NISSAN ACCELERATE ISSUE 1

NISSAN

ACCELERATE NISSAN ACCELERATE

NAVARA

Tough, capable and stylish

QASHQAI

Refinement personified

XMOTION

The next generation

NISSAN X-TRAIL

THE WORLD’S BEST-SELLING SUV GLOBAL SALES DATA 2017

CONTENTS 4 News 8 Qashqai 18 Juke 20 X-TRAIL 28 Pathfinder 36 Patrol 40 Navara 50 370Z 53 GT-R 55 LEAF 60 Accessories 66 Looking back

Disclaimer Nissan Accelerate is a half-yearly magazine produced by Nissan Australia that features news and accessories information and independent product reviews by some of Australia’s most respected automotive publications.

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NEWS XMOTION

IT’S THE FUTURE The X-TRAIL was the world’s biggest selling SUV in 2017 and continues to sell strongly in 2018. As popular as Nissan’s midsize SUV is, the future - and how the next generation vehicles look - is firmly top of mind.

One of the company’s biggest announcements of 2018 was the global reveal of its Xmotion concept at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Pronounced Cross Motion, the stunning vehicle fuses Japanese

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culture and craftsmanship with the global style that Nissan has become accustomed to.

In the Xmotion concept, we explored the more rugged and powerful side of Nissan Intelligent Mobility.

Bold and powerful forms and proportions are, upon closer inspection, contrasted with aspects of traditional Japanese craftsmanship expressed in a contemporary way.

The exterior’s combination of western and eastern

concepts continues inside the Xmotion, where advanced connectivity and autonomous technologies mix with modern Japanese digital art and cultural craftsmanship.

At a glance, Xmotion may appear to have a minimal design language, but a closer look reveals layers of detail that make this concept exceptional.

With the next generation products fast approaching, Nissan’s future is certainly exciting.

QASHQAI

NISSAN’S BEST-SELLING SMALL SUV One of Australia’s favourite small SUVs, the new 2018 Nissan QASHQAI is now on sale with significant enhancements that further develop its premium character.

The upgrades focus on four areas: a contemporary new exterior design, higher levels of interior quality, improved driving performance, and the addition of new Nissan Intelligent Mobility safety technologies which will

maintain the QASHQAI’s place as one of the best vehicles in its class.

With Intelligent Emergency Braking now standard across the entire range, and cargo storage that is one of the best in its class, the new Nissan QASHQAI comes in three grades, the base model ST, mid-grade ST-L and range topping Ti – which is on sale now.

Talk to our friendly sales staff – or go to Nissan.com.au – for more information.

NEWS |

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NEWS

Better ride.

Better handling.

NISSAN NAVARA Important changes under the metal have improved the ride, handling and steering of the 2018 Nissan Navara, while a range of technical and safety enhancements maintain the tough Ute’s position as one of the best in its class.

Developed for Australian conditions, and for Dual Cab SL, ST and ST-X variants, a new dual-rate spring system improves drive performance and posture, particularly with load and when towing, while enhancements to the steering ratio and the lock-to-lock ratio combine to improve the vehicle’s manoeuvrability, making it easier and more enjoyable to drive.

In further changes, the 2018 Nissan Navara also features an assortment of new safety and technology updates including a 360 degree Around View® Monitor (standard on all ST-X grades), second row ISOFix child seat mounting points (on all Dual Cab grades), and the expanded availability of Rear View Cameras (on all Pickup variants) and satellite navigation (added to King Cab ST).

For more information, ask about the Navara while you are servicing your car.

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HAVE YOU CHECKED YOUR AIRBAGS? There are still 228,000 Nissan vehicles nationally that are being driven with faulty Takata airbags. Are you driving one of these cars?

The Takata airbag recall was initiated

by Takata Corporation in Japan after it was found that inflator components within the airbag could deteriorate and subsequently misdeploy in an incident, causing metal fragments to propel out of the airbag. A global recall, this affects hundreds of millions of vehicles worldwide.

Nissan Australia is making contact with Nissan owners whose cars currently have fitted recalled airbags.

The recall affects a range of earlier model Nissans, so we strongly urge you to check your VIN number with your local Nissan Dealership, or go to the Nissan website to determine if your vehicle is included.

It’s critical that you do this. And if your car is affected, book your car in for the repair – which is done free of charge.

Introducing

THE WORLD GREEN CAR OF THE YEAR The All-New Nissan LEAF, the world’s best-selling electric vehicle, was named the “2018 World Green Car of the Year” at the 2018 New York International Auto Show.

The first all-electric vehicle to win the World Green Car of the Year award, the 2018 Nissan LEAF has been reinvented for its second generation and combines greater range with a dynamic new design and the latest Nissan Intelligent Mobility features.

The 2018 Nissan LEAF rose to the top among a list of five initial category entries and was the stand-alone EV in the running. Jurors considered the vehicle's overall environmental impact including tailpipe emissions and fuel consumption upon selecting the overall winner.

“The first LEAF was good, the new LEAF is better, so it’s an easy choice for the Green Car award,” said Australian World Car of the Year judge, Paul Gover. “The extra range is the major advance, but Nissan has also added extra performance and more practicality. At a time when the world is looking for honesty and realism in new technology, the LEAF gets the tick from me.”

The all-new Nissan LEAF is coming to Australia soon. Go to Nissan.com.au for more details or to register your interest.

DELIVERING THE ULTIMATE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE Committed to providing the best retail experience, Nissan is investing in, and updating, its dealerships to deliver the perfect sales experience to you.

Nissan has started to roll out new-look, modern facilities that optimise the sales path from the moment you enter the dealership.

The open floor plan encourages you to take your time while browsing, feel more relaxed as you become familiar with our products, and engage with sales staff in comfortable, purposebuilt surrounds.

Newly designed Nissan dealerships feature comfortable customer and service lounges,

dedicated vehicle delivery bays in the showroom, a range of premium consultation spaces, information on all of the vehicles plus the latest Nissan Intelligent Mobility technologies, and is EV ready ahead of the arrival of the new generation Nissan LEAF. The shared customer lounge offers free-WIFI, a hospitality bar, work stations, charge points, and plenty of seating options to help you understand, and learn about, your preferred vehicle.

