Vehicle Information:

Having just beaten the 8 times winning Mitsubishi L200 to best pick up of the year, and with a waiting list longer than an NHS dentist, I was eager to test drive the new Navara double cab pick up.Its sales figures are staggering with over 40% of all new pick ups sold in September sporting the Nissan Navara badge, this figure would have been even higher if Nissan had been able to meet demand. With the new Mitsubishi L200 having just been launched the popularity of pick-up trucks looks to set to increase further. Will the new Nissan Navara keep its new found UK crown or will Mitsubishi regain the status of king of the cabs?The new Navara is built in Spain alongside the recently launched Pathfinder, itself a Discovery class SUV. The Nissan Navara shares much of its mechanical layout and best technological features with the Pathfinder and my first driving impressions were that the Nissan Navara is more SUV than transit van. This being despite the Nissan Navara having a ladder frame chassis and leaf springs for maximum load carrying and durability, the Nissan Navara handles like no other pickup I have driven.With a class leading 171 bhp, which even the all new L200 will not match, and a 297lb ft of torque the new direct injection diesel engine is a perfect complement to the stunning rugged looks.My test vehicle was the top spec Nissan Navara Aventura double cab manual 6 speed. With full leather heated and electrically adjustable seats, electric windows and door mirrors, climate control, dvd satellite navigation, rain sensing wipers, cruise control, blue tooth mobile, automatic headlights and so on, it was easy to forget that this vehicle was a pick up truck designed as a workhorse not a recreational vehicle to drive the kids to school in. Mind you at just under £25,000 including VAT for the Nissan Navara Aventura double cab manual I find it hard to imagine the thought of many people truly bashing it around a construction site in dirty overalls and ladened with cargo.The Nissan Navara pick up is available in king and double cab versions. The double cab is appealing to most people as it can combine as a multi purpose work and recreation vehicle. People looking to just use the Navara as an SUV alternative should make sure they test drive the vehicle first, because even though it's the pickup that most closely resembles an SUV its still a commercial vehicle at heart.So is the Navara king cab? Absolutely. First impressions and test drives are suggesting that the Navara will see off the new L200 and any other pretenders for its crown for a good period of time. Long live the king.