We occasionally head up to the Far North of New Zealand to go and look after 30 acres of land there. As someone has told me, it’s a Life Sentence Block – not a Lifestyle Block. How right they are.
That means a lot of work, especially when you have 4 kilometres of your own road to maintain; digging drains, clearing back trees – it’s an endless series of manual labour. We borrowed a Nissan Navara PRO-4X to do the trip in, and planned to put it to work hauling loads of metal and firewood.
Some might ask why take a Nissan Navara on this trip, when the current third-generation model was released in 2014 (it had a facelift in 2021) – there are newer utes out there to choose from. Well, why not? The Navara is still a good option for ute buyers – at least, that’s what we were going to find out. The model is now in a run-out sale, so there will be a new Navara coming soon!
Read along as we spend 1,000km behind the wheel of the Nissan Navara PRO-4X during Cyclone TAM.
What We Like and Dislike About The 2024 Nissan Navara PRO-4X
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Ride quality – on or off-road Engine refinement Made for work Design Fuel economy Transmission Handling actually pretty good Seat comfort on a long trip | No adaptive cruise control Large turning circle |
What’s In The 2024 Nissan Navara Range?
New Zealand see 3 trim levels of the Navara, with some options around cab/chassis thrown in to make 12 different options.
- SL Single Cab Chassis 2WD automatic transmission – $34,995
- SL Single Cab Chassis 4WD automatic transmission – $42,995
- SL Double Cab Wellside 2WD manual or automatic transmission – $34,995
- SL Double Cab Wellside 4WD manual or automatic transmission – $39,995
- SL Double Cab Chassis 4WD manual or automatic transmission – $39,995
- ST Double Cab Wellside 2WD automatic transmission – $34,995
- ST Double Cab Wellside 4WD manual or automatic transmission – $44,995
- SL King Cab Wellside 4WD automatic transmission – $44,995
- SL King Cab Chassis 4WD automatic transmission – NA
- ST-X Double Cab Wellside 2WD automatic transmission – $44,995
- ST-X Double Cab Wellside 4WD automatic transmission – $49,995
- PRO-4X Double Cab Wellside 4WD manual or automatic transmission – $55,995
When we last tested a Navara back in 2021, the PRO-4X model was over $70,000. It really shows how the competition has changed market pricing.
There is a 2.3-litre, 4-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine fitted to all Navaras, with some having a single turbo, and others a twin-turbo. In fact, it’s only the manual gearbox, 2WD SL Double Cab that has the single turbo engine. That engine manages fuel economy of 7.5L/100km, while the twin-turbo is rated at 8.4-9.1, depending on the model. As a single turbo, power output is 120kW and torque is 403Nm. With the twin turbo, power lifts to 140kW and torque to 450Nm.
The manual gearbox is a 6-speed across all models, while the automatic transmission is a 7-speed.
The PRO-4X model has the following unique features:
- All terrain tyres
- Black fender flares
- Black roof rails
- Black 17″ PRO-4X alloy wheels
- Black painted door mirrors, side steps, grille and door handles
- Leather accented PRO-4X seats
- Embroidered front seat PRO-4X logos with red-accent stitching
- Darkened styling theme with red accenting
- Full-size spare wheel – steel
2024 Nissan Navara Colour Range
There are 8 colours available for the Navara, all at no cost. Good on you, Nissan.
- Pearl White
- Stealth Grey
- Solid White
- Brilliant Silver
- Burning Red
- Twilight Grey
- Forged Copper
- Black Star
For a full list of specs and options available for the 2024 Nissan Navara PRO-4X head on over to Nissan New Zealand’s website.
