Review
More and more car buyers are falling in love with SUVs, but it’s little more than a decade or so ago when the double-cab pick-up seemed to be a popular alternative to a mainstream family car.
It had company car taxation advantages and more carry-all capability than anything else in the market. But the disadvantages were the size – I recall a neighbour having to reverse his pick-up to within an inch of his garage door to avoid it overhanging his driveway and blocking the pavement – and the rather workmanlike interior and tractor-like driving dynamics.
In Nissan dealers’ favour, the latest generation is light years ahead. The Navara’s interior quality is as good as any car, it offers a car-like drive, and the on-board equipment in Tekna grade is superb. Owners get heated leather seats, touchscreen sat-nav, Nissan’s amazing 360-degree parking camera and a forward emergency braking system to help them avoid collisions.
Even now, under light commercial vehicle rules there are benefit-in-kind (BIK) savings for the SME employee who gets to choose a pick-up with at least a one-tonne payload, such as the Navara we’re running. A driver of this pick-up could pay a third of the company car tax incurred by a similarly priced estate car.
The negative, however, is poorer fuel economy. They might compare its claimed 44.1mpg with the 62.8mpg official economy of a similarly powered Ford Mondeo estate.
An award-winning journalist and editor, with two decades of experience covering the motor retail industry, and accredited by the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) plus the National Council for the Training of Journalist (NCTJ)
As editor of AM since 2016, Tim is responsible for its media content, planning and production across AM's multiple channels, including the website, digital reports, webinars, social media and the editorial content of AM's events, Automotive Management Live and the AM Awards. His focus is on interviewing senior leaders of franchised dealer groups and motor manufacturer national sales companies to examine latest developments in UK motor retail.
Factsheet
Price: £31,590 incl VAT and options
Engine: 2.3-litre 190PS
Transmission: 6sp manual
Performance: 0-62mph 10.8secs, 114mph top speed
Efficiency: 44.1mpg; 169g/km CO2
Start mileage: 1,307
Current mileage: 2,372
