Nissan Navara 2019: now more efficient and connected

The Nissan Navara 2019 has already been unveiled, a restyling aimed at making it more efficient, comfortable and connected.

The Japanese pick-up is one of those old rockers still left in our market, capable of reaching places where most cars would be left behind.

Paolo D’Ettore, Director of Light Commercial Vehicles at Nissan Europe, stated: “We are delighted to announce the launch of the most robust, most efficient and smartest Navara in history; thanks to its combination of comfort, performance, load capacity and durability, the Nissan Navara 2019 consolidates its success in Europe”.

The Japanese pick-up’s Mercedes Class X, the model we tested a few months ago, won the international pick-up award in 2016. Our country deserves part of the credit for this, since the Nissan Navara is manufactured at the brand’s plant in the Zona Franca of Barcelona. It is also assembled in China, Mexico, Thailand and Argentina. It is therefore one of the brand’s most global models, sold in more than 109 markets worldwide.

What’s new on the Nissan Navara 2019?

Despite keeping the same 2.3-litre dCi engine, it is now more efficient and cleaner in order to meet the new Euro6DTemp emissions standard. As a result, CO2 emissions have been reduced by 10%.

Another change to the powertrain is the addition of two turbos, so it is offered in two power levels: 163 and 190 hp. This has increased torque by 22 Nm in the less powerful engine.

These are paired with a new six-speed manual gearbox featuring new developments to improve consumption. Nissan has fitted a more precise cable-operated shift mechanism, which reduces vibrations and makes the shift movements closer to those of a conventional car.

The front axle has received a new geometry to increase load capacity. In addition, the rear suspension has also been revised to raise the ride height by 25 mm, improving approach and departure angles, and increasing the maximum load capacity by 135 kg. The rear suspension is multi-link, so we no longer find the uncomfortable leaf springs, not even in the most utilitarian version, called the Nissan Navara King Cab.

Another element that Nissan has modified to make its pick-up a little more civilised is replacing the rear drum brakes with 308 mm disc brakes. This shortens braking distances, and tyre wear has been improved by 15%.

Thanks to disc brakes on all four wheels, it features a new Electronic Stability Control for towing, which helps prevent the dreaded “snaking effect”.

Another new feature in this area is the Intelligent Trailer Sway Control. This system anticipates erratic trailer movements and automatically makes small braking corrections to regain control.

The safety assistance systems of the Nissan Navara are completed with features such as Front Collision Warning, Hill Descent Control and the intelligent 360º camera.

Now more connected than ever

Connectivity equipment has also been improved. The brand has incorporated the Nissan Connect infotainment system with an 8-inch touchscreen compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. This follows the news we learned a few months ago, that Nissan, Renault and Mitsubishi will use Android software to develop their models.

Last year, 231,435 units of the Nissan Navara were sold, an increase of 6% over the previous year. In the domestic market, 1,228 units of the Japanese pick-up were sold, representing 11.5% of all registrations in this segment during 2018.