Next Nissan Navara to better compete against Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger

Nissan is promising big things with its next-generation Navara ute to better challenge rivals such as the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux.

Nissan’s next-generation Navara will be much more market competitive, according to a senior executive.

The car maker is looking to right the wrongs of the outgoing workhorse, while also eyeing up a bigger slice of the lucrative ute market.

Key amongst the criticisms of the current Navara is its coil-spring rear suspension on dual-cab variants, which Nissan‘s Senior Vice-President and Chief Planning Officer for the AMIEO (Africa, Middle East, India, Europe, and Oceania) region, Francois Bailly, said will be addressed in the upcoming new model.

“If you go back to the launch of the [current-generation] Navara [in 2014], there were a lot of sagging questions,” he said.

“You know, you would load the car, [and there would be a noticeable difference between] the front and the rear.

“Clearly, we will not repeat this mistake.”

And while the coil-spring suspension is generally accepted as riding better without a heavy payload, it suffers when loaded – a key trait for workhorse utes like the Navara.

But the next-generation Navara, expected to be released in the next 12 months, is confirmed to be twinned with Alliance-partner Mitsubishi’s Triton, which came to Australia earlier this year.

All versions of the new Triton feature leaf-spring suspension, which is what Mr Bailly is hinting the new Navara will be equipped with to remedy the criticisms of the current car.

Likewise, expect to see the usual pick-up staples of 3500kg towing capacity, a one-tonne payload, and a four-wheel-drive system with options for high- and low-range gearing – all of which is available on the new Triton.

“Well, it wouldn’t be a pick-up truck, would it?” Mr Bailly said when asked by Drive if the new Navara would meet the aforementioned key benchmarks.

“The truck has to be credible in market, no debate.”

The new Triton also features a 2.4-litre twin-turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine, punching out 150kW/470Nm that can’t quite match the Toyota HiLux’s 150kW/500Nm or the Ford Ranger’s 154kW/500Nm (equipped with the 2.0-litre bi-turbo engine).

Expect to see the new Navara also make use of the same powertrain, which would still be an upgrade over the existing car’s 2.3-litre twin-turbocharged engine which delivers 140kW/450Nm.

What is clear however, is that Australia will be a lead market for the new Navara, but it is also expected to continue selling in New Zealand, South America, South-East Asia, and Africa.

“The pick-up means different things in different markets … it works very well in Australia,” Mr Bailly said.

“You have this lifestyle, these people with the money who can afford it to enjoy it, and you have the [lifestyle ute] sub-segment growing big.”

Meanwhile, in Europe, the Navara was withdrawn from sale in 2022 as Nissan’s production facility in Barcelona, Spain, was shuttered – but the brand is exploring electrification options for its new ute which could pave the way for a reintroduction.

The post Next Nissan Navara to better compete against Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger appeared first on Drive.

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