The Kia EV6 is high on the list of the cars we’re most excited to drive in 2022. Here’s how members of the Drive team would spec theirs.
Customisation is in vogue at the moment, but choice can be seriously confusing. In our configurator challenge, we let the Drive team loose on a manufacturer’s website to create their ideal combination for a certain model.
To celebrate the new year, this week’s challenge centres around one of the most anticipated new cars of the year, the all-electric Kia EV6 – due in showrooms in base and GT-Line guise in February or March, followed by the flagship GT in late 2022 or early 2023.
Let us know what your ideal Kia EV6 would look like in the comments section below, and the cars you’d like us to configure next.
Kez Casey, Production Editor
Call me crazy, because the performance potential of the EV6 GT is rather exciting – but I reckon I’d do just fine with the regular entry-level EV6 – not only that, but where there’s a choice of only five colours on the high-spec models, the base car is available in 11 hues, including some lovely bright shades like Yacht Blue and Urban Yellow. I’m not saying those are what Australia will get, but here’s hoping.
Deep Forest Green is my exterior of choice, and it matches up nicely to the beige and brown-hued vegan leather interior and textile dash pattern. No, it may not be the most kitted out of the EV6 range, but it still looks darn good to me.
Sticking with that base specification also means missing out on the GT’s 430kW all-wheel-drive powertrain and claimed 3.5-second 0-100km/h sprint, but the 77.4kWh long range battery and 168kW/350Nm rear-drive balance still feels more than reasonable to me.
Especially with a claimed range of over 510km – blistering acceleration is nice and all, but if I’m just churning through peak hour traffic grinds I’ll take the comfort of smaller wheels and softer suspension every time.
Emma Notarfrancesco, Senior Journalist
I went for the base EV6 as it provides more colour options, with my model finished in Deep Forest Metallic paint.
For visual appeal I also chose the bigger 20-inch wheels for a more aggressive look, and went for the higher-performance dual-motor set-up on offer, boasting 239kW.
Tom Fraser, Journalist
I was a little surprised by the lack of options on Kia’s EV6 configurator – for a brand-new model there isn’t a whole lot to play with. That said, I think this blue specification would suit me well. I’d go for the ultimate powertrain so I can scare my mates with its rapid acceleration, and I think the design works best in GT-Line specification.
I’m really looking forward to more EVs in 2022, especially after spending time with the EV6’s stablemate, the Ioniq 5.
Alex Misoyannis, Journalist
As my colleagues have noted, the expansive colour palette offered for the base EV6 isn’t available for the more expensive (and better-equipped) GT-Line and GT variants – bizarre, in my view, given all three variants are built on the same production line, and Kia is only disadvantaging customers that have committed to pay more.
With that said, I much prefer the look of the GT-Line’s body kit, compared to the more mundane base car. And with questions still hanging over how the GT will be priced – I’m not sure I could swallow it, if it’s over $100,000 drive-away (though it’s still on par with a Model Y Performance) – the all-wheel-drive GT-Line is more than enough for me.
I’ve selected the brightest exterior colour on offer (Runway Red), complemented by the sharp (but likely costly) 20-inch wheels available as an option. Some more interior personalisation would be nice – perhaps the option of the GT’s sports bucket seats (which, after experiencing them in the latest Hyundai i30 N hot hatch, are superb).
Should this spec reach showrooms at about $85,000 drive-away – reasonable, given an all-wheel-drive Hyundai Ioniq 5 is just over $81,000 on the road – it could be a compelling buy, with a 5.2-second 0-100km/h time and 505km of WLTP range.
Which Kia EV6 configuration is your favourite? Have a go designing your own, using Kia’s visualiser!
With 2021 done and dusted, it’s time to look at the cars we lost during the course of that eventful year.
While 2021 was host to a slew of important new car model launches, it also saw a number of favourites depart Australia.
From manual transmission options and specific variants being dropped, to a new Australian Design Rule that killed up to six different models, here’s a summary of every new car that left Australian showrooms – or had its local axing announced – in 2021.
Note: This story focuses on cars that had their discontinuations announced in 2021, rather than their last new example sold (such as the Jaguar XJ, Toyota FJ Cruiser or Subaru Liberty).
Models that are being directly replaced by a new-generation vehicle with an identical name will not be counted as discontinued – but those that are substantially different vehicles with new names will.
