Trying out the new Navara Pro-4X
Written by Neil Pagulayan
By now you’ve heard about Nissan’s new Navara launched last week. A few days before that, we were invited to experience exactly how the Nissan Navara’s features and Intelligent Mobility technologies can help you, both on and off city streets.
To demonstrate its abilities, Nissan constructed a course to show how its features and intelligent technologies can help make driving it easier. It comes with obstacles that simulate some of Manila’s city streets and some typical off-road challenges.
In the spotlight is the top of the line Navara Pro-4X. Here’s the long 'short list' of it’s main features: zero gravity type seats; dual-zone climate control ac; rear ac vents; rain sensing wipers; auto dimming rear view mirror; leather seats with Pro-4X embossed; four USB sockets; multi-link suspension with dual-rate coilsprings; seven-speed automatic transmission; all-terrain tires; Intelligent around view monitor with moving object detection; Intelligent forward collision warning with forward emergency braking; blind spot warning; lane departure warning; rear cross traffic alert; quad-LED projector headlamps; and a high-resolution seven-inch full color TFT display cluster.
City potholes
We got into the top-of-the-line Pro-4X variant with an instructor in the passenger seat and made our way to the first stage. Humps were positioned on the road to test its suspension. The multi-link suspension and new dual-rate springs helped iron out the bumps and dips, and helped me keep the vehicle going in straight line.
Flooded street
The second stage had us drive down a ramp into a large pool of water, simulating a typical flash flood on the street after strong rain. This is where the Pro-4X’s high 320mm ground clearance and 600mm water wading capability will give you confidence in driving through high water.
Narrow path
Stage three featured a steep, narrow path with a four-foot drop. Typically, in tall vehicles, the edge of the hood blocks the view right in front of you. This is where Nissan’s intelligent around view monitor comes in handy and lets you see what would normally be obstructed to judge if it's clear and safe enough to drive down into. At the same time, this feature lets you see all 360 degrees around the vehicle leaving you with no blind spots. With its guide lines, you can maneuver accurately through the narrow path which led up a moderate incline and a sharp right turn into the next stage.
Extreme off-road
Immediately after were large rocks. We engaged ‘4H’ on the fly, and continued to use the around view monitor with its guide lines to negotiate our way within inches of large rocks littering the edges of the trail. Right after were alternating “elephant holes” which test cross-axle articulation and demonstrate the full extension of the suspension to keep contact with the ground. This is where the electronic locking rear differential comes in handy, giving equal torque to both rear wheels. Vehicle dynamics control makes sure that if there are wheels off the ground, power is transferred to the wheel that has contact.
The Navara’s rigid fully-boxed ladder frame ensures that there’s little or no chassis flex during this exercise and that the only things moving are the suspension components. Of course the Pro-4X made this look easy. Even those with little off-road experience were able to conquer this obstacle without breaking a sweat.
Dark tunnel
Stage five was a dark tunnel at the end of the off-road stage. It blocked out most of the light. Yet even in dark places, the around view monitor cameras were sensitive enough to see in almost pitch black, with a little help from the daytime running lamps. Here we got to see the visibility afforded by the new quad LED projector headlamps.
Steep hill
As we exited the tunnel, we made our way to a steep hill, simulated by a steel structure. At the base, we shifted to ‘4L,’ and turned on hill start assist and hill descent control. We then used the intelligent around view monitor to watch the sides of the narrow ramp.
With the Navara’s 2.4L turbocharged diesel putting out 190-Ps and the 450-Nm, the roughly 40-degree incline was easy to conquer even without any run up. The instructor even told us to stop just as the front wheels crested the hill, to show how hill start assist prevents the vehicle from rolling back on a steep incline. This feature holds the brakes as you move your foot from the brake pedal to the gas pedal and releases after about five seconds or as soon as you put pressure on the accelerator.
At the top, we used the around view monitor to see the steep descent. To activate hill descent control, we were told to just release the brake, do not step on the gas, nor modulate the brake, and just trust the electronics. Counter to my instincts, the Pro-4X took care of the slow roll down the steep incline.
Side hill
Nearing the end of the course, we approached another couple of hills. We were to drive through, first tilting our vehicle on the right side and next on our left side. We shifted out of 4L to 4H. Here, we experienced more suspension articulation. Like the past obstacle, the electronic locking rear differential, vehicle dynamic control and fully boxed ladder frame all worked together to keep the Navara controllable, wheels in contact with the ground, and power where it was needed. The Pro-4X breezed thorugh this exercise.
Tight parking
I thought we were done, but the final exercise was parking the Navara in reverse into a tight space without using the side mirrors. Again, we relied on the Intelligent around view monitor and its guidelines. By this time, I was familiar with it and trusted it to give me adequate space all around. The new Navara Pro-4X made quick work of everything in this course.
Way back in 2015, Nissan declared the start of the “Truck Wars” when they launched the Navara. With this new Navara Pro-4X, they’ll definitely be in the crosshairs of Filipino buyers.