Nissan’s high-tech NavaraTechXtreme pickup
THE NISSAN Navara has chunky good looks covering a brawny drivetrain.
Barely 10 years ago, pickups were all about brute strength and durability. Bolt a high-torque engine and a robust four-wheel drive system to a sturdy chassis and you had the ingredients for a successful pickup. Now that pickups are roomier and ever more car-like cabins, these workhorses are about feature sets as much as payloads.
Nissan distributor Universal Motors Corp. puts a high-tech twist on the classic pickup with its new NavaraTechXtreme. The Tech in this case comes from the onboard connectivity and entertainment features on board the pickup. Chief among these are the wi-fi capability of the pickup. A USB port on the dashboard below the aircon switches accepts a broadband stick and enables a wifi connection within the cabin. With many of today’s electronics-smartphones, music players and laptops-dependent on Internet connectivity for much of their usefulness, we couldn’t help but think why didn’t this arrive sooner? Ever since German luxury cars were introducing Internet connectivity in their home (developed) market, we thought we couldn’t be that far behind. It took almost three years, but onboard Internet is finally here.
THE LATEST Navarra offers on-board connectivity and several entertainment features.
Aside from the endless entertainment options of the Internet, when you get tired of watching cat videos and skateboard pratfalls, you can load your own favorites via CD, DVD, SD card, Bluetooth, or USB. The content is displayed on the dashboard’s built-in screen, or, for the rear passengers, on the monitors built into the front headrests. The front monitor also functions as a reverse camera, always useful on a pickup. A navigation system is standard as well. This is one of the best local GPS applications we have seen, being aware of idiosyncrasies like U-turn slots. The screen image also splits into two and shows a graphic of upcoming intersections or forks, so you won’t take the wrong slot on a flyover, for example.
THIS pickup offers car-like cabin.
DON’T forget the goods: Navara’s lined pickup bed is big enough to bring home the bacon.
The entertainment system is but the icing, and the Navara has substantial cake as well. The Navara four-door is powered by a 2.5-liter turbodiesel with 143 hp and 356 Nm, or a high-output version with 172 hp and 403 Nm, thanks to common-rail direct injection. Transmission choices are six-speed manual and five-speed automatic. It rides on the expected double-wishbone front suspension and rear axle with leafspring suspension. The four-wheel drive system is activated via a dashboard knob, with an available four-wheel drive low range.
Going back to the icing, the Navara features car-like seating and instrument panel, with a thick three-spoke steering wheel. There’s one last blinding feature on the Navara: LED interior lamps that are several factors brighter than normal bulbs, an appropriate indicator that the tech’s future is quite bright.