Alfa Romeo 4C
Alfa Romeo discontinued its lightweight 4C sports car earlier in 2021, after up to six years on sale in Coupe and Spider convertible forms. Marking the end of the breed was 15 examples (10 Coupes and five Spiders) of a 33 Stradale Tributo special edition, with red paint, gold wheels, carbon-fibre accents, and other heritage-themed upgrades.
VFACTS industry sales figures report 17 examples as sold across the first 11 months of 2021, compared with seven throughout all of 2020, and 29 in 2019.
Despite repeated reports of production ending in 2019 and 2020, Alfa Romeo finally waved goodbye to its ageing Giulietta hatch in May, with the introduction of a limited-run Edizione Finale (or ‘final edition’) variant. 83 Giuliettas were sold across the first 11 months of 2021.
A casualty of Australian Design Rule 85 side-impact crash test regulations, the final examples of the Alpine A110 sports car arrived on local shores before November 2021.
France’s answer to the Porsche 718 Cayman (and the Alfa Romeo 4C), the A110 was launched in 2018 as the first new model from the revived Alpine sports car brand – though with four-cylinder power only and a relatively-unknown model name, only 101 examples have been sold between its September 2018 launch, and the end of November 2021.
News of the Audi R8’s axing broke in late September – but rather than the safety rules that killed the Alpine A110 and Nissan GT-R exotics, it’s emissions that are to blame for the flagship Audi’s demise.
The 397kW/540Nm and 449kW/560Nm tunes of the 5.2-litre V10 used in Australian cars are no longer being produced – neither of which was equipped with a petrol particulate filter – and niche sales likely made homologating a new engine tune uneconomical.
VFACTS industry sales figures report 34 examples of the R8 as sold over the first 11 months of 2021 – down on the 103 shifted in the supercar’s best sales year, 2008.
BMW’s oldest model on sale, the i3 electric vehicle, was discontinued in the US earlier in 2021, with confirmation that Australia would follow suit arriving shortly after.
Now available solely in sporty i3s guise ($71,900 before on-road costs), the i3 was one of the more innovative members of BMW’s line-up at the time of its launch – but it has since been outpaced by newer and more affordable competitors, and is under threat from BMW’s own next-generation i4, iX and iX3 electric cars.
Despite competing in one of Australia’s most popular new car segments, the Citroen C3 Aircross ‘light’ SUV was dropped from the French brand’s local range in 2021.
Some fans might have seen the writing on the wall early in 2021, when the facelifted C3 Aircross was only confirmed to be “under consideration” for our market. With 65 sales recorded across the first eight months of 2021 (albeit 32 per cent of total sales of the three-model range), and the larger C4 on the horizon, Citroen Australia withdrew the model from sale.
After quietly pulling its last model from sale in January 2021, Chrysler officially announced its departure from the Australian market in November.
Chrysler sales have dropped off since the brand’s peak in the 1970s – during the height of the locally-built Valiant, when approximately 50,000 cars were produced annually – with 162 vehicles recorded as sold across the first 11 months of 2021, and only a handful left in the dealer network.
The decline in sales has coincided with a narrowing of Chrysler’s model range, from four models and 3609 sales in 2006, to the upper large 300 sedan that sits alone in showrooms today.
The plug was pulled on the Fiat 500X small SUV and Doblo van early in 2021, leaving the Ducato large van and 500 city car as Fiat Australia’s sole remaining models.
Above: 2022 Ford Focus ST-Line.
Ford Focus ST-Line and Active
Ford Australia has opted only to import the high-performance ST when the facelifted Focus small car line-up arrives next year – despite the ST-Line and Active accounting for 60 per cent of sales – amid slowing sales of small cars, and performance models accounting for increasing percentages of hatchback sales.
Industry data reports 694 Focus examples as sold across the first 11 months of 2021 (until the end of November).
The arrival of the Haval Jolion saw time called on the small H2 SUV – 1979 examples of which were sold across the first 11 months of 2021, amid growing sales of affordable Chinese cars.
The Haval H9 was discontinued earlier in December 2021 – with the Great Wall Motors conglomerate’s new Tank four-wheel-drive brand expected to fill its place next year.
The ageing Hyundai iLoad van and iMax people mover were replaced in mid-2021 by a new Staria range, comprising eight-seat people mover and Load van options.
Lexus IS, RC and CT
The first confirmed victims of the ADR 85 safety regulations, the Lexus IS medium sedan, Lexus RC coupe and Lexus CT hatchback were axed mid-year – despite the IS undergoing a heavy facelift less than 12 months prior.