Our goal is to ensure you always leave the dealership feeling satisfied, valued and excited to be driving a Nissan.

NEWS |

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Herald Sun, Melbourne | 1 DEC 2017

TICKET TO RIDE

NISSAN LISTENS TO OWNERS AND GIVES THE QASHQAI EXTRA TECH AND A SPORTIER FEEL CRAIG DUFF

NISSAN IS GETTING TOUGH with the Qashqai compact SUV as it chases more than 1200 sales a month.

The soft-roader previously known as the Dualis has had a midlife makeover that is more about parts replacement than cosmetic surgery.

Beyond the expected frontal tweaks and a shiny new steering wheel, the engineers have replaced every suspension component with stronger, less bendy bits. The result is improved roadholding at the expense of some of the mild manners for which that last version was known.

The diesel option has been deleted in response to buyers’ dislike of oilburners in this class, which ranges from the dynamic ability of the Mazda CX-3 and Volkswagen Tiguan to the pricepoint relevance of the Mitsubishi ASX. Newly arrived Nissan Australia managing director Stephen Lester says the Qashqai has to maintain relevance as buyers’ tastes change.

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“There’s not just one competitor as there was when the Dualis was brought into Australia (in 2008).

There are now 28,” he says. “We’re competing with the best of them and this car is a response to customer surveys that called for more technology and a sportier ride.”

Nissan Australia can’t clarify if that global request was mirrored by local owners. Given the last model tallied more than 38,000 sales since 2014, Nissan can’t afford to get it wrong. The other significant updates relate to improved noise reduction and the inclusion of autonomous emergency braking and blind-spot monitoring on the three spec levels.

Nissan expects the sales split to be roughly equal.

Prices start at $26,490 plus on-roads for the ST, topping out at $37,990 for the Ti version. The latter is due in the middle of next year with the likes of adaptive cruise control and active lane keeping, where the car auto-steers to stay

between the lines. Revised front and rear bumpers add 17mm to the Qashqai’s length but width and height are unchanged.

ON THE ROAD The steering wheel is the first point of contact in the new Qashqai and it feels far more premium than its predecessor. The buttons are now flush with the wheel and not painted a plasticised low-rent chrome.

Subtle adjustment to the interior quality include touch points in soft plastic. The infotainment set-up uses app-like tiles to make navigation simpler for the smartphone set.

The continuously variable transmission has seven presets to emulate a conventional automatic and largely avoids the dreaded drone. It flares under hard acceleration between 5250rpm-

AT A GLANCE $26,490 - $37,990 (competitive) 3 years/ 100,000km (so-so); $746 for 3 years/30,000km (avg) 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 106kW/ 200Nm (ordinary) 5 stars, 6 airbags, AEB, lanedeparture (smart) 6.9L-7.7L/ 100km (manual) Space-saver (typical) 430L (impressive)

WHAT'S NEW PRICE

6000rpm but is far more reserved when driven up to city pace or when slowing.

Performance, as with most vehicles in this segment, is good rather than great. The Qashqai’s naturally aspirated engine gets serious at about 4000rpm, which means the CVT has to match those levels to unleash its top torque.

The suspension has been overhauled, from bushes to bump stops. Owners of previous models wanted a firmer ride and Nissan has obliged.

Roll bars, dampers and springs are thicker and the Qashqai consequently sits like a sporty sedan more than an SUV – existing owners trading up to the new versions may need time to adjust to this.

This car will get the jitters at low-speed over slight corrugations where the outgoing version had a softer, more relaxed ride that reduced the bump impact but had more fore and aft cabin pitching.

There is an upside: the bigger the hit, the better the Qashqai behaves. The SUV tackles big speed humps with aplomb and, even over a stretch of rim-crushing potholes, rides without effort.

Nissan has sharpened the steering ratio to improve cornering response and it has made the change of direction marginally faster.

Whether it returns to centre any quicker is debatable.

The base ST is $26,490 for the six-speed manual, a $500 increase offset by active safety aids. The continuously variable transmission — standard on all other grades — adds $2500. The new ST-L variant adds bigger wheels, seven-inch screen with satnav and power driver’s seat for $32,990 plus on-roads. The headline act (for now) is the N-Tec at $36,490 with auto headlamps, panoramic sunroof, more safety tech and semi-automated parking.

TECH All versions are fitted with autonomous emergency braking and lane-departure warning software. Top-tier examples pick up blind-spot and rear cross-traffic alert, along with active lane keeping.

Smartphone mirroring is standard.

PERFORMANCE Given this is a midlife update, Nissan hasn’t touched the 2.0-litre engine and CVT. They’re no dynamic duo but they are ideally suited to this category and match such rivals as the Mazda CX-3, Mitsubishi ASX and Honda HR-V. DRIVING Customer feedback got Nissan to stiffen the suspension and ditch the pillowy ride of the previous iteration.

Some will love the way the Qashqai sits flatter when cornering, others may not be as impressed with the way it jiggles over road ripples. The feel behind the wheel is far more hatch-like than SUV. DESIGN

VERDICT Nissan is working hard to keep the Qashqai relevant and this makeover achieves that.

It will appeal to buyers coming from firmly sprung passenger cars; the suspension might present a challenge for the Qashqai faithful. N

The changes are skin deep, with the expected tweaks. There are a more pronounced grille and revised foglights, shark-fin antenna and new designs for the 17 to 19-inch wheels.

Existing owners may notice; others will struggle to pick the difference unless the cars are side by side.

The flat-bottomed steering wheel is far more obvious and the control buttons now look integrated rather than apparent add-ons.

QASHQAI |

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caradvice.com.au | 3 JAN 2018

2018 NISSAN QASHQAI ST REVIEW THE UPDATED UK-MADE NISSAN QASHQAI ST REMAINS A COMFORTABLE AND PRACTICAL SMALL CROSSOVER, THOUGH IT'S NOT QUITE THE BARGAIN ITS BIGGER X-TRAIL SIBLING IS MIKE COSTELLO

THE NISSAN QASHQAI IS one of Australia’s most popular small SUVs, a regular at the pointy end of the charts alongside the rival Mazda CX-3 and Mitsubishi ASX, plus a host of new additions including the Toyota C-HR and Hyundai Kona.

