Navara - Nissan Ups it's game

It's a tomboy that combines the qualities of a beauty queen with the performance of a workhorse. Micheal Mwai takes her out for some salsa.

I grabbed the steering wheel, stared at the orange cones scattered across the ochre, smooth surface with a hint of contempt. A smirk of bravado formed on my face and my eyes glinted with heroism.
I was thinking to myself, “This will be piece of cake.. I will nail this exercise in no time.. What were these guys thinking, giving us such a simple task to prove we are ‘well seasoned motoring buffs’”?

I turned and gave my Portuguese-born instructor, Barbosa, a knowing look. With the click of the stopwatch, he signalled me to proceed. I depressed my right foot and it must have been the entire 403 Newton metres of torque growling back at me when the dial reached 2000rpm. It was loud and there was dust all over. The wide 235/16/70 tyres dug into the surface in search of elusive traction. The chassis was fighting to keep the body attached to its bolts as we swerved through slalom. The 4-cylinder, 2488cc engine was screaming with excitement, “You are the man”, it must have been saying to itself. With my left hand on the gear I tried to get most of the 128kW available and transfer it to the front axle as I took the first hairpin corner.
That was it; in about seven seconds flat, my performance was over. I had run over two cones and the vehicle was pointing home, Kenya, to the North. I turned to get my bearing and the laughter from the spectators reached my ears. I was disqualified on the spot, suitably embarrassed.
This diesel engine’s 171BHP can make anybody look and sound good but from behind the wheel you must know what you are doing and how to harness it. The turbo charger kicks in early and provides the torque early, making this a very responsive vehicle. The compression ratio of this direct injection Common-Rail power unit is 16.5-1 and this means excitement.
What really happened and why was I disqualified?
It’s simple. I was excited. Like when a guy meets a new pleasant-looking member of the opposite sex. When I depressed

my right foot, I was making a pass, using all the wrong words, which unleashed the beast within this gorgeously built beauty. She did not like it at all. The dust was messing up the wash she had received that morning. The slap I received was well deserved and from the get-go, I had lost this relationship.
Looking back, I remember when I lost control of the vehicle. I was fighting with the steering wheel trying to get her back. The vehicle was swinging its backside like a lady on a dance floor. Things were not as rosy any more and I had broken into a cold sweat by the time I disembarked. Remember this is not a light car. It weighs 2,805 kg and is 5,520mm long. Controlling it at high speed is no child’s play; it calls for experience through practice.
I watched in amazement as our host, Michael Lester, Madiba’s age mate, took the same car through the exact same paces. He was gentle but very effective. He knew when to lift his foot off the accelerator and shift the vehicle’s weight between the axles, the secret of performance driving. It’s all about traction and control of the power delivery to the front and rear wheels. Clearly he is a more experienced driver and knows how to handle this powerful vehicle. Had I lost the girl? Maybe not...

 

Onroad
Having learnt that driving is an involving chore that should be taken seriously, there was an opportunity to redeem my punctured ego.
The Navara handled well on the smooth and not so smooth surfaces. It swallowed road imperfections well, the cabin insulated from road roar. The six-speaker sound system is not orchestral but managed to keep us all well entertained, including my ‘gangster’ colleague, Mr JK. Though its still a little bouncy, the Navara feels like a huge improvement on the Hardbody it joins on the showroom.

Driving on the open road was refreshing but in a convoy, similar to that of a wedding ceremony, you cannot really experience the power or passion of the vehicle. It’s like kissing a lady on the other side of a glass window. It’s flat, cold and mute. You can see but not hear or feel. I wanted to stretch its legs to get some respect back after my dismal performance on the track. Because it comes with a host of new features not found in the top-spec hard body it should excite the market. There is more space, the steering is communicative and all that makes driving it more pleasurable. The pace from the engine seemed sufficiently adequate without a load. I imagine it should manage to feel better grounded with a 800kg load in the back. Driving it on the road was a relatively subdued experience but our next excursion made my day.

Offroad

The Navara is no sissy softroader. It may be glamorous but it can let its hair down, its boots dirty and still look good doing

it. The sun was taking a bow behind the hills in the picturesque horizon as we crawled up the hills in a careful procession. What a beautiful sight it was. I flipped out my “point and shoot” camera and took some memorable shots away with me. But the ones in my mind are priceless. I could see the panic in the face of some journalists as they walked the course, wondering if they will make it. Barbosa, that stopwatch holding Portuguese was working up our excitement and giving very timely encouragement. He is one hell of a teacher, energetic and never tires, he went about explain the rules of 4x4 driving which reassured even the novices on the hillside. He warned us before the start, “You break, you take it”. I thought about the 13,500km drive up to Nairobi and I was almost tempted to ‘break’ this car and bring it home to mama.
The trail was littered with boulders and deep ruts. It required careful planning. Something of a mini Quattro-cross, with the co-drivers charting the course before slowly crawling up obstacles. The clearance of 233mm and an approach angle of 29 degrees does help the Navara skilfully climb over seemingly impossible natural impediments. At the back, it has a departure angle of 22 degrees and between the wheels, its minimum break over angle is 18 degrees. Driving off-road can be scary but its good to know that the Navara’s side slope ability is a frightening 49.8 degrees. It is however not advisable to rush it. The golden rule of driving off-road is “as slow as possible, as fast as necessary”.

What did I learn from this?

 

• I will never leave my woman in the company of an experienced old man.
• Any car can be good as long as you do not put an idiot behind the wheel.
• It’s now a proven fact that even the best and safest car can be a weapon of mass destruction.
• You must never multitask when driving fast. Using the phone or sipping coffee at anything over 5kph will get your back side burnt.
• Never make sudden moves, like quick turns, when driving a real 4x4. Every move must be well calculated and planned. In vehicles with a high centre of gravity, you must always be careful and drive with caution at a decent pace. You will get there, eventually.

While the Navara will forever remain in my heart as the 4x4 that changed my perception of driving high-sprung vehicles, it is important to know that you can literary drive any vehicle safely as long as you respect its limits and more importantly, yours.