The 2015 Nissan NP300 Navara was unveiled in Thailand early last month, which gave us the bulk of information about what Nissan's next generation one-tonne pick-up is all about. However, it turns out most of the information was related to the Thai market as it was a market launch for the country.
Thanks to information provided at a media test drive that happened in Thailand this week, we now have new details on the 2015 Nissan NP300 Navara that could be relevant to our market. Our man Jonathan Lee will be publishing his first impressions of the new Navara very soon, but first here's what we learned at the event.
First of all, the YD25 2.5 litre turbodiesel engine that was unveiled at the Thai launch will be the engine that will be used for markets that have "Euro 4 and below" fuel. This includes Malaysia. The YD25 has been improved over the unit in the outgoing Navara - it features an upgraded cylinder head. Fuel economy is said to have been improved by as much as 11%.
What we won't get is a new 2.3 litre YS23 engine that's reserved for markets where Euro 5 fuel is available. Two versions of the YS23 will be available - a single turbo low output version that produces 158 hp and 403 Nm of torque, and a more powerful twin turbo version that does 188 hp and 450 Nm of torque.
Despite the smaller displacement, the two-stage turbo setup allows for the 450 Nm peak to come in earlier at 1,500-2,000 rpm compared to the 2,000 rpm of the YD25. Fuel consumption for the YS23 engine is said to have improved by 19% over the older YD25 thanks to reduced engine friction, an electrical variable oil pump and a thermo management system.
Though it was never available in Malaysia - the big 228 hp, 550 Nm 3.0 litre turbodiesel V6 sourced from Renault is now gone as the Navara wouldn't be able to comply with the stringent emissions regulations in countries where it is offered. With 450 Nm being the range-topping torque figure, the Navara won't be the most powerful pick-up around as it loses out to the larger engines in the Colorado, BT-50 and Ranger.
The good news is the Jatco 7-speed automatic transmission seems to be standard across the board and all markets. The expanded amount of ratios should both improve fuel efficiency as well as improve acceleration. For those who opt for a manual transmission, you'll get a 6-speeder.
An interesting bit about the chassis - the Navara has the option for an independent five-link rear suspension with coil springs instead of the usual live axle with leaf springs. The five-link suspension should provide for better car-like handling. The only pickup truck with such a design in Malaysia right now is the Ssangyong Actyon - the rest of the segment use a live axle with leaf spring design.
The Thai Navara will continue with a live axle setup because of tax reasons - the truck will be classified as a passenger car if it employs an independent rear suspension, thus raising the taxes that need to be paid on it. As far as we know, there's no such restriction in Malaysia, thus the availability of the Actyon we mentioned.
The Navara will also be available with LED headlamps, LED daytime running lights, rear air conditioning vents, a a 3D colour multi-info display in the instrument panel, but the availability of these features will be market specific depending on what each individual country specs for the variants they have on sale.
For more information on the new truck, read our Navara global unveiling story from June 2014, and stay tuned for Jonathan Lee's test drive impressions. You can also refresh your memory on the outgoing Nissan Navara D40 that's still sold in Malaysia at CarBase.my.
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