As you may be able to tell, this is a hyper-competitive vehicle segment, luring a growing array of buyers out of their small hatchbacks with the promise of more ride height and cabin space, and faux tough looks, for similar money.

Simple and practical cabin Base version has the comfiest ride Standard AEB/ collision warning Grown-up design belies class norms

Entry price nudging $30K is too high 5.0-inch screen feels very 2003 Lacks CH-R/Kona/ CX-3's sense of 'fun'

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The time has now come for the Qashqai to get the typical mid-life upgrade, bringing some cosmetic and technological tweaks to keep it up to speed with its best and brightest competitors. Here, we test the range-opening ST variant.

There are a few things that set the Nissan apart. Alongside the Honda HR-V, it’s perhaps the most practical offering in its class, with excellent rear leg room and cargo space. It’s also made in the UK alongside the smaller, wackier Juke.

Our Nissan Qashqai ST costs $28,990 with the CVT automatic transmission favoured by most buyers (add about $3000 for the on-road charges). This is $500 more than the MY17 model, and equivalent to the price of mid-range versions of the HR-V, CX-3, ASX, Kona, Suzuki Vitara and co.

Only the base C-HR and Subaru XV cost similar money. Even the vastly larger Nissan X-Trail ST is only $2000 more. It’s not cheap making it in, and exporting from, England...

Stylistically, the updated Qashqai gets a new-look front grille and bumper that take after said X-Trail.

It’ll age well. Clearly aimed at more ‘responsible’ buyers than some of the class’s wilder offerings.

If you want ‘boomerang’ LED running lights and big, sporty wheels, you’ll need to look at the Qashqai ST-L and N-TEC. Inside the cabin, there is a new steering wheel with slicker buttons, plus some nicer trims and surfaces that lift the ambience.

The seats are more supportive than before and have cloth said to be more durable.

$28,990 MRLP

6.9L 106kW CO2

109g 5

Standard equipment includes six airbags, a reversing camera, rear parking sensors, lane assist, a new autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system, and a forward-collision warning system that’ll bark at you if you’re approaching a car too quickly.

For the safety conscious, the range-topping Qashqai gets blindspot warning, rear cross-traffic alert,

lane assist and adaptive cruise control. Some rivals such as the Kona let you add much of this equipment to the base model as an option.

The ST also has daytime running lights, cruise control, Bluetooth/USB inputs, front parking sensors, 17-inch alloy wheels, button start rather than a key, and a trip computer between the analogue gauges, with a digital speedo.

The cabin is really well made, tactile and has thoughtful touches such as an Auto Hold system with an electric parking brake. There’s also a heap of cabin storage options,

and a more commanding driving position than is common.

In the negative column is the infotainment. We live in a world now where the bare minimum expectation even in a sub-$20K car is becoming a large touchscreen. Instead, the base Qashqai gets a non-touch 5.0-inch unit surrounded by dustdrawing black plastic and buttons.

There’s also no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, and the reversing camera display is obviously smaller than average.

We will commend the system for one thing though: the Bluetooth QASHQAI |

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re-paired up rapidly without fail, making its use seamless. In other words, it looks crap but works. Still, the ST-L’s 7.0-inch screen really should be the bare minimum.

To the back seats. The Qashqai is also significantly more practical than a Kona or CX-3. It’s about 20cm longer than some rivals in the class, its rear seats have excellent head room and leg room even for tall adults, and the side windows are easy to see out. All four are also one-touch.

There are ISOFIX child seat attachments and rear airbags.

The back seats fold pretty flat to quadruple the cargo space from 430L to 1600L. It’s worth noting, though, that even the super-practical Qashqai can’t quite defeat the Honda HR-V’s so-called Magic Seats, which fold flatter and lower. There’s also only a space-saver spare wheel, which is de rigueur these days.

Under the bonnet is a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine producing 106kW of power and 200Nm of torque, and enough to move the 1400kg crossover to 100km/h in around 12

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10 seconds. Nothing in this class is a speed demon.

The Qashqai is front-wheel drive only, like the Honda, and uses a continuously variable transmission with a slick leather shifter. Nissan does CVTs quite well. It’s actually less intrusive than many, suiting an engine with peak torque only on tap from 4400rpm.

Just puttering around town or sitting at 1800rpm and 100km/h is in this car’s wheelhouse. The factory fuel use claim is a reasonable 6.9L/100km of 91 RON fuel on the combined cycle.

The Nissan can also be had with a six-speed manual gearbox for $2500 less if you fancy shifting your own cogs. Maybe you’re a UK expat?

Nissan has also made some revisions to the way the Qashqai drives as part of the 2018 update.

The company’s engineers re-tuned the dampers and spring rates, and stiffened the anti-roll bar to improve body control/impact absorption.

It also tuned in a little more steering resistance around centre, added damping to stop kickbacks and vibration through the wheel, and fitted systems that brake

OUR RATINGS BREAKDOWN

7.7 7.3

PERFORMANCE

8.0

RIDE QUALITY

7.4

HANDLING & DYNAMICS

7.6

DRIVER TECHNOLOGY

8.6

INTERIOR COMFORT & PACKAGING individual wheels during cornering and direct torque flow to improve cornering.

The fundamentals comprise multi-link rear suspension (some rivals have cheaper torsion beams) and struts up the front.

The Qashqai ST remains an amenable urban companion on its 17-inch wheels shod in good quality, grippy and quiet Continental tyres.

Higher-grade Qashqais’ 18s/19s take the edge off, of course.

The steering is feel-free but easy to twirl around, the ride quality is pretty good aside from the odd hints of ‘business’ over low-amplitude rutted surfaces, the body control is fine – the springs are soft, yet any lateral movement is minimal – and noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) levels are deadened by thicker glass and more seals.

It’s a far more amenable cruising companion than the noisy Mazda CX-3.

Nissan’s warranty has a three-year/100,000km term, which is inferior to many rivals with five years (Honda, Hyundai and Mitsubishi). The Qashqai’s servicing intervals are only 10,000km, with

6.4

INFOTAINMENT & CONNECTIVITY

7.8

FUEL EFFICIENCY

8.2 SAFETY

6.7

VALUE FOR MONEY

9.0

FIT FOR PURPOSE

the first three visits capped at a reasonable $224, $298 and $224.

