Nissan Philippines is about to launch its new Navara in a few days, and while it’s “just” a refresh, we can assure you that it’s quite a substantial one.
What’s New
First and foremost, the nameplate has a new headliner, and it is called the Navara Pro-4X. This brings the total to eight variants, with four (4) 4x2s and four (4) 4x4s.
Upfront, the new Navara is more angular and has a meaner stance. It sports a larger grille with N.A.V.A.R.A. stamped in bold letters just in case you forgot which pickup you were looking at. The bonnet has been tweaked, and the bumper and sump guard are also new. A functional, but also highly aesthetic upgrade is the quad projector LED headlamps that all, save for the base unit now have. The same goes for the DRLs and front fog lamps. Auto-folding side mirrors and rain-sensing wipers have also been added for the VL variants and up.
Over at the back, the bed has been redesigned and has a higher tail end so that it levels out when carrying heavy loads. It also has fixed mounting points and a reinforced tie rack for some variants. The rear bumper has been revised, and the Navara logo is now embossed on the tailgate that is now also equipped with tailgate assist to make easy work of opening and closing the gate.
Across the board, the new Navara’s reinforced rear suspension now includes a progressive-rate coil spring that improved the ride comfort and increased the load capacity to 1.1 tons. Tire size has been adjusted with most variants fitted with 17-inches, including the Pro-4X, but excluding the VL grade that gets 255/60 R18s.
While the same 2.5-liter YD25 engine is used for the refresh, the mid-range AT variants got a tweak and will now be pulling 187hp (190 ps) @ 3,600rpm and 450Nm @ 2,000 like their VL counterparts.
Depending on the grade, the new Navara gets a slew of Nissan Intelligent Mobility features such as Intelligent Forward Collision Warning; Intelligent Emergency Braking; Driver Attention Alert; Blind Spot Warning; Lane Departure Warning; Rear Cross Traffic Alert; High Beam Assist.
Inside, immediately noticeable is the redesigned steering wheel and bigger control panel. It still has the usual accessory and power ports, but with the addition of a USB-C port inside the center console box.
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PRO-4X
The Pro-4X is currently the most tricked-out version of the Navara. Said to be styled like a smaller Nissan Titan, it has several variant-exclusive design elements that give it an even more aggressive look, but not in an over-the-top kind of way.
The Pro-4X is badged with the exclusive black and orange Nissan emblem found on the hood, tailgate, and steering wheel. It also sports a black grille and orange accents on its bumper. Regardless of the body color, its door handles and roof racks are gloss black. Inside, the first thing you will notice is the Zero-Gravity leather seats with Pro-4X red stitching.
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Behind the wheel
After an intimate reveal in Metro Manila, Nissan brought a small group of journalists up north to put the new Navara through its paces and it didn’t disappoint. As if the almost 500-kilometer drive to Laoag was not enough, we took the pickups to the La Paz Sand Dunes the following day for more fun on four wheels. The vehicle as well as all the precautions for safety, social distancing, and sanitizing that Nissan prepared for the trip kept all the participants confident for the tasks prepared.
It was actually also in the sand dunes in Ilocos when Nissan declared the Pickup Wars in the country in 2015 with the drive to launch the then all-new Navara. Six years later, Nissan is still on top of its game with this big minor change.
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Variants and colors
Days before the launch, this is what else we know.
Variants:
- Navara 2.5 PRO-4X AT 4×4 – Php 1,849,000
- Navara VL AT 4×4 – Php 1,779,000
- Navara VL MT 4×4 – Php 1,699,000
- Navara VL Calibre AT 4×2 – Php 1,599,000
- Navara VE MT 4×4 – Php 1,499,000
- Navara VE Calibre AT 4×2 – Php 1,459,000
- Navara VE Calibre MT 4×2 – Php 1,369,000
- Navara EL MT 4×2 – Php 1,149,000
Colors:
- Stealth Pearl Grey (new; available in Pro-4X variant only)
- Aspen Pearl White (new; available in Pro-4X and VL variants only)
- Forged Metallic Copper (new; available in VL and VE 4×2 variants only)
- Lunar Metallic Grey (new; available in VL and VE 4×2 variants only)
- Fiery Red (available in Pro-4X variant only)
- Galaxy Black
- Brilliant Silver (new; available in VE and EL variants only)
- Alpine White (new; available in VE and EL variants only)
Update:
We’ve added the pricing, warranty, and spec sheet. Enjoy!
