Nissan Navara ST-X 2016 Towing Review

The Nissan Navara has always been a practical ute, popular with Kiwi tradies and farmers alike. It’s well priced within its class and the double cab offers a fairly comfortable interior with the car-like promise of leather, electric seats. The simplistic layout of the instrument cluster makes everything easy to use, while the body work has a tough, traditional appearance. 

Unlike other utes, the Navara ST-X passed through the gears rapidly to opt for the most economical gear - much like a car - and it was a comfortable change from constantly stirring the stick. 

The towing performance was stable on undulations and while cornering at speed, with the trailer tracking well on the straight at 90km/h. On our hill section, the Navara selected a third gear and powered upwards. Once it reached 80km/h at around 4500 rpm, it shifted to fourth gear. 

I would have liked to see the transmission make use of the lower gears for longer to exploit the good power output of the engine but I was able to manually shift it into the lower third gear for an added boost of power and improve the economy. Despite overcast and windy weather conditions, the ute remained unaffected by any crosswinds and maintained good traction. 

The brakes were responsive and were not affected by the load, and they could still be applied normally without grabbing or hopping. The steering was well weighted but the horn pad extends to the base of the steering wheel which caused me to inadvertently sound my horn when performing a U-turn in a parking lot. During these difficult maneuvers, the Navara has you covered with large rear view mirrors that are well positioned in relation to the driving position. The reverse camera also comes in handy in such situations and the reasonably sized display made hitching the trailer a breeze.

Selecting four-wheel drive was an easy process with the self-explanatory knob that’s placed in easy reach of the driver. The grip of this Nissan was better than expected and the hill descent control and traction control systems that it features will add further benefits on slippery boat ramps or muddy tracks. Even when accelerating in haste, there was no loss of traction and the vehicle was easy to control.

Nissan have created a good balance between the functionality of a ute and the creature comforts of a car in this comfortable everyday vehicle. There’s a 7-inch entertainment and navigation system display and nicely coloured accent panels on the interior, while the rear seats that provide ample space for passengers or additional storage. Side note, the glove box seems disproportionately small for this size vehicle.  

A solid all-rounder, the Navara also boasts seven airbags and a 5 star ANCAP safety rating. 

Thanks to SeaCraft Miller Moyes for the test boat & trailer.