THE NAVARA ST-R 4x4 dual-cab is now offered with Nissan's ZD30 diesel engine.

The turbo-assisted inline four-cylinder uses a double overhead camshaft, 16 valves and direct injection to produce 110kW of power at 3400rpm and 314Nm of torque at 2000rpm.

The engine accelerates freely to produce peak power and there is plenty of torque down low for pulling a trailer or carrying a large payload.

The engine starts easily from cold, with a quick pre-ignition glow period, and is smooth enough once you get up and running. However, it produces plenty of growling and rattling as you work through the gears with a necessary short shift.

Nissan has satisfied plenty of buyers of the ZD30 in the larger Patrol wagon since its release in the GUII in April 2000 and we suspect those that have heavy work in mind for the Navara will find it suitable.

A side effect of its impressive torque, however, is that driving while unloaded can become a somewhat jerky experience thanks to the sudden nature of the turbo's boost. Indeed, unloaded driving is much smoother in the VG30 3.0-litre V6 version of Navara, despite the fact there's 66Nm less torque.

No official fuel economy figures are available for the diesel engine but our test vehicle returned approximately 12.0L/100km on a city cycle.