How Does The 2024 Nissan Navara PRO-4X Compare To Its Competition?
| Make/ Model | Engine | Power/ Torque kW/Nm | Fuel L/100km | Towing Capacity | Price |
| Volkswagen Amarok Style | 2.0-litre 4-cylinder twin-turbo diesel | 154/500 | 8.3 | 750/3,500 | $87,000 |
| Ford Ranger Wildtrak | 2.0-litre 4-cylinder twin-turbo diesel | 154/500 | 7.6 | 750/3,500 | $76,990 |
| Isuzu D-MAX X-Terrain | 3.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo diesel | 140/450 | 9.2 | 750/3,500 | $66,990 |
| Toyota Hilux SR5 Cruiser | 2.8-litre 4-cylinder turbo diesel mild hybrid | 150/500 | 8.7 | 750/3,500 | $65,490 |
| GWM Cannon Alpha Ultra | 2.4L 4-cylinder turbo diesel | 135/480 | 8.9 | 750/3,500 | $59,990 |
| Mitsubishi Triton VRX | 2.4-litre 4-cylinder twin-turbo diesel | 150/470 | 8.8 | 750/3,500 | $59,990 |
| Nissan Navara Pro-4X | 2.3-litre 4-cylinder twin-turbo diesel | 140/450 | 8.6 | 750/3,500 | $55,995 |
| JAC T9 | 2.0L-litre 4-cylinder turbo diesel | 125/410 | 7.6 | 750/3,200 | $49,990 |
| LDV T60 Lux | 2.0L-litre 4-cylinder twin-turbo diesel | 160/500 | 10.4 | 750/3,000 | $39,990 |
Please note that DriveLife does its best to ensure the information above is correct at the time of publication, however, prices, specifications and models can change over time. Please bear that in mind when comparing models in the comparison table.
First Impressions Of The 2024 Nissan Navara PRO-4X
The PRO-4X version of the Navara is still a good-looking ute. That 2021 facelift made it a lot more current, and even after 5 years, it still looks current. Perhaps not up there with the Ranger, but those LED headlights have lifted the look of this ute immensely. At least Nissan has resisted going full Lexus on the grille; it’s relatively small and suits the truck’s proportions perfectly.
It’s hard to make anything but the front of a ute look different, and the Navara struggles in this department. Some have succeeded, like the Triton, but the Navara doesn’t have a unique side profile. It’s much the same at the back – still looking good, but not exactly distinctive.
What’s The Interior Like In The 2024 Nissan Navara PRO-4X?
The interior is where the age of the Navara really kicks in. I spy a manual handbrake, a sure sign of an older design.
There are other signs of the age of this ute, but not all of them are bad. For example, the AC controls are still all actual buttons – nothing for the AC is controlled via the screen, and I am so thankful for that.
The two-stage heated seats are controlled via two old-school rocker switches; you can operate these easily while on the move, without having to look away from the road. The bonus here is that if you leave the heated seat on and get out of the Navara, when you get back in and start it, they are already on. I like that.
There is 12-volt socket at the front of the centre console, along with a USB-A port and an AUX port (and that’s one thing that we rarely see these days).
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are available via a USB cable. While there is no Qi wireless phone charger, one point of difference over its Chinese and Japanese rivals is the electrically opening rear window. It’s less than a third of the width of the total back window area, but I could see this being handy to call out to someone loading up the tray. I guess you could slide long lengths of 4×2 through that open window, but I’m not sure of the load rating it has with that weight pushing down on it. I have no doubt many owners won’t care about that, and will stick long lengths of wood through it anyway, and it’s probably handy for yelling at your dog to sit down. That opening window is only operated from a switch on the right-hand side of the steering wheel.
One thing that is fairly obvious in the cabin of the PRO-4X is the amount of hard, black plastics used – again, a throw-back to its design. Keeping in mind this is the top-spec model, the doors, dash and centre console are covered in cheap-feeling plastic. But, there is a bonus to this – the ability to be easily cleaned with a bucket of water and a rag. If there’s one takeaway for the PRO-4X in my time with the ute, it’s the feeling of functionality rather than luxury. Those easily cleanable plastics everywhere are a sure sign of that.
While the cabin is mostly black, there is a white headliner and pillars to break it up a little, along with some rear and grey stitching used on the seats. The driver’s seat is electrically adjustable, including 4-way electric lumbar adjust.
Those in the rear seats are well looked after as far as head and legroom go, and there is a single USB-A port for charging devices.
What’s The 2024 Nissan Navara PRO-4X Like To Drive?
For a start, I was surprised that our plane to Auckland even landed; Cyclone Tam was in full force, and there were huge doubts we’d even get to Auckland to be able to pick the Navara up. But due to some awesome pilot skills, we landed. We headed straight to Nissan HQ.
