Tables turned: next-gen Navara to use X-Class chassis

Thursday, 23 July 2020

Mercedes-Benz had a hard time selling its X-Class ute. Not because it wasn’t capable but more because the German brand tapped Nissan to use its Navara as a base. Mercedes ended X-Class production last year but it looks like Nissan might turn the tables and apply some of the Mercedes-developed chassis tweaks to the next-generation Navara.

According to a report from Autoblog.com.ar, Mercedes made a few modifications to the Navara chassis that Nissan likes, including structural reinforcements like new cross members to improve strength and driving dynamics.

The report went on to say a complete redesign is still a few years away as Nissan undergoes a restructuring plan. The company wants to launch 12 new models over the next 18 months in order to bolster sales, lower costs, and raise profits.

Our first glimpse of the new Navara. New DRLs and a reshaped bonnet are about all we can glean here.

In the meantime, the Navara will get new looks both inside and out while retaining the existing mechanicals. For us, that means the 2.3-litre diesel inline-four in single and twin-turbo forms. There’s no word yet on any increase in output. At the moment, the Navara’s most powerful state of tune has the twin-turbo oil-burner running at 140kW/450Nm.

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The Navara N-Trek Warrior is the current apex predator of Nissan’s ute line-up.

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There are rumours of a high-performance Nismo Navara in the works too. Might it use the powertrain from the GT-R?

* The all-Aussie Navara to take on the Ranger Raptor

* How much Nissan Navara is there in the Mercedes-Benz X-class?

A hybrid Navara has been previously mooted but not officially confirmed.

However, there have been rumblings of a high-performance Nismo Navara and according to CarsGuide, Nissan Australia’s boss, Stephen Lester, said he’s “doing all the things we need to do to get behind a change or opportunity with the power plant.'

“But let’s be realistic on Navara. The reality is that it has a great engine as it right now, and we’re pretty darn happy with Warrior and what we’ve been able to do with it, so we’ll wait until we get more news.”

Such a Navara would avoid direct competition with the Ranger Raptor and its N-Trek Warrior sibling as it would be tailored for on-road performance rather than off-road.

'Look at that ute segment. You’ve got two diverse owner groups there. You’ve got the hardcore off-off-road enthusiasts, which we think Warrior speaks really well to. And they’re really going to seek that fit for purpose piece, they’re really a user of the off-road equipment,' Lester told CarsGuide.

'The other consumer, though, says I’m just not interested in all-that off-roading, but I want a look. Probably not unlike going back to Falcon and Commodore (utes), and you see how people did those up. They invested, and there was a real and significant market there.”

Lester said that any potential Nismo Navara would be a more an “aficionado vehicle” more likely to be fit for on-road performance, adding “Trucks are never going to race cars, but with the legacy of Nismo, it would certainly add to the cache for the Navara.”

There are a few potential powertrains at Nismo’s disposal too. Obviously the GT-R supercar has a capable all-wheel drive system and a 419kW/632Nm twin-turbo V6. But to really sate those V8 thirsts, the tuner could look to the Patrol, which is currently running a 5.6-litre V8 making 298kW and 560Nm.

Being such a niche product, the hi-po ute is likely on Nissan’s backburner for now but if the Japanese automaker can turn its fortunes around as the world recovers from Covid, there’s a tiny chance we’ll see it in the next year or two.