Skip advert
Advertisement
Long term tests

Nissan Navara: New Arrival: Nissan Navara

A less-than-rapid pick-up isn't the obvious Fast Fleet vehicle, but Roger Green makes a case for the Navara

Nissan Navara

At first glance a Nissan Navara pick-up truck isn’t an obvious choice for a new addition to the Fast Fleet. For a start it’s not exactly fast: the 2.5-litre diesel engine takes a tortoise-like 11.8sec to haul the Navara’s massive bulk to 62mph. And when you get anywhere near a corner you’re suddenly very aware of the antiquated leaf-spring suspension at the rear…

Advertisement - Article continues below

However, put your prejudices aside for a moment and you’ll soon realise that this will be one of the most important vehicles in the evo car park. Once we’ve got it stickered-up it’ll be used to tow a variety of vehicles to our evoactive trackdays, and you can bet Bovingdon will have his M3 hitched up behind it as soon as the ice has melted at the Nürburgring. It’ll become an invaluable group test support vehicle too.

On top of all that, though, it’s a surprisingly fun thing to drive. Motorway cruising is comfortable, while a B-road dash can get very exciting in the wet, particularly around bumpy bends. The Navara and I are going to get along beautifully.

Running Costs

Date acquiredDecember 2006
Total mileage1299
Costs this month£0
Mileage this month1058
MPG this month24.3mpg
Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Were the 2000s and 2010s the performance car sweet spot?
Audi R8 and Lamborghini Murciélago
Opinion

Were the 2000s and 2010s the performance car sweet spot?

The 2000s saw an abundance of cheap finance and brilliant new performance cars, but were the 2010s actually even better?
20 Oct 2025
Best look yet at new Jaguar GT – bold EV sheds disguise as comeback looms
Jaguar GT Type 00 front
News

Best look yet at new Jaguar GT – bold EV sheds disguise as comeback looms

Jaguar’s comeback GT continues testing with reduced disguise at the Nürburgring
22 Oct 2025
Are classic cars as good as we remember them?
Eras 80s
Opinion

Are classic cars as good as we remember them?

Looking back, were we viewing the ’80s and ’90s through rose-tinted glasses? Or were they in fact the definition of the thrill of driving?
16 Oct 2025