More importantly, though, the company now has a brand new range of models which have arrived in showrooms since last year. It’s no secret that ETCM has had to work hard to sustain interest in aging models while meeting the demands of Nissan to keep growing volumes and now that they finally have hot new models to sell, they are probably overdosing on the enthusiastic spirit.

Navara production line at Nissan Thailand	Frontier will continue to be sold alongside the Navara

The model is priced at RM103,721.90 (it is imported CBU from Nissan’s Thai factory) which is why ETCM is positioning it as a premium pick-up. They are not looking at huge volumes like what the Frontier achieved in its early years but expect the Navara to be a more niche product, which is a clever move.

Apart from the price, the size could also limit its numbers as not everyone may want a truck as big as this - and BIG is no exaggeration. It’s the biggest pick-up in its class in Malaysia and if you take just the overall length and width, the area it occupies is almost 9.7 square metres – that’s 3.2% more than the next largest pick-up in Malaysia, the Toyota Hilux. The longer body allows a longer wheelbase and the Navara’s extends to 3.2 metres, 115 mm more than the Hilux. It’s also very wide, beaten only by the SsangYong Actyon Sports but that Korean pick-up was conceived to be a SUV as well which could be why it was given a wide body.

Even without another truck for comparison, the Navara's proportions make it clear that it is big

Those large headlights are xenons, the first time these are appearing on a pick-up in Malaysia. Understanding the controversy relating to these bright lights, ETCM has made it clear that the JPJ has given approval for their usage in the Navara so owners need not worry about any problems in future. It’s not true that xenons will be banned, just that if they are not originally approved for the model sold in Malaysia, then the JPJ may take action against the motorist. This would therefore apply to after-market installations.

If you remember, when the Frontier stormed onto the pick-up scene here, it laid claim to being the most powerful in its class and held that title for a while. Now ETCM can again claim to offer the most powerful turbodiesel pick-up in its class in Malaysia as the Navara’s 2.5-litre engine produces an incredible 403 Nm of torque at 2000 rpm and 174 ps at 4000 rpm. Now you can understand why they are shouting ‘Mother Trucker’.

The engine is the most powerful variant of the Nissan YD series, the YD25DDTI (High Power) and like most current pick-ups, there is an air-to-air intercooler and it also has a 2nd generation common-rail fuel delivery system (32-bit ECCS). While this provides the boost in output, also a significant contributor is a variable-nozzle turbocharger (VNT) or what other companies call a variable-geometry turbo (VGT).

The variable nozzle refers to varying of the rotation of the impeller (which spins the turbine) depending on driving conditions and engine speed. Vanes on the impeller change their angle to create more or less resistance to the gas flow, thereby making the turbine spin faster or slower, always at an optimum speed.

One advantage of this feature is to eliminate ‘turbo lag’ which, though not so severe these days with smaller turbochargers, is still evident. As is well know, low-end torque is superior in diesels and the VNT allows a higher output for an extended rpm range. Depending on the engine tuning, the extended range could be useful for those who spend more time cruising on highways – which is probably what many Navara owners would be doing.

Another highlight of the Navara drivetrain is a 5-speed automatic transmission. The 5-speeder for the Navara is the same one that you’ll find in the 350Z which suggests it’s a very robust unit. Of course, it’s not exactly the same since the engine it is mated to has different characteristics and certain areas have been beefed up while the ratios are obviously different. 1st gear starts off at 3.827 and then progresses to 2.368, 1.52 and 1:1 in 4th before going into the rev-lowering, fuel-saving 0.834 overdrive top gear. The final drive ratio is 2.613:1.

The 4x4 electrically-controlled system isn’t full-time, like most pick-ups but is driver-selectable. When rear-wheel drive is not enough (usually in the muddiest off-road conditions or a very steep jungle track), the driver can turn a dial on the lower part of the centre console to get the transfer case to start sending torque to the front wheels as well. And as long as the speed is not more than 100 km/h, there’s no need to stop moving because you can ‘shift on the fly’, as they term it. But that’s only for the HIGH range; you would have to stop to select LOW range which drastically lowers the ratios. Since use of the LOW range would probably be needed in some very extremely difficult conditions, chances are the Navara would be moving slowly anyway.

