Nissan PH President Antonio “Toti” Zara with the new Nissan Navara at the Thailand plant
Nissan Philippines, led by its president Antonio “Toti” Zara, invited some members of the local media to a plant tour in Nissan Thailand’s Navara pick up assembly plant last Thursday. Nissan spent US$100 million for the new plant and started production only last July for the next generation NP300 Navara pick up truck. Beside the new assembly plant lies its sprawling high speed test track and Nissan Motors Asia Pacific R & D center. This ASEAN market-specific R & D serves as a “physical stage” research facility for already built prototypes so certain models can be tweaked for this particular market.
The engine will come in two variants for the PH market
Servicing 130 operational sites with an engineering manpower of over 20,000 staff, it plays a critical role in making sure its products are in tune with the ASEAN markets, including the Philippine market. The test track was completed in 2013 and also serves as a test bed for the Asia / Oceana markets, with simulated road conditions peculiar to these markets.
According to Zara, there will be a total of seven variants for the PH market, three variants of the 4×4 platform and four variants of the 4×2 platform. What is interesting are some of the class-leading features for the new Navara pick up truck. For the rear suspension, instead of the usual leaf spring design, a multi-link coil system will be introduced for the premium variants. “We want the new Navara to have a passenger car feel and the rear suspension also makes it feel like you are driving an SUV.” He adds.
Thanks to a weight loss of about 70 kilos, a 7-speed transmission borrowed from the Nissan Z sportscar and improved aerodynamics, Zara said there will be a significant improvement in fuel economy.
Nissan Asia Pacific Senior Vice President for Research and Development Tsuyoshi Moriya said that there will be a number of innovations to expect from the new generation Navara that are an industry first of the one ton pick up class. While the Navara’s image as a “tough” truck will still be inherent in the new model, it will add a new dimension in the branding of this model by introducing “smart” tech features.
First-in-class features are the rear aircon vent and dual climate control
These would include Bluetooth connectivity, LED projection headlamps with daytime running lights, intelligent key with start/stop button, 8-way power seats, multi-function buttons on the steering wheel, rear view camera and dual zone front air-conditioning controls. However, some of these features will only be available in the premium variants, he added.
The Philippine media with Nissan PH executives
The new Nissan Navara will be expected to hit the local market sometime first quarter of next year but production for the PH variants will begin as early as December. The Nissan Navara will be formally unveiled in the Thailand Moto Expo at the Impact Challenger exhibition center located at Muang Thong Thani this weekend.
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