Nissan Navara NP300 put to test in Ilocos Norte

PICTURE PERFECT. Nissan Navara 4×4 models take a break at the La Paz Sand Dunes in Laoag, Ilocos Norte.
CDN PHOTO/BRIAN J. OCHOA

The all-new Nissan Navara showed off its power and performance in an event dubbed Ride and Drive in Ilocos Norte last Feb. 24.
The one-day event spearheaded by Nissan Philippines, Inc. (NPI) gathered 72 motoring journalists from all over the country for a drive around this culture-rich province on board the 12th generation pickup truck of the Japanese auto giant.
NPI, in its bid to prove the versatility of the new pickup truck, prepared 24 units of the Navara NP300 to be tested by members of the media, including the Cebu Daily News team.
First on the list of events was a drive from the Municipality of Paoay, where we were billeted, to the picturesque Bangui Windmills, which was 66 kilometers from Laoag City.

Not even the fine and soft sand of the La Paz Sand Dunes could stop the Navara from performing at its best.
CDN PHOTO/BRIAN J. OCHOA

The first leg was more of a highway drive meant to test the Navara’s handling during high speeds, its ride comfort, its ability to accelerate and its fuel economy.
The Navara did well on all aspects, especially with its riding comfort, thanks particularly to its segment-exclusive rear five-link coil suspension with stabilizer bars.
This new setup replaces the common leaf-spring rear suspensions of pickup trucks. The new suspension gave rear passengers a more comfortable ride that isn’t usually expected from a pickup truck.
The YD25 engine of the Navara, a new-generation 2.5-liter four-cylinder diesel engine backed up by a Variable Geometry System (VGS), also performed really well.
This new engine, according to Nissan, has the highest power output per displacement in its segment. The 4×4 variant puts out 190 PS and 450 Nm of torque while the 4×2 variant offers 163 PS and 403 Nm of torque.

Tough climb? No problem. The Navara has 450 newton meter of torque to get it to the top.
CDN PHOTO/BRIAN J. OCHOA

That’s a lot of power for a 2.5-liter engine. But it doesn’t eat up much diesel fuel. In fact, later during that day, NPI did the math and calculated our fuel consumption for the Paoay-Bangui-Paoay trip, and some drivers did as high as 27 kilometers per liter for the manual variants and around 21 kilometers per liter for the automatic models.
Next on the list was a trip to the Paoay Church, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This was more of a pictorial event to show off the Navara’s elegant yet bold exterior styling which, just like the Paoay Church’s baroque architecture, is expected to withstand the test of time.
The fun part was held later in the day, which was a drive to the La Paz Sand Dunes in Laoag City to test the off-road characteristics of the Navara.
Here, the 4×4 models were thoroughly put to the test on a terrain that would usually eat up ordinary vehicles.
The Navara, though, passed the test with flying colors as its torque allowed the 1-tonner to crawl its way out of any obstacle, with ease. Its new suspension system amazingly withstood the bumps, too.

On the highway, the Navara drives like a SUV as it is both very comfortable and very stable.
CDN PHOTO/BRIAN J. OCHOA

At the end of the day, the Navara survived every test thrown in its path. It was as comfortable as a SUV on the highway, had an above-average fuel consumption and turned into a beast off the road.
The new arrival of the all-new Navara just made us more excited about the upcoming pickup truck wars in the country. NPI president and managing director Antonio Zara is confident about it too. “We’re ready,” he said.