Nissan Navara (2005-) Review

Comfort and Equipment

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Measured by pick-up standards, the Navara is very refined indeed. Noise from the diesel engine is well suppressed and road, wind and tyre noise intrusion is minimal.

The front seats are supportive, if not luxuriously upholstered and while the rear bench in the double cab is rather short and upright, it's more than adequate to give a few mates a lift (though three big blokes will find it rather intimate back there).

Best feature for anyone with an open bed is the storage revealed by tipping up the rear seat squabs. It gives a big cube of space that's secure and safe from prying eyes when coupled with the rear tints of the Outlaw and Aventura. King Cab models have rear-hinged doors to access the much more cramped rear seats.

Across the range, equipment is excellent. Entry-level models are basic, but not spartan. SE versions are priced as employee vehicles, but add rear step bumpers and side steps, 17" alloys, dual-zone climate control, a leather steering wheel, electric/heated door mirrors and a flat-folding front passenger seat.

The Outlaw, the second most popular trim, brings front fogs, auto headlamps with washers, rain-sensing wipers, a six-CD audio system and cruise control. But the daddy is the best-selling Aventura spec, with its electric sunroof, leather upholstery, power/heated front seats, DVD sat nav, a premium audio system and Bluetooth kit. Accessories take that even further, including even a tent for the loadbed.

The rear bed of the double cab is the biggest in the business. One and a half metres long and the same again wide, it comes with a clever bed rail system that lets you secure accessories or loads at any point using brackets that slide along the five rails.