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What's the difference?
Judging by the latest VFacts new vehicle registration data, most Aussie 4x4 ute buyers continue to overlook the D23 Nissan Navara.
With only a 4.5 per cent share of this booming market segment, its sales numbers are perhaps a symptom of its age (launched locally in 2015), lapsed ANCAP rating and some early design glitches, which although sorted long ago may still taint buying decisions.
We recently tested the D23 in base-model SL grade, to assess its workhorse appeal for tradies and farmers alike.
For many tradies a one tonne cab-chassis ute will do the job. However, if you need much greater load space and much higher GVM and GCM ratings, the obvious solution is to upgrade to a cab-chassis that competes in the Light Duty (3501-8000kg GVM) segment of the Heavy Commercial vehicle market.
One of many competitors in that space is Italian truck manufacturer Iveco with its Daily E6 range. We recently put one of its latest cab-chassis models to the test, which with a 4495kg GVM rating can conveniently be driven with a normal car licence.
Although the D23 Navara is approaching a decade in local showrooms and due for replacement in 2025, the base-model SL still represents a fuel-efficient and competent workhorse with ample back-to-basics practicality.
This workhorse combines good cabin comfort and storage with an expansive tray (or other service body if you prefer) and GVM/GCM ratings large enough to cater for a multitude of heavy work requirements. It would be worthy of consideration if you have a car licence and need more than a one-tonne ute or full-size US pickup to get the job done.
The cabin’s fabric-covered seats, wipe-clean vinyl floor and urethane-rimmed steering wheel/shifter are consistent with the SL’s work focus.
Reminders of its 2015 origins are numerous mechanical switches and dials on the dash (which we prefer to touchscreen versions), a steering wheel with only height adjustment, a mechanical rather than electronic handbrake, rear drum brakes instead of discs and analogue speedo/tacho.
Even so, its interior design still looks a cut above a base-grade ute, with a visually-pleasing and practical blend of chrome, satin chrome and piano black combined with two-tone upholstery.
The well-bolstered front seats are comfortable and supportive, but a larger and more defined left footrest would enhance driver comfort.
Rear passenger knee room is adequate for the two outer seating positions, thanks largely to the concave shape of the front seat backrests.
However, shoulder room is tight for three adults and headroom is marginal, particularly for tall people in the higher centre position who also must contend with a headrest that has insufficient height adjustment.
Like most dual cab utes, short of full-size US pick-ups, the Navara works best as a four-seater with the fifth seat limited to short trips.
Off-road credentials include a 12.5-metre turning circle, 220mm of ground clearance, a 600mm wading depth and 32 degrees approach, 22.9 degrees ramp break-over and 26 degrees departure angles.
The latest Daily E6 range features a revised and more streamlined grille design with more prominent horizontal louvres.
It has also switched from hydraulic to electric power-steering, bringing numerous benefits including steering wheel height/reach adjustment and the new ‘City Mode'.
The latter allows the driver to reduce low-speed steering effort by up to 70 per cent when negotiating tight worksites or loading zones. A welcome feature that allows turning with one or two fingers.
Iveco claims catering for big Aussies was of primary importance when refining its driver seating comfort which includes a taller headrest, longer seatbelts and seat-rails for greater adjustability, plus what it claims to be the first use of memory foam in commercial vehicles.
The only thing missing for RHD markets like Australia is a driver's left footrest, even though LHD markets get them as evidenced by the one residing in the passenger footwell, which is of course the driver's footwell in LHD models.
Passenger seating is often overlooked in single-cab designs but our test vehicle is unusually comfortable, particularly in the central position where even tall people can sit with sufficient knee clearance from the dash and with ample room for large boots on a flat floor.
The steel ladder-frame chassis rides on torsion-bar independent front suspension and a live rear axle, located by substantial double-stacked leaf-spring packs.
Braking is by four-wheel discs and it has a compact 13.5-metre turning circle, which certainly takes the stress out of U-turns, particularly at busy intersections.
The front bumper and lower sections of the doors, where most bumps and scrapes occur, have a low maintenance dark grey finish.
The bumper is now made in three pieces to minimise repair costs, as each section can be replaced independently if damaged rather than having to replace the entire unit.
