Known internally as the D27, the first all-new Navara in 11 years will be sold only in Australasia.
After more than three years of speculative reports and most recently, a number of teaser images, Nissan has officially removed the wraps from the all-new fourth generation Navara in Australia.
Joint venture
The replacement for the D23 that has been on-sale since 2014, the internally named D27 will be sold exclusively in Australia and New Zealand, but built by alliance partner Mitsubishi at its Laem Chabang plant in Thailand.
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Devised and tested for the Oceana market, with input from engineering firm Premcar on the suspension front, the Navara is a heavily reworked version of the Mitsubishi Triton as it uses the same platform and drivetrain.
Announced back in 2019 as being Triton-based, the Navara will be offered solely as a double cab despite a single cab Triton being available in other markets.
Fundamentals
Dimensionally, the D27 measures 5 230mm long, 1 865mm wide, 1 795mm tall and 3 130mm long on the wheelbase front.
By comparison, the D23 has an overall length of 5 260mm, wheelbase of 3 150mm, height of 1 855mm and width of 1 875mm.
At the same time, the D27 has seven millimetres more ground clearance than the D23 for a total of 228mm, and for the first time since the D40 Navara, goes back to a leaf spring setup for the rear suspension.
Compared further to the D23, the D27 still has a claimed tow rating of 3 500kg and payload of just over 1 000kg, but with breakover, approach and departure angles of 23.4 degrees, 30.4 degrees and 22.8 degrees.
On the latter, these amounted to 23.3 degrees, 32.6 degrees and 26.5 degrees respectively.
Sophisticated underneath
Along with its Premar suspension, the Navara follows the same route as the new Toyota Hilux by receiving an electric power steering rack, as well as the Triton’s SuperSelect four-wheel drive system.
For the first time though, all-paw gripping models have a choice of two systems; the conventional part-time known as Easy 4WD that includes low range and an electronically locking rear differential.
Higher-up the range, ST-X and Pro-4X variants receive the Super 4WD system, still with low range, but in a full-time four-wheel drive configuring similar to the 4A setting used on the Ford Ranger and its twin, the Volkswagen Amarok.
Aside from a Torsen limited slip differential, the Super 4WD setup offers seven modes; Eco, Normal, Snow, Gravel, Sand, Mud and Rock – the latter only available with low range selected.
Nissan styling
Completely restyled as a means of differentiating itself from the Triton – the front being heavily derived from the North American Frontier – the Navara retains the same rectangular grille as the Mitsubishi, but with slits below the bonnet line and in Nissan’s familiar V-motion style.
While similar inside to the Triton, the rear facia is unique to it, with the taillight clusters bearing a close resemble to the D21 sold in South Africa as the first generation Hardbody.
Dramatically new inside
In yet another departure from the D23, the D27 gets the same interior as the Triton, but with comparatively minor changes.
Standard on all grades is the nine-inch infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a seven-inch digital instrument cluster and a wireless smartphone charger on the ST-X and Pro-4X.
Substantially more extensive than on the D23, the D27’s safety and driver assistance systems include the following:
- surround-view camera system;
- eight airbags;
- front and rear parking sensors;
- Adaptive Cruise Control;
- Lane Keep Assist;
- Driver Attention Alert;
- Blind Spot Monitoring;
- Rear Cross Traffic Alert;
- Lane Departure Warning;
- Traffic Sign Recognition;
- Automatic Emergency Braking
Triton powered
As previously indicated, the Navara swaps-out the Nissan-made YS23 2.3 litre twin-turbodiesel engine for the Triton’s upgraded 2.4 litre 4N16, albeit in single turbo form for now.
The result is 150kW/470Nm versus 140kW/450Nm, which goes to the rear or all four wheels through a six-speed automatic gearbox only as opposed to the previous seven-speed.
Due to buyer demand, the six-speed manual is no longer offered.
Sorry South Africa
Set to formally go on sale in the first quarter of 2026, the D27 Navara will be exclusive to Australasia and not sold in any other market.
This includes South Africa, where the Rosslyn-made D23 will receive an extensive exterior and interior rework next year, before going on sale as the so-called “evolved” Navara.
“For us, the most important is to design and make cars for South Africa and export to Africa. Australia is getting a different car because the market there is different.
“So, we are continuing with the current Navara,” Nissan MD for South Africa and independent African markets Maciej Klenkiewicz said back in September.
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