A quick look at the 2018 Nissan Qashqai ST has reinforced our respect for this car. It's exceptionally well made, and unlike a number of small crossover SUVs, it's also practical enough for family life or empty-nester adventures.

It's still not the most engaging thing to drive, but it's comfortable and predictable, and fit for purpose in much the same way as Honda's no-nonsense HR-V.

At the same time it's too expensive at base level, as we hope this review conveyed earlier. We'd expect Nissan to start doing campaign driveaway pricing once the gloss of this MY18 upgrade begins to wear a few months down the track.

Also consider using Nissan's finance company, which often has very keen 1 per cent interest deals on offer. This would make a Qashqai ST-L with its better touchscreen, slicker looks and extra luxury touches all the more alluring. N QASHQAI |

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motoring.com.au | 15 DEC 2017

NISSAN QASHQAI – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

PRAISED FOR ITS DRIVEABILITY AND PACKAGING, THE QASHQAI IS THE ACCEPTABLE FACE OF SMALL SUVS IN NISSAN'S RANGE MARK HIGGINS

BADGED A ‘DUALIS’ WHEN it arrived in 2007, Nissan’s small SUV was renamed QASHQAI in 2014 and updated in December 2017, with specification and cosmetic changes.

Gone are the diesel variants but a mid-spec ST-L has been added, plus a limited-edition N-TEC. The topspec TI won’t arrive until mid-2018.

Until then the QASHQAI line-up consists of the carry-over ST and the new trim levels, ST-L and N-TEC. There’s still a choice of manual gearbox or continuously variable transmission in the ST, and like before, the QASHQAI is front-wheel drive only.

A decent amount of interior space, spec and tech along with Nissan’s solid SUV reputation has the QASHQAI on many shopping lists, so let’s delve into the features and see which one is right for you.

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Kicking off at $26,490 (plus onroad costs) the base ST model comes with the following standard equipment: 1 7-inch alloy wheels C ruise control A ir conditioning F ive-inch infotainment screen B luetooth hands-free and audio streaming S teering wheel audio controls R ear camera F ront and rear parking sensors L ane departure warning A utonomous emergency braking The only option is a palette of seven colours of which five attract a $495 premium.

SAFETY AND DRIVER ASSISTANCE All MY18 QASHQAIs feature forward collision alert, lane departure warning,

MY18 Nissan QASHQAI pricing (plus ORCs) ST Manual – $26,490 ST CVT – $28,990 ST-L CVT – $32,990 N-TEC CVT – $36,490

autonomous emergency braking, six airbags, a reversing camera and parking sensors front and back.

Electronic driver-assist technology includes anti-lock brakes, stability and traction controls. For convenience and safety, an intermittent-mode rear wiper comes standard on all models.

If you want around-view monitor with moving object detection, blind spot alert as well as park assist, you only have to fork out enough for an ST-L. But for the full safety package it’s the only the N-TEC that has rainsensing wipers, blind spot warning, park assist, driver alert, adaptive front lighting with high beam assist and rear cross traffic alert.

COMFORT AND CONVENIENCE The ST makes do with a five-inch infotainment screen, whereas the ST-L and N-TEC have a seven-inch screen and six audio speakers instead of four. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto aren’t offered in any model.

If you must have satellite navigation, tick the ST-L box. With it comes digital radio (DAB+). And there

is no need to order anything more than this model if you want heated and folding door mirrors, cloth and leather seats, heated front seats and a power adjustable driver’s seat.

Step up to the N-TEC and you get rain-sensing wipers, auto-on/off LED headlights and daytime running lights with integrated indicators.

The same applies if dual-zone air conditioning, a panoramic sunroof, an auto-dimming rear view mirror, rear armrests and interior mood lighting are on your shopping list.

Outside, the 2018 model update is recognisable by its new grille, new head and tail lights, a new bonnet and bumpers, new-look alloy wheels and a shark fin antenna.

The ST has manual-levelling halogen headlights and 17-inch alloy wheels, while the ST-L gets you 18inch alloy wheels, privacy glass, roof rails and fog lights. Fork over more again for the N-TEC, and the 19-inch alloy wheels are all yours.

ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION The update has simplified the engine

and transmission choices, with the one engine powering all models.

It’s a 2.0-litre, naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine, producing 106kW and 200Nm, and runs on standard unleaded fuel.

Only the ST variant offers a sixspeed manual transmission as standard. The optional CVT will cost QASHQAI ST buyers $2500 more.

SUMMARY In many ways Nissan has hit a sweet spot with the ST-L. You get the same driveline as the top-spec N-TEC, and a good level of creature comforts.

The downside is missing out on several extra safety technologies, kept for N-TEC. Despite the substantial saving over the N-TEC, that could be a deal breaker for many young families, where safety is a primary consideration.

The ST-L also wins the gong from behind the wheel. With the same drivetrain and performance as the N-TEC, unless you want the extra safety kit and one-inch bigger wheels, why spend another $3500? N QASHQAI |

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behindthewheel.com.au | 26 FEB 2018

2018 NISSAN QASHQAI ST REVIEW ALAN ZURVAS

NISSAN’S QASHQAI CONTINUES where Dualis left off, and is Nissan’s small SUV contender in a segment that is rapidly expanding in 2018.

Last year, SUV sales were up 10.9% and with new players coming in all the time, especially among the compact crossover brigade, it is vital that you have a top-shelf offering.

Nissan has been at the forefront of the SUV revolution and the Qashqai is one of the best of the small SUV bunch.

There are three models in the Qashqai range, ST, ST-L and N-TEC, I had the keys to the mid-spec ST-L. EXTERIOR The recently updated for 2018 Nissan Qashqai retains the chunky SUV shape of the old model, while adding features to keep the range fresh.

The exterior gets halogen headlights, LED DTRLs (daytime running lights), and LED tail lights.

There is a new range of wheels, with the ST-L having 18” in a double-5spoke design.

The side profile has a coupe-like look, with the waist line kicking up 16

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over the muscular rear quarter.

Back seat and cargo area windows are darkened for privacy in a style you’d expect in a posh limo.