With its relatively light 2033kg kerb weight and 3150kg GVM, our test vehicle has a one-tonne-plus payload rating of 1117kg.
It’s also rated to tow up to 3500kg of braked trailer. However, to tow that weight would require a substantial 740kg reduction in vehicle payload to avoid exceeding its 5910kg GCM (or how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time). Even so, few (if any) Navara owners would need to tow 3500kg.
The load tub is almost square with its 1509mm floor length and 1560mm width. And with 1134mm between the rear wheel housings, it won’t fit a standard Aussie pallet but will take a Euro, held in place by a choice of four load-anchorage points.
In terms of cabin storage, the centre console offers open storage up front, two small-bottle/cupholders in the centre and a small lidded box at the back. There’s also a large-bottle holder and storage bin in each front door, plus a glove box and overhead glasses holder.
Rear passengers get a large-bottle holder and smaller storage bin in each door plus a fold-down centre armrest with two small-bottle/cupholders. The rear bench seat’s base cushion can also swing up and be stored vertically for more internal cargo space, or to access two small underfloor storage compartments.
With its 2135kg tare weight and 4495kg GVM, our test vehicle offers a substantial 2360kg payload rating, which is about double that of the sturdiest one-tonne cab-chassis models.
Even after you deduct the 304kg weight of its aftermarket aluminium tray from that figure, you're still left with 2056kg or more than two tonnes of payload capacity.
It's also rated to tow up to 3500kg of braked trailer and with its 7995kg GCM that means it can legally tow its maximum trailer weight while carrying its maximum GVM.
In other words, this jigger can legally haul just under 8.0 tonnes of combined payload and trailer, which opens the door to many working tasks requiring big load capacities.
The aluminium tray has a sturdy bulkhead with rear window protection and pivoting load retainers up top to ‘book-end' long lengths of pipe or timber.
It also has side-steps up front plus external rope-rails and internal load-anchorage points along each side.
There are two drop-sides along each flank separated by short and sturdy pillars to boost strength and rigidity.
According to our tape measure, this tray's internal work surface is 4070mm long and 2055mm wide with a drop-side depth of 330mm.
There are plenty of places to store things in the cabin starting with three tiers of storage in each door, with the largest equipped with small and large bottle-holders. There's also a full-width shelf at roof height.
The top of the dash has two large bins with clamshell lids, plus a central bin with two USB ports. There's also cup/small-bottle holders on each side of the dash and an open shelf and small glove box on the passenger side.
In the central dash there's a pop-out cupholder, shallow drawer for small items and a larger swing-open bin below them.
The centre seat's backrest folds forward and flat to provide a small work desk complete with a spring-loaded document clamp.
This desk can be raised to reveal a padded compartment below that's ideal for storing pens and slender electronic devices (phones, iPads etc).
Both base cushions in the passenger seat can also be tilted forward to access a large hidden area beneath, so there's good use of limited cabin space to maximise storage.
Our 'Solid White' SL dual cab 4x4 test vehicle comes standard with the same 2.3-litre twin-turbo four-cylinder diesel shared by all Navaras but ours has the optional seven-speed automatic, with a list price of $50,350.
This pricing and healthy 140kW/450Nm outputs make it more than competitive with base-grade 4x4 dual cab ute rivals including the Ford Ranger XL 2.0L auto ($50,880), Toyota HiLux Workmate 2.4L auto ($50,420) and Isuzu D-Max SX 1.9L auto ($50,700).
Our example is also fitted with a couple of items from Nissan’s genuine accessory range, including a load tub-liner and flush-fitting tonneau cover available at extra cost.
Being the base-model workhorse of the Navara’s 4x4 range, the SL’s no-frills standard equipment list is designed with hard work in mind, as evidenced by its 17-inch steel wheels and 255/65 tyres with a matching spare.
There are also halogen auto-headlights and DRLs, tailgate assist (makes lowering and raising easier), a reversing camera and rear diff-lock.
Inside is more useful kit including two 12-volt sockets, three USB ports, centre console cooling/heating vents for rear seat passengers and a driver’s 7.0-inch analogue instrument display enhanced with a digital speedo.