Sales figures for the trio across the first 11 months of 2021 (according to VFACTS data) sit at 1127 for the IS, 157 for the RC, and 77 for the CT.
After decades of service, Lotus has discontinued all three of its sports car lines. The Elise, Exige and Evora will all be indirectly replaced by a new model, the Emira, which will serve as the British brand’s last petrol-powered model.
Sales of the trio (according to VFACTS data) to the end of November total 65 vehicles, comprising 18 Elises, one Evora and 46 Exiges.
McLaren Sports Series
The arrival of the new McLaren Artura in 2022 means the existing range of Sports Series cars – including the 540C, 570GT, 570S, 600LT and 620R nameplates – will be discontinued.
Mercedes-Benz C-Class wagon
Mercedes-Benz has become the first of the German big three to axe its mid-size wagon, with the new C-Class range due in 2022 to comprise the sedan body style only. Approximately five per cent of C-Class sales are wagons, Mercedes says.
Order books for the current Mercedes-AMG GT Coupe and Roadster closed in late 2021 – though drop-top buyers will be pleased to hear there’s a new SL roadster on the horizon. A new-generation AMG GT coupe is slated to follow in 2023 or 2024, though spy photos are yet to emerge.
Another victim of ADR 85 regulations, the Mitsubishi Mirage’s age – and declining micro car sales, amid the Kia Picanto’s dominance – meant its Japanese maker decided not to invest in structural upgrades, prior to the November 2021 deadline.
Following a spike in recorded sales in November – as a large batch of cars was registered and sold, following the November 1 cut-off for official certification – a total of 1550 Mirages were recorded as sold across the first 11 months of 2021. Stock is expected to last until the middle of 2022.
Both of Nissan’s sports car nameplates met their ends in 2021 – but whereas the 370Z was being phased out ahead of a new model (with a new name) in 2022, the GT-R was yet another casualty of the introduction of ADR 85 rules.
VFACTS sales data reports 242 examples of the 370Z as sold to the end of November 2021, compared with 64 GT-Rs – the latter bolstered by a batch of 50 T-Spec and Nismo SV final edition variants.
While the Levorg name is technically disappearing from Australian showrooms, the upcoming WRX Sportswagon that will replace it next year is known as a Levorg overseas.
Sales of the Toyota Prius V ended in Australia on 31 August 2021, as slowing sales saw Toyota opt not to replace the now-eight-year-old seven-seater. A round 200 were sold locally over the first 11 months of 2021.
Volvo Australia used Model Year 2022 to rationalise its range of wagons, cutting the low-riding V60 mid-sizer and high-riding (and larger) V90 Cross Country in one fell swoop, and introducing the new V60 Cross Country to fill their places.
With the standard V90 not sold in Australia, VFACTS data reports 14 V60s as sold up to the end of November, but zero V90 Cross Country models.
Manual transmissions
A number of new cars and SUVs lost their manual transmission options in 2021. These include (but are not limited to):
BMW 2 Series
BMW Z4
Hyundai Tucson
Mitsubishi Outlander
Toyota Yaris
Toyota Corolla
Specific variants
A range of new cars, SUVs and commercial vehicles saw their model ranges trimmed throughout 2021. Some examples include:
Ford Focus ST-Line and Active (detailed above)
Genesis G80 2.2D diesel
Mercedes-Benz CLS450
Toyota HiAce V6
Volvo XC60 Polestar Engineered
Which car on this list will you miss most? Is there a discontinued model we’ve missed? Join the comments below!
The Lotus marque’s electric assault will continue in 2022, with the brand expected to unveil the much-anticipated Type 132 SUV – joining the petrol-powered Emira sports car.
Lotus has come out of 2021 with strong sales results, up 35.4 per cent year-on-year with a total of 65 vehicles sold (not including December data). This year the brand continued development its electric hypercar, the Lotus Evija, and revealed its last petrol-powered car, the Emira.
In 2022 the brand is expected to unveil its first SUV, the Type 132 – though it is yet to be confirmed for Australian shores.
Teaser videos of the Type 132 were revealed at the beginning of November, with the clips shot in dim lighting revealing lidar sensors, an active grille shutter device and carbon-fibre highlights. The model will be revealed in full – wearing its production nameplate – between March and May 2022.