Lights wrap generously around front and rear to illuminate the car from the side for safety.

Ground clearance is a modest 186mm, so this small SUV is restricted to road duties only.

Body-coloured door handles have external locking pads for the smart entry/start system. Front doors can be locked and unlocked without having to use the key fob.

INTERIOR The Nissan Qashqai cabin is spacious, and feels light and airy.

Most of the plastic is good quality, with soft feel material used on light wear areas.

The centre stack houses a 7” touch screen, and manual air conditioning controls, surrounded by a neat piano black bezel.

The design is crisp and uncluttered with most of the function split between the infotainment system, and setting controls on the steering wheel.

Some of the trim is metalised plastic, which like the piano black, will scratch easily, but since all manufacturers are doing that look.

The steering wheel in the Nissan SUV has a “sporty” flat bottom and auxiliary controls for infotainment and cruise control.

The simple layout makes them easy to use, with each button being raised of sloped. You need not take your eyes off the road once you know the layout.

Vents are well placed to direct air exactly where desired.

The start button is on the dash behind the wheel, and all buttons and controls are easily reached without having to strain.

All 4 doors have automatic function for the windows.

Seats have new upholstery, with a mix of fabric and leather on the ST-L. Padding is not quite as sumptuous as in X-Trail, but manages to be fairly comfortable none the less.

I was able to get the perfect driving position with enough adjustment on both seat and wheel to be high enough, but close enough to the controls so as to be easy to use.

There are no automatic wipers or lights on ST-L, nor is there Apple Carplay/Android Auto.

Music streaming is by conventional USB and Bluetooth. Pairing is very easy with the system guiding you through the simple process.

Move it in or out so that when you lay your wrists on the top of the wheel, your shoulders are on the seat back. It will be right every time.

FEATURES 7 ” colour touch screen S atellite Navigation F og lights T ilt and Reach Steering Adjust A dvanced Driver’s Instrument Display S mart entry/start 3 60° view camera with selectable modes and moving object detection R everse camera with predictive path F lexible cargo system P owered driver’s seat D igital Radio

A utonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) F orward Collision Warning DRIVE AND ENGINE All three variants of the 2018 Nissan Qashqai come with exactly the same engine/transmission combo – a 2.0 litre petrol and CVT. Producing 106kW/200Nm, the engine is nippy enough to be perfect for city work, but the CVT tends to make the engine scream for mercy with even moderate stressing of the go pedal.

The ride is smooth and the power is delivered to the front-wheels only so don’t expect to venture too far from the asphalt in a Qashqai.

SAFETY The Nissan Qashqai range comes with a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating.

Safety gear in the ST-L includes front, side and rear (bird’s eye) 360 degree camera system, AEB and Lane Departure Warning.

SUMMARY The 2018 Nissan Qashqai ST-L is a good mix of inclusions versus price, but the driver aids should be rangewide with tech such as auto parking reserved for the top model.

In a tough battle ground like the small SUV segment, I’d have hoped for a cabin brimming with goodies.

The omission of Apple CarPlay/ Android Auto feels a little careless.

I was told on the down-low that Apple and Android integration is coming, but not soon enough.

Even with those few foibles, Qashqai makes a good argument to buyers spoilt for choice. N

FACTS AND FIGURES: 2018 NISSAN QASHQAI ST-L ENGINE 2.0 litre petrol producing 106kw/200Nm TRANSMISSION CVT automatic SAFETY Five stars

GOOD BITS Spacious

WARRANTY

360° camera

3yrs/100,000km

uick responding Q infotainment

ORIGIN United Kingdom

NOT SO GOOD BITS CVT Some plastics feel too hard

PRICE from $26,490, ST-L from $32,990

No Blind Spot/ Auto headlights/ Auto wipers No Apple CarPlay/ Android Auto

QASHQAI |

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motoring.com.au | 8 MAR 2018

GENEVA MOTOR SHOW: UPDATED NISSAN JUKE BOBS UP FRESH-FACED CITYCROSSOVER GETS NIP AND TUCK, PLUS BOSE SPEAKERS HIDDEN IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT ONE OF THE FIRST compact SUVs to arrive in Australia – and still one of the quirkiest-looking runabouts on the market – has been given a minor facelift and new features for 2018.

Shown for the first time at this week’s Geneva motor show, the 2018 Nissan JUKE has a slightly new look thanks to dark chrome exterior accents on the grille and headlight bezels, plus two new colours: Vibrant blue and Chestnut Bronze.

There’s also some snazzy sticker kits that match updated alloy wheel designs, of which there are three styles.

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In Europe, where the updated JUKE goes on sale in May, all models will be fitted as standard with LED daytime running lights, power mirrors and windows and even a CD stereo, perhaps targeting older buyers with huge CD collections.

Top-shelf models get pushbutton starting, leather seat trim, lane departure and blind-spot warning systems plus a 360-degree overhead-view parking camera and Bose stereo system with two speakers mounted in the driver’s seat head restraint.

Owners looking for more verve in their daily commute can also tick the option boxes for two new interior highlight colours — Power Blue and Energy Orange — for the seats, airvents and door inserts.

There don’t appear to be any changes to the Nissan JUKE’s engine range, which is currently offered with

three powertrains: 1.6-litre petrol (86kW/158Nm), 1.2-litre turbo-petrol (85kW/190Nm) and 1.6-litre turbopetrol (140kW/240Nm), which is borrowed from the Renault Clio RS and detuned slightly.

In Australia, Nissan JUKE prices currently start at $23,490 for the 2WD manual and top out at $33,490 for the AWD automatic.

Nissan JUKE sales were down 45 per cent in 2017, compared to the year prior. In 2016 the JUKE found 2382 buyers, but in 2017 that dropped to just 1299. By comparison, the JUKE’s main rival, Toyota’s newer C-HR, found 6330 homes in 2017.

Nissan has confirmed it will continue to sell the visually striking compact SUV in Australia, where this updated version will go on sale in the second half of this year, but is yet to confirm local specs. N

GoAuto News, VIC | 14 MAR 2018

NISSAN JUKE ROBBIE WALLIS

NISSAN HAS AGAIN UPDATED its Juke crossover, ushering in a revised exterior design, new paint options, an updated sound system and fresh personalisation packs.

