New Nissan Navara ditches coil springs for leaf springs to fix payload sag
Nissan's new D27 Navara, built on the Mitsubishi Triton platform, returns to rear leaf springs and adds a custom Australian suspension tune.
Nearly 40 years after the first Navara arrived in Australia, the fifth-generation model has launched with a major fix: it now uses rear leaf springs instead of coil springs. The previous D23 Navara was comfortable on road but sagged badly under load.
Built on the Mitsubishi Triton platform, the new D27 Navara gets a bespoke suspension tune by Premcar, the company behind Ford Performance Vehicles. Under the bonnet sits a 2.4-litre twin-turbo diesel, more refined than the old 2.3-litre engine.
The ST-X variant tested here includes full-time four-wheel drive, seven drive modes, and over one tonne of payload capacity. Nissan offers a five-year warranty with no mileage limit, compared to Mitsubishi's 10-year/200,000km warranty.
- Late 1986
- First Navara in Australia
- 425,000
- Total sales to date
- 2.4-litre twin-turbo diesel
- Engine displacement
- Over one tonne
- Payload capacity
Why it mattersA ute that can handle both comfort and actual payload is valuable for buyers who need to use their truck for work or recreation without reliability concerns.
AustraliaAustralian ute buyers now have a more capable Navara that addresses the previous generation's biggest weakness, though prices are about $3000 higher than the equivalent Triton.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 3 h ago
