Ain’t no mountain high enough for the Nissan Navara

“GLAMPING” on the grounds of Kiltepan, Sagada’s famous sunrise viewpoint

Photos by Ardie O. Lopez

Just what is it about us Filipinos and our predilection for pickups? If you’d try to figure it out with the most logical reasons, there’d be of course the fact that we’re hit by about 10 typhoons every year, with the accompanying floods that make having a vehicle with a higher ride clearance a necessity.

Then there are our usually deplorable road conditions that wreak havoc and shorten the life span of cars that are less than tough.

But then again, those things are a given. The main reason has got to be the influence of one’s lifestyle. Who wouldn’t want to have the capability to rough it out in the great outdoors on a whim? Or effortlessly project a rugged and sporty image?

Or how about the flexibility to keep up with and accommodate one’s truly active lifestyle, to load up scuba or camping gear, or tow a couple of motocross bikes or jet skis?

The answer’s all of the above, plus that not-so-minor detail about being comfortable throughout all of that, and during all of those normal days in between … certainly a tall order for a pickup.

Well, Nissan made good use of its 80-year expertise in manufacturing pickups to address that, and quite a bit more.

The Nissan NP300 Navara has achieved that elusive balance between toughness and comfort by scoring high on both, which made it garner local and international accolades, like the Truck of the Year award from our local Car Awards Group Inc., and the 2016 International Pickup award from Lyon, France.

But apparently, Nissan doesn’t think that’s enough.

Revving through the gauntlet

You can count on the seasoned members of the motoring media to be a bit difficult to impress with their been-there-done-that breadth of experience. That’s why the glowing reviews on the Navara from last year’s event are significant, which was basically all about driving to Paoay, Ilocos Norte, and practically spending an entire day going up and down and literally plowing through the desert-like sand dunes there, that totally compromise grip and impede forward motion.

They kept at it until the drivers, not the pickups, had their fill. This time around, Nissan headed back but farther up north with the motoring media once again, with a different challenge for the Navara. It was all about testing its ride comfort, performance and reliability on an extremely long drive, which involved going through a highway that made it to the world’s 10th most dangerous: Halsema Highway.

FEARLESS, the Navara crosses streams and plows through thickets.

From Baguio, it’s 150 kilometers of undulating roads peppered with switchbacks, hairpin turns, steep drops and ascents, even one-lane sections due to falling rocks—and it’s pretty busy with delivery trucks and buses, aside from the regular cars, jeeps and motorcycles.

We rolled out from the Nissan North Edsa dealership at about 3 a.m., and assembled at the Café by the Ruins in Baguio City.

From there, it was straight to Sagada via the infamous Halsema Highway.

At the end junction, it was still another 39 km to our destination in Sagada.

By the time we got back to Manila, we’d have driven nearly 900 km in our NP300 Navaras!

Who was being tested, truck or driver?

We were quite familiar with how good a pickup the Nissan NP300 Navara is, from past test drives since its release in the local market last year (its sales currently accounts for 35 percent of Nissan Philippines Inc.’s total vehicle sales).

I personally drove it from Manila to Baler, Aurora province, and back for a magazine cover shoot, and was nonetheless impressed. So Manila to Baguio was a cinch, but that was just roughly halfway to the Rock Inn in Sagada, our final waypoint.

Navara’s YD25 DDTi 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder diesel engine with variable turbocharger (VGS) and intercooler has a rated 187 horsepower and 450 Newton-meters of torque output for the top-tier 2.5-L 4×4 VL 7AT variant.

It has the highest output per displacement in its class—meaning it delivers optimum efficiency for its engine size, which translates to bigger fuel savings, along with assertive acceleration and respectable top-end speed.

So with all Navaras in the convoy packed with at least two to three passengers plus the driver, with cargo beds filled with bags, the real driving began once we hit Halsema Highway.

It’s a tricky and dangerous drive that requires your full attention and your vehicle’s “total cooperation” since 90 percent of the roads are just two lanes wide, and with slow-moving cargo trucks that are even slower going uphill.

THE NAVARAS were a trusty part of this Sagada adventure.

So if you want to get to Sagada within the same day, you’ll have to, at times, aggressively but carefully “leapfrog” by overtaking.

Many blind corners on sharp curves tended to be hair-raising especially when encountering less competent drivers with bad timing or poor comprehension, barreling in from the opposite lane, and eating into part of your lane.

Should you react badly, it’s a cliff with a couple of hundred feet’s drop that’s waiting. Needless to say, we had to count on the Navara’s predictably precise handling and ample power when overtaking and assertive braking.

Oh, we drivers would also have to be almost as comfortable as our passengers, for we’d be on our toes zig-zagging, speeding up and slowing down, darting in place, and evading undesirables, for a span of at least four hours straight. Whew!

Quick beast of burden

The Nissan NP300 Navara is indeed a beast—a handsome one at that—burdened by us and our bulky cargo. Though it didn’t appear to be in the least burdened by us.

It never failed on overtaking maneuvers, even as we powered through on an uphill with all our weight.

Its robust torque provided predictable thrust, and the drive mode selector—toggling between 2WD, Auto, 4WD-H and 4WD-L—was quick and convenient.

Its fully boxed ladder frame provided the necessary rigidity or torsional stiffness to make the Navara more agile despite being tall and long.

Its more compact engine due to the smaller displacement contributed to a lighter curb weight, which complemented its assertive power quite well.

Add to that a class-leading multilink suspension, and the Navara has a car-like feel and handling. Personally, it felt like a refined SUV.

Of course, one should expect comfort with such a suspension normally reserved for cars and better SUVs, so the Navara gets high marks for speed, power, agility and comfort.

Oh wait, there’s more. It happens to have a dynamically sporty look that’s as streamlined as a pickup truck can get. So yes, we had our cake and ate it, too.

About being out there

It would have been painful if we just spent the night in Sagada and then turned back and drove another 430 km back to Manila. No, no, no, and Nissan was first to say it.

With the generous support of Coleman Philippines, our large (and a bit noisy) group was the first one to camp on the grounds of Kiltepan, Sagada’s famous sunrise viewpoint.

Tents (with air mattresses), coolers, lounge chairs, tables, even string lights were set up- as we merrily went “glamping.”

There were so many attractions, hidden spots, and fantastic eateries you could visit and try out in Sagada that a week there would go by quickly. We had two nights, and we definitely made the most of them.

Going around, effortlessly off-roading half the time, in the Navaras was part of the adventure. Always, Nissan’s mighty pickup delivered.

With this really long but enjoyable drive, it left us wondering what Nissan might think of next, and where the Navara would take us to.

I might be speaking for all who participated when I say I’m looking forward to the next adventure.

You see, if you equip a pickup with all the ample features and capabilities that would enable it to be fully utilized as per its classification or purpose, and take away what usually is the biggest compromise (lack of comfort), then it becomes more viable … no wait, a lot more desirable.

If there’s one thing for a good pickup to conquer, more than a steep climb or treacherous terrain, it should be the absence of compromise.

And it looks like the Nissan NP300 Navara has its tracks all over it.