Revealed at the Geneva motor show last week, the new Juke is set to touch down in Australian showrooms in the second half of 2018.

The changes start with a refreshed front end, including a

new dark chrome V-Motion grille, dark headlight surrounds, dark indicators on the door mirrors and standard LED foglights on higher-spec variants.

Three new alloy wheel trims are available, ranging in size from 16 to 18 inches, while buyers opting for top-spec variants can personalise the wheel design with coloured inserts.

Body-coloured panels on the front and rear bumper finishers, door side sills and mirror caps can also be optioned.

Two new exterior paint colours – Vivid Blue and Chestnut Bronze – will be added to the Juke’s colour palette.

Inside, it gains a Bose personal audio system that is piped through six speakers, including two built into the driver’s seat headrest. N JUKE |

19

MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER LS Daily Telegraph, Sydney | 19 MAY 2018

MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER LS

V

$38,990 DRIVE-AWAY | 17.5 POINTS

[HEAD TO HEAD]

NISSAN ST-L 2WD $40,768 DRIVE-AWAY | 18 POINTS

WHICH SEVEN-SEAT FAMILY WAGON FOR YOU — THE LONGSTANDING JOB THAT CAN GO OFF-ROAD OR THE NEWER, SLICKER FRONT-DRIVER? CRAIG DUFF

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| REVIEW

VALUE (4/5) The Outlander in this guise is a burger with the log – a seven-seat SUV with decent off-road ability, full-size spare, dual-zone aircon and auto lights and wipers. The national drive-away price makes it great value (though this vehicle has been around for a while). Any colour other than white adds $590. The five-year/100,000km warranty and 12 month/15,000km service intervals are better than many and the first three services will cost $840.

DESIGN (3.5/5) The facelift in 2016 aligned the exterior with the company’s latest looks. The interior upgrades were bigger still, including new but not supportive-enough seats, soft-touch plastics and improved connectivity.

Take up all seven seats and there’s only 128L of cargo space; fold the second and third rows and that

grows to 1608L. Outward vision is good for an SUV of this size.

ENGINE (3/5) The 2.4-litre four-cylinder (124kW/220Nm) has no turbo, so it needs to rev and even then response is sedate with four or more bodies on board. The claimed 7.2L/100km is good for its size but expect more like 9L-plus in regular urban driving.

A continuously variable transmission sends power to all four wheels.

SAFETY (4/5) Blind spot and lane departure warnings are standard, along with adaptive cruise control and autonomous emergency braking.

ANCAP rated the Outlander at 35.58/37 when it was tested in 2015.

Seven airbags are standard but the curtain bags don’t extend to the third row of seats.

DRIVING (3/5) A plush ride makes for comfortable family transport. It doesn’t do corners at pace but is consistent and predictable. Off-road prowess is limited only by the 190mm ride height. The steering won’t win awards for feedback or precision but the lightness of the tiller — and a hatch-like 10.6m turning circle — make it easy to manoeuvre. Petrol Outlanders tow up to 1600kg.

NISSAN ST-L 2WD VALUE (3.5/5) Nissan doesn’t do an all-wheel drive seven-seat X-Trail. The ST-L frontdriver matches the Outlander’s seven-inch infotainment screen with satnav and digital radio but lacks smartphone mirroring, full-size spare and auto wipers. Any paint other than red adds $570. Warranty is three years/100,000km and servicing is 12 months/10,000km.

With average annual driving, you’ll total $1232 for four trips to the dealership in three years.

DESIGN (3.5/5) The styling is rounded compared with the predecessor but the tapering looks and chunky roof pillars limit rearward vision. The cabin layout is conventional, though still easy to operate. Cargo capacity is 135L with seven seats in use and there’s underfloor storage for wet items. As with the Outlander, the third row is effectively for the smaller family members.

ENGINE (3.5/5) Nissan’s 2.5-litre four-cylinder (126kW/226Nm) turns a CVT — it does the job but sounds a bit harsh under load. A turbo engine from the allied Renault stable would address performance

and refinement. The claimed thirst of 8.1L/100km translates into mid9L in a real-world mix of city and highway driving.

SAFETY (4/5) ANCAP tested the X-Trail last year and assessed it at 35.28/37. It misses out on a driver’s knee airbag and, as with the rival, curtain airbags don’t extend to the third row. AEB is standard, as is blind-spot warning. It lacks the Outlander's lane-departure alert but compensates with a rear cross-traffic alarm.

DRIVING (3.5/5) Slow steering and an 11.2m turning circle make the X-Trail slightly less agile in carparks but it is a better ride over potholes and corrugations.

The engine response feels marginally better whether off the lines or overtaking. It sets no dynamic benchmarks but it's a high-riding seven-seat family wagon after all. Braked tow rating for the petrol X-Trail is 1500kg.

VERDICT The Outlander is a capable all-rounder, especially at the price, but the newer and slightly sharper X-Trail has its measure.

That’s why it is the second bestselling vehicle in the segment. N X-TRAIL |

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caradvice.com.au | 6 FEB 2018

2018 NISSAN X-TRAIL TI LONG-TERM REVIEW, REPORT ONE: INTRODUCTION MIKE STEVENS

IN THE SECOND HALF of last year, we welcomed a facelifted Nissan X-Trail Ti to the CarAdvice Melbourne office’s long-termer garage.

As with all of our long-term reviews, our time with the mid-sized X-Trail would be spent in assessing its suitability for the modern family, in a market segment packed to the rafters with options.

The X-Trail Ti is the top-shelf petrol model, available in all-wheel-drive form only, matched exclusively to a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT).

Priced from $44,790 before onroad costs, the Ti sits far above the entry-level, front-wheel-drive, manual-geared $27,990 ST model ($30,490 for the CVT auto, $32,490 for the all-wheel-drive CVT).

Although the X-Trail can be had in both five- and seven-seat forms, the latter is available only in the front-wheel-drive ST and ST-L models. Our Ti, therefore, is a five-seater.

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As part of its styling and equipment upgrade, the X-Trail gained a new frontend look and a more subtly revised rear (mostly the darkened tail lamps with a new LED treatment), along with the hot-button safety technology of the moment: autonomous emergency braking (AEB).