The Emira is also set to roll out in 2022, in V6 First Edition trim. Two engine options are expected locally, with the launch variant powered by a 3.5-litre supercharged petrol V6, capable of 298kW/420-430Nm. Delivery dates for the 2.0-litre four-cylinder version are yet to be announced.
Japanese luxury car manufacturer Lexus will continue its electric onslaught into 2022 with hybrid variants of the new NX, but will also update long-time favourites with the Lexus LX large SUV and LC sports car.
Lexus is set to introduce at least four models in 2022, kicking off proceedings in January with the next-generation NX mid-size SUV. Also new for the brand is the upgrade of its new car warranty to five years, with unlimited kilometres.
Priced from $60,800 before on-road costs for the entry-level NX250 Luxury, the Australian Lexus NX line-up will comprise three core powertrains: NX250, NX350 and NX350h. Drilling down further, Luxury, F Sport, and Sports Luxury trim packages will be available. Standard on the entry-level model is a 9.8-inch touchscreen, LED headlights, 18-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry, dual-zone climate control, and a power tailgate.
Adding to that, the Lexus NX range will introduce the brand’s first plug-in hybrid model, the NX450h+. It’ll become the most powerful NX on sale (227kW) and the most fuel efficient (Lexus claims 1.3L/100km).
Moving up to full-size vehicles, the Toyota LandCruiser-based 2022 Lexus LX large SUV will arrive sometime in 2022, expected to offer a choice of two engines. The petrol LX600 is powered by a 305kW/650Nm 3.5-litre (technically a 3.4-litre) twin-turbo V6, while the LX500d diesel uses a 227kW/700Nm 3.3-litre twin-turbocharged diesel V6 it shares with its Toyota underling.
The luxurious cabin will be available in both five- and seven-seat layouts, with a four-seat ‘VIP’ or ‘Executive’ model also confirmed for launch Down Under.
Finally, Lexus will issue another update to its LC sports car bringing revised suspension and new levels of personalisation, expected to launch sometime next year. No changes will come to the 351kW/540Nm 5.0-litre naturally-aspirated petrol V8, nor the 264kW 3.5-litre V6 hybrid.
LDV has had a successful year in Australia, thanks largely to the value offered by its dual-cab and van offerings in a commercial sector that looks more at value for money than ever before.
Last year (2021) was a big year for LDV in our local market. Back in October, we reported that its T60 dual-cab had overtaken the Mitsubishi Triton in the sales race. That news was backed up – also in October – with the Deliver 9 van moving into second place in the heavy-duty van sales race. It’s impressive for a brand that didn’t even exist in Australia not so long ago.
Later in 2021, LDV updated the T60 with the Max – a power-boosted dual-cab that continued to build on an already value-packed platform – before lifting prices by up to $2500 on the popular Deliver 9 and G10 vans.
This year (2022) looks like being a slightly quieter year for LDV in Australia, with a new model mooted, likely a van, but no more information currently available. Stay tuned to Drive for any details as they come to hand.
The more things change, the more they stay the same, or so the saying goes. The dual-cab segment in Australia continues to forge ahead, and Nissan’s Navara is a stronger offering than it’s been for some time. Trent Nikolic takes an on-road-focused look at the Pro-4X.
What we love
Punchy engine and competent automatic
Cabin has a passenger car ambience
Coil springs work nicely unladen around town
What we don’t
Wheel needs reach as well as height adjustment
Driver’s seat should be height-adjustable
Price has now crept into the $60K zone
Introduction
Sitting above the ST-X, Pro-4X is now the king of the Navara range – aside from the off-road-focused Pro-4X Warrior of course. However, when it comes to what we’d call the ‘regular’ dual-cab range, the 2021 Nissan Navara Pro-4X is the top of the pile.
Whether it’s worth the $65,290 asking price or not is a moot point. At the time of testing, that price is a drive-away deal. But, the question of worth seems redundant. Aussies are hoovering up expensive dual cabs at an alarming rate. As such, the Pro-4X is competitively priced among its chief combatants.
Interestingly, none of the dual cabs, even the newest versions, are perfect. You’d think that manufacturers would be looking at each other’s products finding all the minute details that could do with some finer honing, and ensuring their new dual cab ticked every box. And yet? They don’t.
There is always a compromise when it comes to high-end dual cabs. More on that in a minute. There are so many different theories as to why dual cabs are as popular as they are in this country, but if buyers felt the compromise wasn’t worth making, they would stop buying them wouldn’t they?
