When Nissan revealed the new D27 Navara last year, it became the only model in its current Australian lineup to be twinned with another, after the brand made the decision to rebadge the Mitsubishi Triton rather than create its own ute from the ground-up.
This is becoming a common practice in the car industry, though for Nissan the new Navara is perhaps the most crucial vehicle in its lineup, as total sales have taken a hit in recent years amid growing competition from more affordable and value-packed rivals.
To cut development costs, Nissan has borrowed the chassis, powertrain and most of the bodywork of the Triton, and made it a Navara with unique front and rear ends, plus a tweaked interior.
Crucial to Nissan’s plan to separate it from its Mitsubishi twin is fitting extra standard equipment on equivalent grades – something you can read more about here – and by fitting Australian-made and tuned dampers.
2026 Nissan Navara price and specs: New Triton-based ute up to $6000 dearer
Developed by Premcar – the firm responsible for the Nissan Navara and Patrol Warrior off-road products – the dampers are larger than what’s fitted to the Triton and feature different internals, though they’re teamed with unchanged springs and other suspension hardware.
A total of three damper tunes were made for the Navara, consisting of a trade-focused setup on the SL and ST, an on-road comfort balance for the ST-X, and an off-road and lifestyle tune for the flagship Pro-4X – all of which were developed not just due to different customers but also different tyres across the three grades.
So, how does the Nissan Navara drive?
The first portion of our drive took place in the Navara ST, which Nissan had added 300kg to the tub to better simulate what most tradies will have in the back of their utes, with items such as tools, drawer setups and the like.
Driving on roads on the outskirts of Canberra, the added weight does little to upset the balance of the Navara, which makes use of not only its bespoke dampers but also its chunky tyres to soak up imperfections in the surface.
Most dual-cab utes – thanks to their body-on-frame construction – have a noticeable ‘second movement’ after hitting bumps, something which is reduced or disappears in the Navara.
Instead, you may see that you’re about to hit a decently sized hole in the road, and it might initially shake the ute, but that doesn’t carry on much further, not only providing a more comfortable but also a more predictable ride.
This characteristic was also found in the unladen Navara Pro-4X, which manages to deliver not only a consistent ride but also a relatively quiet one in the cabin, despite wearing all-terrain tyres which are often the byword in noise production.
Though it’s no track car, a test of the Navara around some of Canberra’s twisty turns at the Cotter failed to disrupt it, even in slick conditions while being driven like a tradie running late to catch Friday night footy.
While the Navara’s suspension is arguably one of the best in class, the 2.4-litre four-cylinder bi-turbo diesel engine under the bonnet still has a way to go to keep up with some of the stand-out offerings in the market.
Producing 150kW and 470Nm, it sits in the middle ground of not feeling slow when called upon, but at the same time you’re given a reminder that you’re in a big ute, meaning country road overtakes require a bit more planning.
The six-speed automatic transmission is also adequate at its job, though it’s a shame neither Nissan nor Mitsubishi can find a way to put the eight-speed from the related Pajero Sport SUV into the ute.
Where the Navara also sets itself apart from the Triton is by offering a locking rear differential on all grades, which assists its off-road ability across the lineup.
The Navara SL and ST grades get ‘Easy 4WD’ which switches from rear- to all-wheel drive automatically, and features 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.
On off-road tracks which 99 per cent of buyers won’t ever traverse, the Navara was untroubled and easily climbed to the top of the chosen summits while its tyres were inflated to pressures to make road driving more comfortable.
The cabin is a familiar setting with nothing standing out as an obvious highlight or fault, though some may be dismayed by it missing out on a full digital instrument cluster, with the analogue gauges remaining on either side of a small TFT screen.
After being in the cars for the best part of five hours with minimal breaks, the seats felt comfortable and provided ample adjustment for drivers of all sizes.
Ultimately, the Navara remains a solid buying proposition for Australian ute customers, and at least seems to offer enough of a difference to the Mitsubishi Triton to justify its existence.
As it has been across its lifespan and especially in recent years, it’s not a stand-out performer, but at its price you wouldn’t expect it to be, however Nissan will have to wait and see whether its locally tuned angle is enough to win over buyers who are increasingly choosing utes from other brands.
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