Interior tweaks are likewise minor, limited to a new-look steering wheel and gear lever design, and a revised centre console and arm rest.

Although a new diesel engine has joined the range, our test car is equipped with the same naturallyaspirated (‘non-turbo’) 2.5-litre four-

cylinder petrol engine that carried over from before the X-Trail’s upgrades.

That engine offers 126kW of power and 226Nm of torque, with a claimed fuel consumption figure of 8.3 litres per 100 kilometres (L/100km) on the combined cycle test, using standard 91RON petrol.

Standard kit from the base level includes LED daytime running lights up front, powered folding mirrors, a small tailgate-mounted spoiler, a rear-view camera, keyless entry and push-button start, 60/40 split-fold rear seats, and ISOFIX anchor points on the left and right rear seats.

Safety features in every model includes autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with forward collision warning, along with six airbags, a limited-slip differential, and hill-start assist.

Because our car is the top-shelf model, it also gets a number of features from the mid-spec ST-L model. Those include tinted rear windows, front fog-lights, leatheraccented steering wheel and seats, six-way power-adjustable driver’s seat and four-way power-adjustable front passenger’s seat, driver lumbar support, roof rails, heated front seats, and dual-zone climate control.

There’s also a larger 7.0-inch infotainment display (up from five inches) with satellite navigation and traffic updates, DAB+ digital radio, 360-degree ‘Around View’ camera system with moving object detection, blind spot monitoring, and rear cross traffic alert.

Well-equipped by any measure, although Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and MirrorLink are all unavailable.

Features specific to the Ti (and TL in most cases) include 19-inch alloy wheels, heated door mirrors, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, adaptive auto-levelling LED headlights, automatic wipers, motion-activated electric tailgate, a heated steering wheel, heated outer rear seats, a powered tilt and slide moonroof, and an

eight-speaker Bose audio system.

The option of tan leather-accented trim also exists.

Safety features for the Ti, beyond the standard, include lane departure warning, intelligent lane intervention, pedestrian protection for the AEB system, and intelligent adaptive cruise control.

With all five seats upright, the two-row X-Trail lists boot space at 565 litres, growing to 945 litres with the back seats folded. The floor is made up of two panels, which can be lifted to reveal a pair of handy compartments. Beneath those is a space-saver spare wheel.

Towing capacity is listed at 1500kg braked and 750kg unbraked. The towball load rating is limited to 150kg.

In 2017, Nissan declared 18,955 sales for the X-Trail, making it the fourth best-selling medium SUV in Australia. Ahead of it was the Toyota RAv4 (21,077), Hyundai Tucson (23,828) and the Mazda CX-5 (25,831).

Fun fact: the Ti makes up just 10 per cent of X-Trail sales, with the most popular – owning 42 per cent of sales in the range – being the ST model we reviewed last year. As Mr Costello noted at the time, the ST’s sub-$30k price point is neatly justified. Can the more expensive Ti make a case for its positioning?

Watch for the next update on our long-termer to come in the week ahead. N X-TRAIL |

23

motoring.com.au | 13 FEB 2018

NISSAN X-TRAIL 2018 REVIEW NISSAN'S PINNING ITS HOPES ON A NEW TURBO-DIESEL X-TRAIL TO HELP BOLSTER SALES PHILIP LORD

WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT? The X-TRAIL facelift arrived in May last year with fresh front and rear styling, interior tweaks and new safety features, such as autonomous emergency braking and forward collision warning.

Nissan also introduced a new 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine (replacing the 1.6), linked for the first time with a self-shifting transmission – Nissan’s Xtronic continuously variable transmission (CVT). The CVT is now the only transmission offered on all X-TRAILs except the entry level ST. While the TL, the top-spec diesel (and most expensive X-TRAIL in the 24

| REVIEW

range) scored rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive headlights and motionactivated power tailgate in the upgrade, two new safety features – active cruise control and lanedeparture intervention – are only offered with the top-end Ti petrol.

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST? The X-TRAIL TL has only just arrived on the market three months ago, and lists at $47,790 (plus on-road costs).

The test vehicle had the $1190 optional tow kit fitted (including tow bar, wiring harness, tow ball, D-shackles and fitting costs).

Ruby Red is the standard exterior colour; chose one of the six metallic/

OUR RATINGS BREAKDOWN

70

/100

14 /20

ENGINE, DRIVETRAIN & CHASSIS

15 /20

PRICE, PACKAGING & PRACTICALITY

14 /20

2018 NISSAN X-TRAIL TL PRICING AND SPECIFICATIONS

14 /20

PRICE

SAFETY & TECHNOLOGY

$47,790 (plus on-road costs)

BEHIND THE WHEEL

13 /20

ENGINE 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel

X-FACTOR

OUTPUT 130kW/380Nm TRANSMISSION Continuously variable FUEL 6.1L/100km (ADR Combined) CO2 162g/km (ADR Combined) SAFETY RATING Five-star ANCAP

pearl optional colours and it’ll cost you an additional $575.

The only other factory option available (at no cost) is tan leather upholstery in place of the standard black leather.

WHY SHOULD/SHOULDN’T I BUY IT? The 2.0-litre turbo-diesel is freerevving and smooth – but not especially quiet when pushed. While it has the characteristic strong mid-range turbo-diesel punch, it is very laggy under 2000rpm.

The CVT should – but doesn’t help; it appears to mute the power delivery. Fuel consumption with three tank-to-tank fills over 1200km

averaged 8.3L/100km, most of it highway driving. Even though we saw a low of 7.2L/100km indicated on the trip computer after 300km of highway cruising, it’s nowhere near the claimed 6.1L/100km combined consumption figure.

The X-TRAIL blots up bumps smoothly and has confidenceinspiring (if not rewarding) handling.

Aside from the engine, it’s also very quiet, with very little wind noise.

The LED headlights light up a dark road brilliantly.

Controls were all easy to find except the steering wheel heating, idle-stop and Eco mode buttons are hidden down low on right of the

steering wheel. The foot-operated parking brake seems very old-school these days.

