The Navara goes north

Last February 23 and 24, Nissan brought a fleet of newly launched Navara pickup trucks to Ilocos Norte.  With stretches of smooth highways, patches of rough roads, and the unusual terrain of the sand dunes, Ilocos Norte was the perfect region to test the different features of the 2015 Navara NP300.

Getting from Laoag to the Bangui Windmills, we went through some rough roads which put the Navara’s rigid five-link coil suspension to the test.  The drive was a little bumpy but the truck’s handling was smooth and sturdy.  

We made our way from Bangui Windmills to Paoay through the smooth highways of Ilocos Norte.  During this stretch (including the drive from Laoag), we did an eco-drive test. Considering that my airconditioning was on full-blast and I had three full-grown men hitching with me along with their heavy media equipment, the 4x4 automatic Navara I drove still averaged 11 km/L.  The other 4x4 Navaras averaged as much as 15 km/L.

The challenging terrain of the La Paz Sand Dunes gave the Navara a chance to really shine.  I used the 4x4 mode to navigate our way through the unstable sandy dunes and to get out of sandy ditches.  I felt the Navara’s 188 horsepower (and 450 Nm of torque) from its 2.5-liter 4-cylinder common-rail diesel engine, but handling was light with its class-leading seven-speed automatic transmission. 

Going up and down the steep sand dune hills allowed me to test two of Navara’s special features—the Hill Start Assist and the Hill Descent Control.  The Hill Descent Control enabled my Navara to steadily descend down a steep hill even if I never had to step on the brake or gas pedal.

After a whole day of driving, my back and bottom didn’t ache.  Perhaps I owe that to the Navara’s NASA-inspired zero gravity seats which ensure equal body weight distribution for comfort.

Karen Jimeno is a junior partner at Jimeno Cope & David Law Firm and a law professor in various law schools. She is also a TV host for LegalHD on 9TV. She graduated from UP Law School and Harvard Law School and is licensed to practice law in the Philippines and in New York.