L-type shifter for 5-speed autobox has nice premium appearance

The rear axle also has a standard limited-slip differential (LSD), useful in slippery conditions. With the LSD, torque can be automatically redirected to the wheel with more grip so that the spinning wheel doesn’t drain away all the torque and the vehicle goes nowhere. This also helps in driving stability, enhancing safety.

The Navara rides on the Nissan Global Technology Platform which was developed for such vehicles and its large, strong chassis frame has earned it the nickname of ‘The Pick-up with the iron backbone’. With its high output engine, Nissan engineers expect that owners will want to transport even more cargo so they made sure the high-tensile steel chassis has strong welded crossmembers and large cross-sections.

The suspension system is typical pick-up: independent at the front with coil springs over shock absorbers and double wishbones and long over-slung semi-elliptic leafsprings at the rear with generous vertical travel for the shock absorbers.

Front and rear suspension

For brakes,  the Navara has 4-wheel ABS and EBD to adjust braking pressure according to the load at the front and rear. Shorter stopping distances are possible and better stability as well (less likelihood of fishtailing when the rear end is too light because there is nothing on the cargo bed).

‘Plush’ would be a good description, especially with the nice leather that would look just as good in a limousine. The only other time I’ve come across such an interior has been in an American truck and I was immediately reminded of that truck when I stepped into the Navara.

The dashboard has many Nissan styling cues so even if you take away the badges, you will know what brand this truck is. Since this is a truck, a lot of the controls and switches are functional and enlarged for easier operation (especially with gloves). But I can’t understand why they placed the ‘ALL MODES SWITCH” so far down. It would require the driver to lean forward a bit to turn the switch to get 4HIGH which could be avoided by locating the switch further up. After all, it’s an electronic system so it’s just a case of running the wire higher up.

The L-Type shifter is a change from the dull levers of other pick-ups. At the bottom of the ‘L’, the driver can move the lever to the left side to engage the lowest gear manually.

Another first which many people might miss is the compass on the electrochromatic rearview mirror (automatically adjusts itself to cut down glare from headlights behind). This is ‘embedded’ on the right side of the mirror surface and provides only compass point display (eg N, E, S, W). This feature is nice to have but might not be used much unless people are used to navigating using a compass and have a good sense of direction. Quite likely, most people would ignore it and if they do feel a need for a navigation system, they would buy a GPS-based one that will also give them directions on how to get to where they want to go!

Electrochromatic mirror has a built-in compass

At a special preview for some of the media and also bankers which was held at the new ETCM plant outside KL, I had an opportunity to see just what 403 Nm feels like in this ‘Mother of a Truck’. It was the first time that outsiders were allowed to use the plant’s test course which is primarily for quality assurance. It has various surfaces to really shake up the vehicles (even the Latios and Sylphys go over this course) and see what rattles and whether the alignment is off.

The first section was a sort of skid pad – or at least that’s what we thought it was meant for – but when we tried to go fast, our escort requested that we slow down as the objective was not to try and skid the vehicle there! So I assessed the steering response instead which as pretty good considering the size of the vehicle; it did not feel ponderous at all.

Then came a long bumpy stretch that would drive you crazy if you have to go over it daily. But maybe the guys who have to test the Navara will not go crazy because it didn’t bounce all over the place and tracked properly over the cracked surfaces. The ride could be described as ‘firm’ and reasonably pliant but what was commendable was the low noise levels. I’m not sure if they went to the extent of pumping foam into the frame as a NVH-reduction measure but if they didn’t, then the engineers did a very good job of sound insulation.

The Navara will turn heads because of its size but how practical it will be in Malaysian cities remains to be seen. As it is, driving a pick-up into a space in a shopping centre carpark can be challenging and it’s so long that the rear end will stick out of many porches! But for the hardcore trucker, this is the one to lust for and ETCM expects that its buyers will be in the 30 ~ 45 age group. Chances are, this customer will have another vehicle and the Navara will be his own ‘Big Boy’s Toy’ so whatever impractical issues there are, who cares?

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