The six-speaker multimedia system has a relatively small (by today’s standards) 8.0-inch colour touchscreen, with multiple connectivity options including Bluetooth, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
Our test vehicle is the 50C single cab-chassis equipped with the standard 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel, optional eight-speed automatic transmission and 3750mm wheelbase (one of five wheelbases to choose from) for a list price of $70,639, plus on-road costs.
Our example is equipped with the 'Hi-Business Pack' (one of four optional upgrade packs) which consists of the 'Hi-Connect' multimedia system with GPS navigation, wireless and USB phone-charging, fog lights and full LED headlights. So, drive-away price (not including tray) is $73,364.
For that money you get a workhorse that's well equipped for hard yakka, starting with its six rugged steel wheels (duals at the rear) with 195/75 R16 truck tyres and a full-size spare.
The single-cab has a suspended, heated and fully adjustable driver's seat with fold-down inboard armrest plus a two-passenger bench seat, adaptive cruise control, heated and power-adjustable door mirrors with direction indicators, electronic parking brake, daytime running lights, 3.5-inch driver's info display and four-speaker multimedia with multiple connectivity including Apple and Android devices.
There's also plenty of cabin storage and connections are provided to facilitate the installation of service bodies.
The Navara’s 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel produces 140kW at 3750rpm and 450Nm of torque between 1500-2500rpm. Its two-stage inline turbochargers (a small one for low rpm, a large one for high rpm) operate in sequence to provide vigorous response at all engine speeds with excellent economy.
A refined seven-speed torque converter automatic offers near-seamless shifting and the overdriven sixth and seventh gears enhance fuel economy at highway speeds.
Drivers also have the option of sequential manual-shifting to provide more direct engine control when off-roading or carrying/towing heavy loads. Its 4x4 transmission is dual-range, part-time and is equipped with an electronic rear diff lock.
Iveco's 180EVID F1C is a heavy-duty 3.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo-diesel with variable geometry turbine technology and tough Euro 6 emissions compliance using AdBlue.
It produces 132kW at 3500rpm and 430Nm of torque at 1500rpm.
The optional ZF eight-speed torque converter automatic sends drive to the rear wheels and offers a choice of 'Eco' (Economy) and 'Power' drive modes plus the option of sequential manual-shifting, all using the stumpy dash-mounted shifter.
It also has overdrive on its seventh and eight ratios to optimise fuel economy, particularly at highway speeds.
Nissan claims an official combined average of 7.9L/100km and the dash readout was showing 7.7 when we stopped to refuel after clocking up just under 600km on the first tank, which included a 400km-plus day trip from Melbourne to regional Victoria.
Our own figure, calculated from fuel bowser and tripmeter readings, came in at a slightly higher but still frugal 8.4L/100km which proves the fuel-sipping efficiency of diesels when highway cruising.
We covered another 168km in city and suburban use, with the dash claiming 8.6 compared to our own figure of 9.5, which is still thrifty single-digit economy for a two-tonne ute.
Therefore, based on our own ‘real world’ figures, you could expect a driving range of about 840km around town and up to 950km on a trip from its 80-litre tank.
When we stopped to refuel at the completion of our 303km test, the dash display was claiming average consumption of 11.3L/100km, of which about one third of that distance was hauling a heavy payload on a mix of city and suburban roads plus some highway travel.
Our own number, crunched from fuel bowser and trip meter readings, came in slightly lower at 10.9, which is excellent economy for a vehicle weighing more than 2.4 tonnes unladen and almost 4.0 tonnes for part of our test.
So, based on our figures, you could expect a realistic driving range of around 900km from its 100-litre tank.
The driving position is comfortable for most shapes and sizes, even though the steering wheel does not have reach adjustment and the seat lacks adjustable base cushion rake or lumbar support.
The ride is firm when unladen but its four-coil suspension is absorbent enough to soak up the worst of the bumps. The steering feel is responsive and nicely weighted, combined with competent handling and braking that contribute to a positive driving experience.
It’s also impressively quiet at highway speeds, with low tyre and wind noise and an engine that requires less than 2000rpm to maintain 110km/h with minimal effort.
To test its payload rating we forklifted 830kg into the load tub, which combined with our crew of two was a one-tonne-plus payload of 1010kg. That was about 100kg less than its payload limit.
