Nissan Navara Stealth returns as more than another ‘sticker’ bakkie

The Nissan Navara, in its current internally named D23 guise, has been around for 11 years, which, apart from the Mahindra Pik Up, makes it the oldest bakkie currently on-sale in South Africa.

Contrived future outlook

A late arrival in 2017 followed by a facelift four years later, which saw it adopt its current look in addition to production moving from Thailand to the Rosslyn Plant outside Pretoria aside, the Navara has been a consistent top five segment seller despite often struggling to breach 500 units

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This, combined with the ongoing speculation of Nissan possibly vacating Rosslyn as part of its radical cost cutting measures announced earlier this year, has seemingly made little impact on Navara sales completely faltering to less than 100 units similar to its alliance sibling, the new Mitsubishi Triton.

Known to be replaced later this year by a completely new generation based on the Triton, the future of the D23, in South Africa at least, appears unlikely to head the same route.

Seemingly set to follow the same approach as South America, where the Frontier name is used, the Navara will benefit from a second facelift and remain in production as part of an apparent dual-model roll-out similar to what was used with the NP300 Hardbody.

A decision probably made as a means of keeping costs down while assuring the future of Rosslyn, the introduction of the Australian-developed Pro-4X Warrior earlier this year has seen a further bolstering of the range with the arrival of the revived special edition Stealth.

No longer flying underneath the radar

A nameplate first used on the NP200 a decade ago and then on the pre-facelift Navara in 2019, the Stealth’s return sees it slot-in below the standard Pro-4X and above the derivative it is based on, the LE, with the sole option being either rear-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive.

Unlike its predecessor, though, the Stealth doesn’t merely represent an appearance or sticker package as actual revisions have taken place underneath its new attire.

The launch in Magaliesburg last week also didn’t conform to normality as the majority of the route was off-road ranging from a conventional gravel road, to a proper rock-laden off-road trek around the ADA Off-Road Training and Outdoor Centre on the outskirts of Hartebeestpoort.

Stealth additions

Externally, the Stealth’s additions over the LE include a restyled black grille and bumper, the latter complete with an integrated nudge bar, standard side-steps, a Stealth-badged sports bar and 17-inch black alloy wheels wrapped in Dunlop Grandtrek all-terrain tyres.

Continuing the darkened theme as per the Stealth name are black mirror caps and roof rails, black door handles and black Stealth badges at the base of the front doors and on the tailgate.

A choice of three colours round the exterior off; white, Infinite Black and the same Techno Grey as on the Pro-4X.

Bar extended leather trim on the doors and armrests, the Stealth’s interior has not changed from the LE – a departure from the original that received orange seats inserts as well as stitch work on the doors, steering wheel, gear lever and the seats themselves.

Similar in execution to Ford’s first and second attempts with the previous generation Ranger FX4, the Stealth is more discreetly styled than before, and arguably, more rugged looking than its predecessor.

‘Re-coiled’

The biggest indicator of the Stealth no longer being all about looks, as mentioned, resides underneath where Nissan has retuned the five-link coil rear suspension with uprated dampers.

Made specifically for South Africa’s poor road conditions, and described as pothole-proof by company executives, the redesign involves a quicker rebound recovery without compromising on-road or off-road comfort.

A design the Triton-based model won’t employ, as it will revert to a traditional leaf-spring setup, the revisions to the suspension, and indeed the lower-profile all-terrain tyres, made for a surprising combination, especially off-road.

Composed and comfortable, the Stealth displayed none of the usual rear-end liveliness that comes with an empty loadbed.

Moreover, the suspension didn’t “hit through” on the truly rocky sections of the route that involved a slow descent down a cliffside into the valley below.

Still not ideal

What’s more, the Stealth still felt pliant on-road and again, comparable to the Ranger’s ride of not being jarring or brittle with a sudden surface change.

In fact, the main gripes are familiar ones involving the interior. The area the Navara’s age is most prominent, the lack of height adjustment allowing the driver’s seat to drop all the way down results in a too high driving position

While the steering wheel can be adjusted for rake and reach, the way the seating position is setup still makes for a feel comparable to a forward control truck as one sits “above” the wheel rather than behind it.

Likely to be rectified with the incoming facelift, the dashboard looks dated and is riddled with a less-than-impressive and fussy eight-inch touchscreen infotainment display, as well as a fuzzy and low-quality reverse camera.

Spec

As for specifications, the Stealth remains unchanged from the LE as it comes standard with push-button start and keyless entry, folding electric mirrors, LED headlights, dual-zone climate control with rear vents, a multi-function steering wheel and type-A USB ports.

Safety and driver assistance features include cruise control, rear parking sensors, six airbags, Hill Start Assist, Trailer Sway Control, Automatic Emergency Braking and Hill Descent Control on the four-wheel-drive models.

Tried-and-tested diesel

Residing up front, the stalwart YD25DDTI 2.5-litre turbodiesel engine prevails as one of the biggest highlights.

Brought in to replace the newer twin-turbo 2.3-litre YS23DDT when production started at Rosslyn, the unit develops an unchanged 140kW/450Nm delivered to the mentioned drive wheels through a seven-speed automatic gearbox.

As with the rest of the Navara range, the four-wheel-drive Stealth is equipped as standard with a locking rear differential and a low-range transfer case.

Despite the ‘box still being lethargic and prone to taking its time when shifting down, the engine has more than sufficient pull, and although not the most refined or quiet, gives off a satisfying wastegate chirp when lifting off of the accelerator.

Livelier and more responsive than the admittedly hardcore off-road-focused Pro-4X Warrior, the Stealth also didn’t feel as nervous on-road, again due to its not having the same lift-kit in addition to being subtly quieter around the firewall.

Conclusion

A sub-segment of the local bakkie market that has become hugely popular in recent years, the return of the Nissan Navara Stealth again shows the significance of buyers being prepared to fork out extra for being different and standing out, in spite of there being no power or torque gains.

Priced at a premium of R35 000 over the LE, the Stealth represents relatively good value, especially as the two-wheel-drive comes in under R700 000 and the 4×4 well below R800 000.

That being said, it is still the oldest legacy brand bakkie available today, and while sales are likely to be pushed up a bit, its displacing of the Mahindra Pik Up as the country’s fourth best-seller, will still leave it as a left-field option

Price

As with the rest of the Navara range, the Stealth’s price tag includes a six-year/150 000 km warranty and a six-year/90 000 km service plan.

• Navara Stealth 2.5 DDTI AT – R695 200
• Navara Stealth 2.5 DDTI 4×4 AT – R779 200

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