Nissan’s revised Navara initially had the compromise of not being able to handle heavy payloads thanks to the coil spring rear end. The Australian motoring press went hard at the Navara, too, seemingly ignoring the fact that just about every buyer of the top two variants rarely put anything in the tray. Aside from some mulch or a gym bag that is.
For mine, the Navara’s effective USP among the mainstream, in the form of coils all round, made for a far better-mannered day-to-day proposition on-road. It was always pretty handy off-road too.
Now, though, the load-hauling ability has been enhanced, and the reasons the Navara is a strong offering remain. There’s a six-speed manual if you want one, or the seven-speed automatic as we’re testing here. Pro-4X gets plenty of high-level gear above the ST-X too: all-terrain tyres, black fender flares, roof rails, door mirrors, side steps, grille and door handles, black 17-inch alloy wheels, leather-accented seats with logos and accent stitching, a towbar, black stainless sports bar, and tub liner. A full-size spare is par for the course too.
In crisp white, the Pro-4X cuts a stylish figure on the road. Dual cabs are getting tougher by the update, and the Navara remains one of the more attractive in terms of design. There’s some Titan DNA in the design. Coincidentally, the first time I saw the Pro-4X naming was when I spent a month with a Titan in the US, and that’s no bad thing. Like new Ranger shadowing F-150, Nissan could do worse than display some lineage to its full-size pick-up.
At this end of the market, a few factors remain key. How does it behave around town, in traffic, and through the cut-and-thrust of the daily grind? Is the cabin robust, but car-like enough to encourage longer road trips? Is the engine punchy enough to get moving, but not so thirsty it will frazzle the wallet? And how does it ride unladen, given most at this level remain ever thus? Let’s find out.
I’ve always liked the Navara cabin, with a few caveats. One, the steering wheel has no reach adjustment, only tilt. And two, the driver’s seat isn’t able to be lowered into the cabin as much as I would like. It’s worth noting that you will get used to both these things, but when compared to the best in segment, they form a compromise.
However, other elements of the Navara’s cabin are excellent. I’ve always thought the Navara had a more car-like (or SUV-like) cabin than many of the other dual cabs in terms of the dash design and layout. Even though there are newer options on the market, this is still a strong point for mine. Dual-zone air-conditioning makes for a comfortable cabin and second-row occupants get vents.
On the subject of the second row, if you’ve got tall adults up front, you’re going to find the second row a little tight, but that’s with the front two seats in their rearmost position. You get two USB ports and two 12V ports up front, as well as a USB port for the second row. We like the sliding rear window in the Navara – that’s a point of difference for this segment. Large US trucks tend to have them standard, but not so much our smaller dual cabs.
The Navara’s cabin, once you take into account the seat sitting a little higher, is comfortable and insulated around town. The ride helps here, too, but there’s also no roar from the all-terrains, and little in the way of wind noise at highway speed either. The 2021 update, which included more sound deadening, has made an impact in the real world. While newer dual cabs do indeed feel newer from behind the wheel, some key updates would bring the Navara along closer to the standard-setters.
2021 Nissan Navara Pro-4X
Seats
Five
Length
5311mm
Width
1875mm
Height
1855mm
Wheelbase
3150mm
Infotainment and Connectivity
Central to the system is an 8.0-inch touchscreen, which displays a grainy image from the 360-degree camera. It’s not quite as high-tech or modern as the best in segment now, and it’s an area where you can definitely feel that the segment has moved on. The new Ranger will kick this up another notch of course. A larger screen and clearer cameras would be an improvement for the Navara.
However, on test the screen worked reliably with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as did the native satellite navigation. Both those systems were accurate and responsive for us on test. The rear-view camera works, but could also do with an upgrade to compete with the best in segment. The 7.0-inch digital driver’s display is a good one too.
Safety and Technology
A five-star ANCAP rating from back in 2015 stays with the Nissan Navara Pro-4X, and there’s plenty of standard safety kit as befits the segment now. However, the Navara does lack some equipment compared to the current best in segment.
The 2022 Nissan Navara Pro-4X doesn’t feature radar cruise control, speed sign recognition or a centre airbag between the front seats (all features that are standard on new-generation dual cabs such as the Isuzu D-Max and Mazda BT-50).
