Why You Should Buy A Nissan Navara PRO-4X For Offroading
The Nissan Navara PRO-4X was launched in 2021 and has proven even more popular than its predecessor. Purpose-built for unforgiving African offroad conditions, it not only boasts advanced technical functionalities, but a comfortable drive and great safety features. It’s also exciting to drive on unpredictable terrain thanks to high-tech innovation which means excellent 4×4 capabilities.
We take a look at factors that contribute to the Nissan Navara nailing off-roading.
Factor 1: Intelligent Powertrain
A powertrain is a system designed to propel vehicles forward and consists of the engine or motor and its internal components, such as the energy storage system, transmission and driveshaft. Nissans are well known for their intelligent powertrains and engine performance.
The latest Nissan Navara PRO-4X 2.5-litre powertrain is available in two levels of output. The high-output engine on higher grade models delivers 140kW power and 450 Nm torque, while the mid-output engine delivers 120kW power and 403 Nm – arguably the most powerful engine in the entry- and mid-grade bakkie segment. The Group1-exclusive Nissan Navara BEAST offers 185kW of power and 565Nm of torque!
Factor 2: Different Transmission Modes
In a car, a transmission acts as the medium that transmits power generated by the engine to the wheels via a mechanical system of gears and gear trains. Transmission allows a person to apply power to a vehicle in a controlled manner.
When it comes to the Nissan Navara PRO-4X it has a transmission that offers selectable high and low-range modes for different terrains. The vehicle’s shift-on-the-fly 4X4 system allows drivers to easily switch between 2H, 4H and 4L as required. For everyday driving, 2WD mode helps keep your trip more fuel-efficient and then you can use 4WD High for light off-roading or 4WD Low for navigating obstacles.
Factor 3: Excellent Suspension
Suspension on a vehicle is the system of tyres, tyre air, springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connect a vehicle to its wheels and allow relative motion between the two. Suspension systems must support both road holding or handling and ride quality.
The Nissan Navara PRO-4X has an independent double-wishbone front suspension and a multi-leaf rear suspension that sets it apart. A double wishbone suspension is an independent suspension that uses two (occasionally parallel) wishbone-shaped arms to locate the wheel. This allows the wheel to be carefully controlled when travelling over uneven terrain.
This heavy-duty independent double-wishbone with stabiliser front suspension and Leaf spring rear suspension gives the Navara superior offroad performance – ensuring a smoother ride when driving through harsh conditions.
Factor 4: Great Off-Road Tyres
For some of the best off-road performance, you should stick to running a wheel diameter no bigger than half the size of the tyre. An example of this would be to have 15 or 16-inch wheels for 33s and 17-inch wheels for 35s.
The PRO-4X (top-spec Navara 4×4 model) comes with 17-inch wheels. These 17-inch alloy wheels perform admirably on tar and gravel and add more comfort to the drive thanks to thicker tyre sidewalls than you get in bakkies with 18-inch wheel/tyre combos.
Factor 5: High-Tech Features
The flagship Nissan Navara comes with some high-tech features like Hill Descent Control and Around View Monitor with Moving Object, which both help with offroading.
First, Hill descent control is a driver-assistance system that allows for a controlled hill descent in rough terrain without any brake input from the driver.
The Around View Monitor uses four cameras to help drivers notice people and cars surrounding the vehicle. The cameras also help with moving object detection built to help the driver trek hardcore off-road obstacles without the need for a spotter.
Factor 6: Great Ground Clearance
If you’re going offroad you’ll want a 4WD with a good level of ground clearance, at least 220mm. The Nissan Navara PRO-4X has a ground clearance of 221mm, which is more than enough for adventurous off-roaders to get over some tricky terrain.
Factor 7: Electronic Differential Lock
The electronic locking differential is a device housed in the rear axle that allows both rear wheels to turn at the same speed and provides additional traction should your vehicle become stuck. The Nissan Navara allows you to push a button to activate the electronic locking rear differential when 4WD is not enough, this delivers equal power to both rear wheels to boost traction and help keep you moving forward.
Want to know more about the new Nissan Navara models available? Browse the Group1 Nissan Navara page or download the brochure.
