Nissan has revealed the new, fourth-generation Navara, and it’s the first version of the brand’s popular ute not to be developed in-house from the ground up.
Like the Volkswagen Amarok to the Ford Ranger, and the Mazda BT-50 to the Isuzu D-Max, the new Navara is a Mitsubishi Triton under the skin, allowing Nissan to slash costs at a time when the ute segment becomes increasingly competitive.
Mitsubishi only joined the Renault-Nissan Alliance in 2016, a year after the D23 Navara was launched, though the most recent Triton came to Australia in early 2024, meaning Nissan has had to wait almost two years to get its hands on what it calls “a robust Alliance platform”.
It’s not the first time Nissan has sold a ute that’s not its own, having taken on the badge-engineered, Button plan-era Ford Falcon XF between mid-1988 and 1992. Thankfully, the Triton-based Navara has a name with more imagination than ‘Nissan Ute’.
The new Navara is a crucial model for Nissan globally and in Australia, as it loses market share to other established or emerging brands, while the Navara’s competitors like the Ranger and Toyota HiLux (also entering a new generation) continue to be top-sellers.
Nissan is yet to confirm a full lineup of model grades, though it’s expected the existing SL and ST will carry across. The ST-X and Pro-4X have been confirmed to return, launching exclusively in dual-cab pickup guise, with no cab-chassis or single-cab options available when the Navara arrives in early 2026.
Measuring 5320mm long, 1865mm wide without mirrors, and 1795mm tall without its aerial, the Navara has grown to become 9mm longer and 15mm wider than its predecessor, though it sits 35mm lower. Its 3130mm wheelbase is also 20mm shorter.
Sadly, like the D23 Navara and the likes of the Toyota HiLux, the D27’s 1135mm width between the wheel arches means you can’t fit an Australian standard pallet in its tub.
While the eagle-eyed are able to pick out hallmarks of the Triton’s cab design, the Navara – like the aforementioned Amarok and BT-50 – adopts Nissan’s existing design language at the front and rear.
Looking into the face of the Navara, Nissan’s ‘V-strut’ design has been applied to the ute, albeit only in mini grille patters, sitting between its LED headlights which are reminiscent of those on the new Y63 Patrol.
Nissan has also incorporated a throwback to the original Navara, the D21, with a three-slot design above the grille, paying homage to the 40-year-old car.
At the back, the tailgate is differentiated by its obvious Nissan and Navara badges, neither of which are stamped into the sheetmetal.
The off-road oriented Navara Pro-4X will continue to be set apart with Black and Lava Red exterior trim accents, a black sports bar, and black 17-inch wheels, shod in 265mm-wide all-terrain tyres.
The Navara’s cabin should be a familiar setting to anyone who has recently been in a Triton, with a 9.0-inch infotainment touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto, and a 7.0-inch TFT carrying across – though it’s worth noting (most of the Nissan’s major competitors have a full digital instrument cluster.
Stepping up to the ST-X will add wireless smartphone charging, while the flagship Pro-4X gets Lava Red accents inside on its leather-accented seats, embossed logos and contrast stitching.
The Navara will incorporate ‘MyNissan’ connected car services, allowing owners to remotely control its HVAC settings or locking/unlocking, while an emergency call function and stolen vehicle tracking are also included.
Adopting the Triton’s safety suite, the Navara gets a wide range of active safety features, such as autonomous emergency braking, front and rear cross-traffic alert, emergency lane assist, lane departure warning, blind-spot warning with lane-change assist, traffic sign recognition, an intelligent speed limiter, and adaptive cruise control on certain grades.
The D27 Navara is a side-step in some regards from the D23 it replaces, losing its predecessor’s seven-speed automatic transmission and rear coil springs for a six-speed auto and traditional leaf springs, respectively.
As with the Triton, power comes from a 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, producing 150kW and 470Nm, up 10kW and 20Nm on the D23.
Base Navara grades get ‘Easy 4WD’ which switches from rear- to all-wheel drive automatically, and feature an electronic rear differential. The ST-X and Pro-4X meanwhile get ‘Super 4WD’, which is a full-time high-range system with an open centre differential, and Torsen limited slip rear diff. These also get seven terrain modes (Normal, Eco, Gravel, Snow, Mud, Sand, and Rock).
Despite the seven-speed making way for the six-speed automatic transmission, Nissan claims to have reduced the Navara’s fuel consumption from 7.9L/100km to 7.7L/100km. CO2 emissions have also been cut to 203g/km, down from 208g/km.
The biggest change to the Navara is not only its fuel tank shrinking by five litres to 75 litres, but also its requirement to use AdBlue, with a 17 litre tank onboard.
Like the ute it replaces, the new Navara has a braked towing capacity of 3500kg, while payload ranges from 950kg to 1047kg, depending on the grade. The D23 Navara dual-cab 4×4 had a payload of between 1004kg and 1117kg.
While it has lost some payload capacity despite moving to a leaf-spring rear suspension setup, Nissan enlisted local experts Premcar – founded off the back of the closure of Ford Performance Vehicles, and responsible for the current Nissan Warrior lineup – to undertake local chassis tuning.
Nissan claims each grade of the new Navara features a “distinct, locally tuned suspension, optimised for Australia and New Zealand’s conditions.”
Premcar has unveiled a concept of what a new Navara Pro-4X Warrior could look like, though it’s not set to be confirmed until next year.
As with all Nissans sold in Australia, the Navara will be covered by the brand’s 10-year, 300,000km warranty, which is a standard five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty that is extended by 12 months every time the car is serviced on time through Nissan.
Australian pricing and specifications for the D27 Nissan Navara will be announced closer to its local launch towards the end of the first quarter of 2026 (January to March).
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