The supple coil-spring rear suspension compressed 80mm under this loading, yet its high ride height ensured there was still about 40mm of bump-stop clearance remaining, which proved ample in avoiding any bottoming-out on our test route. However, that’s not to say it wouldn’t with an extra 100kg on board.
It also excelled on our 13 per cent gradient, 2.0km-long set climb at 60km/h, with the seven-speed auto self-shifting down to fourth gear and just under 2000rpm (right in the middle of its peak torque band) to easily haul this load to the top.
Engine-braking on the way down, in a manually-selected second gear, was also impressive for a 2.3-litre engine restraining more than one tonne of payload. Overall, the Navara proved to be a competent heavy-load hauler.
It's easy to find a comfortable driving position given the memory foam bucket seat has adjustments for lumbar support, base-cushion rake and driver weight for its inbuilt suspension.
The fold-down inboard armrest, in partnership with the door's armrest, ensures balanced elbow support to reduce neck and shoulder strain.
There are good eyelines to the big door mirrors, with the bottom thirds of each offering wide-angle views. However, with the seat in its most rearward position, the slim column that separates the fixed and sliding glass in the driver's door slightly obscures the outside edge of the driver's door mirror, which suggests the single-cab has more rearward seat travel than the van version we've previously tested.
The electric power-steering is nicely weighted (particularly the new ‘city mode' in tight spots) and the four-wheel disc brakes have good stopping power.
It's a no-brainer the ride quality is harsh over bumps when unladen, given it's designed to cope with 8.0-tonne GCMs.
Fact is, in a working role, this vehicle would rarely if ever be driven without a substantial load to engage its big rear springs, which we did when forklifting 1.3 tonnes onto the tray. With driver this payload totalled 1.4 tonnes, which was still more than 600kg below its peak rating (with tray).
Even so, it was enough to make the ride much smoother, which is most relevant in this context. The 3.0-litre turbo-diesel maintained good performance hauling this load in city and suburban driving, displaying useful flexibility either side of its 1500rpm torque peak in Eco mode.
We did sample the Power mode, but found the engine was more than capable of handling this task in its economy setting, with the eight-speed auto doing its best work if left alone without the need to manual shift.
The engine only requires 2000rpm to maintain highway speeds, so engine (and tyre) noise is low at 110km/h. The most cabin noise comes from wind-buffeting around the mirrors, bulkhead frame and payload hanging in the breeze.
In Eco mode it performed well on our 13 per cent gradient, 2.0km-long set climb at 60km/h, comfortably hauling this load to the summit in third gear without the need to select Power mode.
Engine-braking on the way down, in a manually-selected second gear, pegged the road speed at 50km/h without the brakes needing to being applied for most of the descent, until it overrode our manual gear selection and shifted up to third when the engine was approaching its 4500rpm redline on overrun.
In our experience, these engine-protecting protocols are common in European commercial vehicles. However, it can spring a surprise if you're leaning on the engine to help restrain a big payload on a steep descent and it suddenly changes up a gear.
Even so, the engine-braking performance was good given its sizeable payload.
The D23 Navara earned a maximum five-star ANCAP rating when launched in 2015, but that rating has since lapsed with all Navaras built from January 2023 unrated.
Even so, it’s armed with seven airbags plus AEB, forward collision warning, trailer-sway control, a reversing camera, hill-start assist, hill descent control and more.
The rear seat has three top-tether and two ISOFIX child seat anchorage points.
Heavy commercial vehicles are not eligible for ANCAP ratings but the 50C cab-chassis is equipped with numerous standard passive and active safety features including driver, passenger and curtain airbags, AEB, adaptive cruise control, a suite of nine electronic stability programs and more.
There’s a five year/unlimited km warranty, plus five years of 24-hour roadside assist. Scheduled servicing is every 12 months/20,000km whichever occurs first.
Total capped-price of $3305 covers the first five scheduled services within five years, or an average of $661 per year.
Standard warranty is three years/200,000km (three years is short) but the option of up to five years/300,000km is available at extra cost.
Scheduled servicing is every 50,000km/12 months whichever occurs first.
Iveco offers a range of maintenance agreements to help owners manage maintenance costs.