Nissan PH targets No. 3 spot with newly-launched Navara NP300

Nissan Pilipinas Inc., headed by big boss Toti Zara, recently invited selected media for the official unveiling of the second generation NP300 Navara pick-up for the Asean market during the 31st Thailand International Motor Expo 2014 in IMPACT Arena and Convention Center at Banmai, Nonthaburi, right outside of downtown Bangkok.

 

The NP300 Navara pickup is a very important vehicle in Nissan’s growing lineup of newer, more modern and crucially sexier and more appealing vehicles, to assault and regain precious market share in the Philippines following a revitalized lineup which started with the Sylphy and Altima sedans, followed by the 3rd generation X-Trail compact SUV, and finally, the second generation NP300 Navara pickup.

 

Nissan Pilipinas hopes to capture third place overall in the hotly contested pickup segment in the country by selling 4,000 to 4,500 units of the NP300 Navara in fiscal year 2015.

 

There are a multitude of variants available in pickup-crazy Thailand, with a variety of cab designs and bed and suspension options. But for the Philippine market, the most important bit of information filtered down to us is that we will be getting the top-model variant which comes with an independently-sprung coil-spring-type rear suspension. This should vastly improve ride comfort and highway stability without compromising durability, payload and towing ability.

 

Crucially, the NP300 Navara comes with a class-leading 7-speed automatic transmission with 4WD as an available option, mated to a new-generation YD25DDTI, a 2.5-liter, 16-valve DOHC engine with CRDi diesel injection, VGT turbocharger, and a substantial 3-inch core front-mounted intercooler that produces an amazing 187.32 horsepower and 450 Newton-meters of torque over a very broad power-band, combined with the class-leading 7-speed transmission.

 

This makes the Navara efficient and responsive to operate in both normal city driving conditions and extreme offroad situations along with a very quiet and relaxed high-speed cruising ability on the highway.

 

The pickup’s bed has increased marginally, but the rear accommodations for the 4-door version has significantly improved in comfort, size and space, allowing the Navara to become a truly lifestyle-oriented product while still functioning as a capable workhorse for traditional pickup users.

 

Other modern niceties not normally associated with pickups and are major firsts in this category including LED projector headlamps and LED daytime driving lamps, an RFID-type key with an engine start/stop button, a/c vents for the rear occupants and a 3D-effect TFT instrumentation—features normally found in high-end luxury cars and sports cars.

 

There’s also a rear-facing camera, handy for backing up and a multimedia system with a large LCD screen on the center console available for top-model variants.

 

The NP300 Navara also comes with an armada of electronic driving aids such as Hill-Start Assist, Hill Descent Control, Traction Control and Vehicle Dynamics Stability Control as well

as ABS-equipped brakes. Dual airbags are standard as well.

 

Water fording depth is also rated at 800 mm, similar to its competitors, thanks to a raised ride-height and taller 18×8 wheels shod with 255/60R18 Toyo Open Country all-terrain tires but biased for highway use. And in anticipation of greater onroad/highway use, Nissan even installed an integrated rear duck-tail spoiler to improve aerodynamics and increase rear stability further.

 

The all-new Navara is being produced at Nissan Thailand’s all-new Plant Number II, which costs Nissan Motors Limited (Japan) an additional $100 million in investment. It currently has the capacity to manufacture 88,000 Navara pickups a year, and, not surprisingly, an additional 48,000 units of a future-planned SUV—based on the Navara’s platform and powertrain architecture.

 

Nissan Pilipinas and Nissan Thailand officials were coy about this, but later on, Toti Zara gave this bemused admission: “Hey, everyone is doing it [spinning off multiple vehicles from the same basic vehicle architecture].”

 

The combined capacity of Nissan Thailand’s Plants I & II are over 200,000 with a potential to increase to 300,000 units in the near future.

 

It is an environment-friendly facility that has a waste water treatment facility, reduced electrical consumption, and other green technologies to reduce its overall carbon footprint.

 

The factory currently produces the Almera, March, Tiida, Teana (Altima), Frontier (current second generation Navara), X-Trail and the NP300 Navara in the new Plant II facility.

 

The Navara benefits from Nissan’s new approach of working more closely with key markets that utilize specific products. Hence, the Navara’s gestation was significantly developed, prototyped and tested in Thailand, the world’s largest midsize pickup market.

 

To support this new development strategy, Nissan also invested in a comprehensive testing facility at the Bangna facility in Samutprakarn Province, barely an hour away from downtown Bangkok. The test track features a 120km/h rated high speed straightaway, a 100-meter wide skid-pad, 14 special road surface and conditions, manhole covers, speed bumps, rumble strips, curbing, etc. that simulate various roads in the Asean, Australia and Africa, where many of Nissan’s Thailand-made vehicles are exported to.

 

Aside from the Navara, the X-Trail in localized RHD production was introduced to the Thailand market during the international auto expo. Another vehicle proving popular was Nissan’s Juke compact SUV, which would hopefully find its way to the Philippines very soon.

 

Nissan Pilipinas Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nissan Motors Asia Pacific under Nissan Motors Limited (Japan), has a dynamically changing five-year plan that sees a vastly revamped vehicle lineup, has increased dealership network to 48 dealerships nationwide, gaining back of a significant chunk of the market share which it held during the glory days of the late ’80s until mid-’90s.

 

The brand is investing heavily in the local market with fresh new talent that think outside of the box to bridge the gap between a very conservative Asian/Japanese company and that of a very Westernized organization (influenced by Renault’s ownership of Nissan) and to become a truly global entity that is dynamic and adaptable to specific local markets worldwide, and introducing desirable, ingenious, efficient and relevant vehicles to the local market. Here’s hoping for the brand’s success!