BY HAITHAM RAZAGUI | 10th Dec 2018
WHILE the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger duke it out for the title of Australia’s top-selling ute – and most popular vehicle overall –Nissan’s NP300/D23 Navara is struggling to climb back into the light-commercial big league enjoyed by its D40 predecessor.
The current-gen Navara is already on its third iteration since launching in 2015 due largely to widespread criticism of the pioneering coil-sprung rear suspension setup on dual-cab variants, but judging by flatlining sales figures, it appears the damage has been done.
Australian Navara buyers are overwhelmingly opting for dual-cab automatics in higher-spec ST or ST-X trim and we spent a week with the latter, putting it through our usual test routine but also filling all the seats and load bed for a family long weekend away.
Our conclusion? The Navara’s pretty good, provided you only use the rear row on a temporary basis.