Double cab still a solid options despite its age, but competition is in this segment is fierce.
Blacked out seems to be a thing at the moment. In the past week alone, we have had GWM unveil the P500 bakkie in blacked out trim, Audi do the same with the A3 Sedan and Ford getting in on the act with the Territory Dark Edition.
And here I am driving the Nissan Navara Stealth, which is anything but stealth with its chrome bits swapped out for matte and gloss black ones.
This special edition model joins the likes of the Navara Warrior and Pro-4X. In 4×4 spec, it retails for R779 200, a price that sees this double cab deep in Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux territory. This present problem number one.
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Problem number two is that this also puts it above most of the Chinese bakkie offerings. But none of this is to say the Nissan Navara Stealth is a bad bakkie. But in a market where brand loyalty is king, followed by value for money, sadly the Navara is always going to find itself in a battle for sales.
Smashing new looks
This said, what is the new Navara Stealth all about? We last saw the Stealth in showrooms six years ago. In 2025 the badge means roof rails, grille, mirror caps, door handles and side steps come in black. The nudge bar, sports bar, and 17-inch alloy wheels, combined with a refinished interior featuring all-black leather-trimmed seats, door panels, and arm rests combine with Stealth insignia on the doors and tailgate. We like it and get why the Stealth is so popular with Nissan fans.
Inside is where the Navara Stealth begins to show its age. Analogue dials in the cluster are joined by a small (by today’s standards) touch screen infotainment system that offers Android Auto and Apple CarPlay playing through six speakers. Front and rear USB-C ports take care of your charging needs. And that’s about it.
Getting out on the road, and off it too, one would think that the five-link rear suspension system with coil springs, instead of traditional leaf springs, would make for a more comfortable ride than it did. To be fair though, the best-selling vehicle in South Africa in like forever, the Toyota Hilux, rides no better. We have become spoilt with the car-like ride offered by the Ford Ranger. And the Navara Stealth is judged down because of this.
Trusty diesel mill
The Nissan Navara Stealth is driven by the Japanese carmaker’s trusty 2.5-litre DDTi turbodiesel that produces 140kW of power and 450Nm of torque, driving through a seven-speed auto transmission to a switchable 2H, 4H, and 4L.
The performance numbers are right in the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux ballpark with a 12.98-second 0-100 km/h time. What is also very on par with the competition is fuel consumption. A real-world number of 10.5-litres per 100km was achieved during our time with the bakkie.
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As I think you can conclude on your own, the Nissan Navara Stealth looks the part. But it does nothing out of the ordinary to make it a compelling choice. It does make a decent bid for your money, but you can’t help thinking that it needs to be a bit cheaper to shake up the established players. Or at least be able to fight off the better priced double cabs coming out of China.
Nissan Navara Stealth data