With 750km of range showing on pick-up, we hit the road north out of Auckland. The 2.3-litre turbo-diesel impressed me straight off; it’s quite a refined unit, far more so than I expected it would be. Through my week and 1,000km of driving, the Navara surprised me more than once.
The second surprise was the ride quality – it’s very good, bordering on excellent. It’s a multi-link setup with coil springs at the rear, and it does a brilliant job of being civilised when there is no load in the tray. The ride quality was also very good when on metal roads in the Far North. Even those that were uphill and rutted didn’t really phase the Navara at all.
The next surprise was the lack of adaptive cruise control; I had forgotten that the Navara does not have this feature, and it’s the first car I have driven for many years not to have it. Not a huge issue, but all its competition has adaptive cruise, so it stands out as something it is lacking – and on a long trip with motorway traffic, something very handy.
While driving north, the weather worsened and yet again the Navara surprised me; it was relatively stable in the fierce crosswinds, and standing water on the road didn’t seem to affect its grip or stability. The Navara is a 4 wheel-drive, so that means it runs in two-wheel drive on the road, and you should only use 4WD when off-road.
Like the interior’s design and the lack of adaptive cruise, there were other items missing that show the Navara’s age, for example, there is no traffic sign recognition. Something I am not used to not having, so that meant keeping an eagle eye out for speed limit changes. My memory is not the best these days, so this did cause some angst.
Also like the interior, some of the car’s age helps it. The speedo and rev counter are analogue dials with very clear numbering, easily readable at a glance. There’s still a trip computer between the two dials, but not having digital dials was a breath of fresh air and worked in the Navara’s favour. Sure, there’s no customisation or changing of colours like you might do in a Ranger or Amarok, but I found those analogue dials a refreshing change.
Like Alistair found when we last reviewed a Navara in 2021, the transmission does just fine. It’s a 7-speed automatic, and I found it perfectly matched the gear to what I wanted, on or off-road. It’s smooth, too, and I had zero complaints about it. The transmission didn’t really come into any thoughts, so that must be a good sign. I enjoyed that it held the gear longer before changing down, in order to use the engine’s low-down torque. This is still something many automatics don’t do, when mated to a diesel engine.
We were on time to get to Kaitaia before the only supermarket shut, but on getting to the bridge at the end of the Horeke Straights, there was the dreaded ‘road closed’ sign. The river had flooded across the road, and not even 4WD utes were allowed through. That meant doubling back to the Kerikeri turnoff, and heading up SH10 instead of SH1. This was a bit disappointing for me, as SH1 through the Mangamuka hills just south of Kaitaia has been closed for a couple of years due to slips. But that road is now open – but I wouldn’t be able to use it. Hopefully, in a week all the roads would be open.
We eventually got to Kaitaia, got food and then headed west to the seaside town of Ahipara, at the southern end of 90-Mile Beach. From here, it’s a 1,000-foot climb up into the hills, passing the historical Ahipara Gumfields. In the late 1800s and early to mid 1900s, people dug for gum from kauri trees buried under the ground. Now it’s a just something you drive past, and gone are the dance halls and bars.
On getting near to my house, I could see a huge Mexican Pine had fallen during the cyclone, right on top of my neighbour’s carport. But the carport survived, somehow.
Unfortunately, the rain from the cyclone would continue for an entire week, with only occasional breaks to let me get jobs done outside. But it did mean there would be no trips to the quarry to get trailer loads of metal for our ‘road’. That would just chew the road up.
But it also meant a good test for the Navara’s 4WD system. The road was drenched everywhere, so would the Navara’s lack of electronics governing off-roading affect it? The Navara still has electronic control over the gearbox and 4WD system of course, but it’s not in the same league as the Land Rover Defender or the Ford Ranger.
We last brought a VW Amarok here and that ute’s 4WD system (okay, it’s the same as the Ranger’s) was excellent. The Navara did what I asked it to do, on the whole. There were a couple of times when I had to reverse down a muddy slope and have another crack at it with a bit more momentum, but generally, it was just fine. I used the rear difflock a few times, as well as low range, but mostly it was 4WD high range that got us through the wet, slushy roads, especially good when you consider the Navara’s 2,137kg kerb weight.