Standard kit includes intelligent AEB, blind-spot intervention, lane intervention, rear cross-traffic alert, forward collision warning, and an intelligent driver alert. There’s also a quality 360-degree camera that also assists off-road in terms of safely positioning the Navara in tight spaces. Hill descent control and hill start assist are also standard.
Nissan’s five-year warranty covers unlimited kilometres, and there’s a capped-price servicing scheme for that same period as well. Service intervals are handy for those of you racking up serious miles, with a 12-month/20,000km expectation, although I’d probably be back at Nissan for an oil and filter every 10,000km. Over three years, you’ll spend $1816, and over five years the scheduled services cost $2971.
Nissan claims 7.9L/100km on the combined cycle, and on test with plenty of around-town traffic our Navara used 8.8L/100km. On the freeway, you’ll see numbers in the low sevens, while even heavy traffic rarely saw the live readout lift above our test average. If you use 8.8L/100km as a fair average with a 50km safety margin, you’ll get a touring range of at least 900km from a tank – perfect for family road trips.
At a glance
2021 Nissan Navara Pro-4X
Warranty
Five years, unlimited km
Service intervals
12 months or 20,000km
Servicing costs
$1816 (3 years), $2971 (5 years)
Driving
Our focus for this review is on around town, unladen manners. And, as you’d no doubt expect, 140kW and 450Nm are more than capable of tackling those tasks with ease. Peak torque – while not eye-watering – is available from just 1500rpm, and as such, the Pro-4X can scoot in a hurry when you need it to. The Navara will get off the mark and keep pulling up to 110km/h on the highway with ease. And without too much diesel chatter for that matter.
The 2.3-litre twin-turbo four-cylinder diesel engine is genuinely effortless for regular city work. Whereas we’ve seen it feel a bit breathless towing around 2500–2700kg up long hills on the highway before, the four-cylinder is unstressed around town without any weight behind it. The way the engine develops its power and torque is aided by the smooth shifting quality of the seven-speed automatic. We found the gearbox to be well-mannered around town at any speed.
Part-time 4WD means the Navara is RWD around town on sealed surfaces, but that’s all you need in reality too. Even on a wet surface, the Navara doesn’t feel like Bambi on ice despite the fitment of all-terrain tyres. And I mean the frozen kind. As in skating. Yep, you get it. You could, though, if you decided not to go off-road, opt for more road-focused tyres if you prefer. Interestingly, the Navara actually doesn’t feel as hefty as it is from behind the wheel either. The steering is nicely tuned to lower-speed work, and it never feels heavy or ungainly.
The harsh reality – whether observers want to accept it or not – is that the overwhelming majority of higher-end dual cabs get used around town in exactly the conditions I’ve noted above. They are, in effect, a regular family conveyance for plenty of owners. The workhorses in the range are, well, workhorses, but the more expensive variants live an easier life. That’s why we tend to expect as much of a modern dual cab as we do when testing them.
As such, we appreciate the way in which the Navara’s coil-sprung rear end deals with regular urban fare. That is, the rear irons things out neatly and effectively without skipping around like a CD in a ’90s head unit. I’d suggest that the steering, ride and handling ability are all up with the most accomplished in the segment.
Excellent headlights make a difference when you head into areas without proper street lights, and are a factor those of you on the urban fringe will appreciate. Whereas the engine works nicely around town, if you need to really get cranking on the highway from lower speed, it does feel like it could do with a bit more grunt, but that doesn’t detract from the quality of the drive experience.
Key details
2021 Nissan Navara Pro-4X
Engine
2.3-litre twin-turbo four-cylinder diesel
Power
140kW @ 3750rpm
Torque
450Nm @ 1500-2500rpm
Drive type
Four-wheel drive (including low-range)
Transmission
Seven-speed torque convertor automatic
Power to weight ratio
65kW/t
Weight
2146kg
Tow rating
3500kg braked, 750kg unbraked
Payload
952kg
Turning circle
12.5m
Conclusion
The Navara is strong in some areas, but can’t compete with the best dual cabs in others. As suspected, its strong points remain strong, even in a segment that gets tougher by the year. Navara’s coil-sprung rear end, car-like cabin execution and smooth driving experience are compelling considerations for dual-cab buyers expecting their truck to do more city-focused driving and touring than tougher work and heavy towing.
The Pro-4X as tested here is also a solid performer off-road. Weighed up against the competition price-for-price and spec-for-spec, the Navara is still a quality all-rounder.
