go well beyond a digital speed display. It now includes a compass (moving this feature from the rear-view mirror) and all the necessary modes to adjust the advanced safety tech.
The autonomous emergency braking and forward crash alert systems on the new Nissan Navara rely on a large rectangular sensor in the lower portion of the grille (versus cameras in the windscreen of the Isuzu D-Max, Mazda BT-50 and Mitsubishi Triton and a radar sensor in the Toyota badge in the grille of the new HiLux).
This means owners will need to be careful to not block the sensor with bullbars, lights and other accessories. Oddly, the tech in the new Nissan Navara does not include radar cruise control or distance-sensing cruise control (available on Isuzu, Mazda, Toyota and Ford trucks)
The 2021 Nissan Navara is likely to remain largely unchanged from this point on until a new model arrives in about 2025, which is rumoured to be a version of the next-generation Mitsubishi Strada due in 2023 or 2024.
Former rivals Mitsubishi and Nissan became joint venture partners as part of the new alliance with Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi. Because the big wheels of the car industry turn slowly, and it takes about three to five years to take a car from a design sketch to a showroom, future plans for both the Nissan and Mitsubishi utes remain shrouded in secrecy.
Nissan says the new Navara is due in showrooms in early 2021. Price and features of individual models are yet to be announced but dealers have been advised to brace for a price rise.
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