If there was one thing that somewhat restricted the Navara’s usability off-road, it’s the 12.5m turning circle. More than once, I’d have to do a multi-point turn in the bush somewhere to get out of where I was. The large turning circle is not so noticeable on the road, but in the bush it was a little annoying.
Along with the rear difflock, there’s also hill descent control, both of these are operated by switches below the AC controls.
Our first (and only) trip into Kaitaia to get more food after a few days meant a fill-up of diesel. We had covered 500km since Auckland, with 160km left, so an effective range of 660km. Keep in mind the diesel tank is a fairly handy 80 litres.
The rest of the week was more work; scrub bar work on the road, and clearing drains. We managed to get a few loads of firewood in, and the Navara coped with this very easily. The ute has Nissan’s ‘Utili-Track 2-Channel Sliding Tie Down Hooks’ system for tying loads down. Although we didn’t need this for chucking lengths of tea-tree into the tray, I expect it’s very handy for tradies and the like who need to secure their loads.
After a wet week, it was time for the return trip to Auckland. Still wet, but at least the Mangamuka road on SH1 was open. Those who have not driven this road will not appreciate its corners; they are almost all on-camber, meaning you can really push your car along and have a bit of fun, making the most of those cambered corners. Not so in a ute, right? Not quite. The Navara PRO-4X surprised me again, it’s actually relatively nimble and can cope with corners absolutely fine. Dare I say it, it sits sort of flat on the bends, and there were no unpleasant dramas in its handling at all – in fact, it was one of the better utes I have driven on this road – and that’s when it was wet. I was expecting that at any time, those all-terrain tyres would let go, but they held very well for what are pretty chunky tyres.
The trip back to Auckland was good and bad; the lack of adaptive cruise not so good, the refinement of this truck good. Performance when passing is generally acceptable, but the Navara PRO-4X will run out of puff at the top end.
The brakes are disc/drum, quite unusual even for a ute in 2025, but they did just fine with a reasonable amount of feedback given. The steering is the same; generally good, with feedback at acceptable levels for a ute.
The seats are comfortable too, and even after 6 hours behind the wheel, I felt just fine on getting out.
If there was one last surprise the Navara had for me, it’s the fuel economy. While Nissan suggests the twin-turbo diesel should return 8.6L/100k, after 10,000km we managed 8.8L/100km. When you consider the amount of slow and wet off-roading we did, that’s an excellent result. I fully expected it to be around the 9.5-10.0L/100km mark. On the trip north, before we went off-road, the reading was 8.2L/100km.
READ ON TO CHECK OUT OUR SUMMARY OF THE 2024 NISSAN NAVARA PRO-4X.
2024 Nissan Navara PRO-4X – Specifications
| Vehicle Type | Double-cab ute |
| Starting Price | $55,995 |
| Price as Tested | $55,995 |
| Engine | 2.3-litre, 4-cylinder twin-turbo diesel |
| Power, Torque kW/Nm | 140/450 |
| Transmission | 7-speed automatic |
| Spare Wheel | Full-size steel |
| Kerb Weight, Kg | 2,137 |
| Length x Width x Height mm | 5255x1875x1855 |
| Tray load rating, Kg | 1,013 |
| Fuel tank capacity, litres | 80 |
| Fuel Economy, L/100km | Advertised Spec – Combined – 8.6 Real-World Test – Combined – 8.8 Low Usage: 0-6 / Medium Usage 6-12 / High Usage 12+ |
| Towing Capacity Kg, unbraked/braked | 750/3,500 |
| Turning circle metres | 12.5 Small: 6-10m / Medium 10-12m / Large 12m+ |
| Warranty | 5 year, 150,000km factory warranty (transferable) 5 years Roadside Assistance Capped-price servicing |
| Safety information | ANCAP Rating – unrated – Link Rightcar.govt.nz – 4 Stars – QWC847 |
Have you enjoyed this review? Be sure to join our monthly email newsletter list so you don’t miss a single car review!
