Nissan Navara RX: The other Navara

Nissan’s D23 Navara is noted for its coil-spring rear suspension but there is one model with traditional leaf springs on the load axle

Much has been said and written about the coil-spring Navara dual cab ‘NP300’ (or D23) that arrived here in mid-2015, not all of it complimentary, especially with regards to its heavy load and tow abilities, and much of it about the subsequent suspension revisions for the 2017 and 2018 models.

Meanwhile, flying under the radar and among a host of coil-spring Navara models, has been a solitary leaf-spring dual-cab: the RX cab-chassis. This is the base-spec model in the Navara 4×4 dual-cab range and is something that’s pretty obvious given its steel wheels, lack of sidesteps and its work tray. Not that the steel wheels or lack of steps should put you off, and if you did want a smarter-looking and more aerodynamically efficient ute it wouldn’t be hard to pick up a factory tub, given so many are discarded from higher-spec models to fit work trays.

The RX cab-chassis comes standard with a six-speed manual but our test vehicle has the optional seven-speed automatic, which means a $41,350 sticker price, or around $46K on road, tray included. You can buy an RX with a factory tub, but like the more expensive SL, ST and ST-X Navaras, it too comes with coil springs at the rear.

POWERTRAIN AND PERFORMANCE

As well as only being available as a cab-chassis, the leaf-spring Navara’s other single-model limitation is that it only comes with the less powerful of the two 2.3-litre four-cylinder diesels on offer in the wider Navara range. The RX’s engine claims 120kW of power and 403Nm of torque while the more expensive Navaras get the 140kW/450Nm engine, the difference being in the turbo arrangements. Where the RX has just one turbo, the higher-spec models get a more sophisticated and complex bi-turbo arrangement. Both engines are sourced from Nissan’s alliance partner Renault and were originally designed for commercial (delivery van) use rather than passenger-car use, so hopefully that bodes well for durability.

On the road the RX’s engine offers generally effortless and relaxed performance that’s helped by the attentive and slick seven-speed automatic and not overly tall final drive gearing. The engine’s low speed flexibility is surprisingly good and feels to give nothing away to the bi-turbo variant except when pushed hard, such as overtaking at highway speeds and on long steep hills. That’s when you may wish for the 140kW version.

This engine isn’t the last word in refinement but it’s still smooth enough and not notably noisy. Perhaps even quieter than the bi-turbo variant is on wider throttle openings.

ON-ROAD RIDE AND HANDLING

If you were thinking that the RX’s leaf springs would translate to a firm – even hard – unladen ride, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. In fact the unladen ride is surprisingly comfortable, the suspension well matched front-to-rear and the steering weight and feel better than you’d expect from a ‘work ute’.

The rear springs are a four-leaf design (including one helper leaf) and have vibration damper blocks fitted fore and aft on each spring pack.

The relatively narrow and tall (205R16) light-truck tyres aren’t the last word in on-road grip but they no doubt contribute to the surprisingly pleasant ride quality, offer less bump disturbance on rough roads and give good cut-through on loose gravel.

OFF ROAD

The light-truck tyres also have much going for them off road in terms of damage resistance, but the highway tread pattern is the weak link in their off-road performance, especially in mud. Fitting slightly wider tyres would also provide better floatation on soft surfaces.

Unlike more expensive Navaras, the RX doesn’t get a rear diff lock but it does have electronic traction control and there’s also a surprising amount of articulation at the rear axle. In fact the leaf springs look and feel to provide more articulation than the coil models, although that wouldn’t be hard as the coil-spring set-up doesn’t provide a notable amount of travel, which is one reason why the coiled Navara is no off-road weapon.

Otherwise, what you see is what you get. The RX has reasonable but not class-leading ground clearance and a conventional part-time dual-range 4×4 system. The seven-speed automatic offers tip-shift ‘manual’ control and a low first gear, which helps off-road driveability even in high-range. Courtesy of this low first gear and the deep low-range reduction, the crawl ratio is a handy 44.6:1.

PRACTICALITIES

Somewhat surprisingly, the leaf-spring RX has the same gross vehicle mass (2,910kg), gross combined mass (5,910kg), maximum tow rating (3,500kg) and maximum towball download (300kg) as the coil-spring Navaras.

Without a towbar fitted to our test vehicle we couldn’t conduct a tow test but we did test it for load carrying by loading 800kg in the tray. This 800kg payload is a standard load we use for maximum payload tests for all dual cabs, remembering that once you add a driver, passenger and towbar you’re around 980kg payload; effectively a maximum working payload for most dual-cabs, and even a little over maximum payload for some.

With the 800kg in the tray the RX dropped 80mm at the rear axle line and came up 25mm at the front axle line, which is a slightly better result than a coil-spring Navara with the same load on board, but still a more severe attitude change than the best load-carrying utes.

On the road, the RX carried the load reasonably well but still felt a little light in the steering and did bottom-out to the bump stops at the rear over bigger road irregularities. But it’s still much better with 800kg on board than the coil-spring Navara was in its first iteration, and feels generally more solid than the latest iteration coil-spring Navaras without being up with the best load and tow utes.

Power-wise, too, the RX felt the extra 800kg, as you’d expect, but still got the job done. If you were to tow a full 3,500kg, that’s when the 140kW engine would help.

CABIN AND EQUIPMENT

The RX’s vinyl floors and the basic dashboard (no big touchscreen) confirm that this model grade is more work ute than recreational/family ute but still, the vinyl floors have benefits over carpets and the RX’s equipment (see ‘What You Get’) covers all the basics.

Otherwise the RX’s cabin is the same as any Navara dual-cab in as much as its among the smaller of the popular dual-cabs (along with Triton and Hilux) but is still roomy and comfortable enough even if the back seat is a squeeze for three adults. There’s no reach adjustment for the steering wheel either (tilt adjustment only) but the RX still provides a comfortable and roomy driving position. Height adjustment for the driver’s seat is also a nice touch at this price point.

SUM UP

The RX is a decent thing to drive and does most things asked of it well enough and all at a good price. For the money, you could argue that it’s the best value Navara.

But it still doesn’t do the job of a heavy-duty load and tow ute all that well. Given Nissan has gone out of its way to build a leaf-spring Navara variant in the first place why not make it a serious heavy-duty load hauler? Perhaps throw in the 140kW engine as well, which would make it even better for towing or carrying heavy loads.

Note: Many thanks to Taralga Rural for assistance with the load test.