WHEN IS IT AVAILABLE IN AUSTRALIA? The entry-level TS diesel arrived with the rest of the (petrol) upgrade models at the May launch last year, but the up-spec TL only became available from November.

Nissan hopes that, with the new engine and the much more popular self-shifting transmission, the TS and TL will lift the proportion of diesel X-TRAIL sales from the previous model’s eight percent to 15 per cent.

X-TRAIL |

25

to the ground quickly enough, or enough of it for that matter.

The diesel-powered X-TRAIL can tow up to 1650kg (with a maximum of 165kg on the tow ball).

WHO WILL IT APPEAL TO? While the X-TRAIL TL appeals to a wide variety of buyers, its main appeal is as a capacious, economical family wagon – albeit one with no seven-seat option (it’s only available on 2WD ST and ST-L petrols).

The X-TRAIL’s sliding rear seat provides versatile options for seating space/cargo storage space. The cargo space is nicely squared off, too.

The X-TRAIL’s 4WD badge doesn’t make it a Patrol off-road. Some owners may attempt beach driving

with their X-TRAIL but unless it’s hard-packed sand, that’s a bad idea.

During our brief beach run, with stability control/traction control switched off and 4WD LOCK mode engaged (and tyre pressures lowered), the X-TRAIL lacked momentum in the soft sand.

At least some of the blame can be directed to the CVT, which buffers the instant throttle response a conventional transmission would provide.

It simply doesn’t get the power

WHERE DOES IT FIT? The X-TRAIL diesel competes in a crowded SUV Medium category and is priced within a few hundred dollars of the premium dieselpowered variants of the Ford Escape, Hyundai Tucson and Mazda CX-5.

Other likely medium SUV diesel competitors include the Kia Sportage, Mitsubishi Outlander, Toyota RAV4 and Volkswagen Tiguan.

In the 2017 SUV Medium sales tally, the X-TRAIL was fourth with 18,955 sales and 11.5 per cent share, behind the Mazda CX-5 (25,831 sales, 15.7 per cent), Hyundai Tucson (23,828 sales and 14.5 per cent) and Toyota RAV4 (21,077 sales and 12.8 per cent share).

SO, WHAT DO WE THINK? The X-TRAIL TL is clearly not a 4WD as our beach run proved – and the diesel could be both more responsive at low rpm and more economical.

However, this is a comfortable, quiet, smooth and sure-footed medium SUV with plenty of room for holiday gear in the back. N WHAT WE LIKED Supple ride Comfortable, versatile interior LED headlights NOT SO MUCH ack of L low-rpm grunt Fuel consumption higher than claimed Foot-operated parking brake

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motoringuru.com.au | 5 MAR 2018

NISSAN X-TRAIL IS THE WORLD’S BEST SELLING SUV NISSAN X-TRAIL IS THE WORLD’S FAVOURITE SUV… MATT CALVITTO

NISSAN HAS PROUDLY ANNOUNCED that its X-Trail is the world’s favourite SUV in 2017. Nissan sold 814,496 X-Trails – the X-Trail is badged as the Rogue in some markets – up 6.5 per cent on 2016. The X-Trail was the world’s fourth best selling car internationally.

Nissan Australia managed to shift 18,955 examples of the X-Trail in 2017, an increase of 0.3 per cent year on year and, they sold their 200,000th X-Trail, with X-Trail sales commencing in 2001 with the blocky first generation model.

The current petrol version of the X-Trail is offered in three trim levels: ST, ST-L and Ti. If you want a diesel, the diesel X-Trail can be had in two flavours: TS and TL.

Two petrol engines are offered: a 2.0 litre four-cylinder version that develops 106kW and 200Nm and a 2.5 litre four-cylinder petrol that produces 126kW of power and 226Nm. The 2.0 litre diesel 130kW and 380Nm. Two transmission choices are available, a six-speed manual or a

continuously variable transmission, with power being sent to either the front or all four wheels.

Standard equipment across the range includes push button start, autonomous emergency braking, forward collision warning, a wealth of airbags and stability and traction control. ST-L models up get sat nav, a 360 degree camera system, blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert. The Ti and TL also get lane keep assist, swiveling headlights and lane keep assist.

Prices start at $28,490* for the 2.0 litre petrol with 6-speed manual, while the diesel range begins at $35,990* plus on roads. N X-TRAIL |

27

Canberra Times, Canberra | 3 MAR 2018

QUICK SPIN NISSAN PATHFINDER TI ANDREW MACLEAN

WHAT IS IT? It’s the flagship version of Nissan’s recently updated seven-seat SUV that’s powered by a new V6 engine and features minor styling revisions as well as new safety systems.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST AND WHAT DO YOU GET? The Pathfinder Ti can be had with a choice of three powertrains: front-wheel-drive and all-wheel drive with the new3.5-litreV6 and a range-topping Hybrid with a 2.5-litre supercharged four cylinder hooked up to an electric motor.

We’re testing the regular AWD version, which costs from $66,190(plus on-road costs) and 28

| REVIEW

commands a $4000 premium over the 2WD version but is $3000 cheaper than the Hybrid.

No matter which engine option you choose, the Pathfinder Ti comes generously equipped, riding on 20-inch alloy wheels and has LED headlamps, fake-leather trim throughout the cabin, tri-zone air conditioning, twin sunroofs, a 13-speaker Bose audio system, heated and cooled front seats, an inbuilt entertainment system for rear-seat passengers and a motion activated powered tailgate.

All Nissan models are covered by a three-year/100,000km warranty and have a capped-price servicing scheme with scheduled visits

every 12 months or 10,000km.

The Pathfinder Ti will cost $991 to maintain during the first three years of ownership, or 30,000km.

WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET? One of the key elements to the updated Pathfinder is its heavily revised 3.5-litre naturally aspirate V6, which Nissan claims has 50 per cent new parts compared to its predecessor, including direct fuel injection that required new pistons, redesigned combustion chamber design, a new intake manifold and higher compression ratio.

The end result is increased power and torque and reduced fuel consumption. The engine now

produces 202kW and 340Nm – up from 190kW and 325Nm – while delivering a claimed average consumption of 10.1L/100km, a marginal 0.2L/100km improvement.

The engine drives all four wheels through a modified continuously variable transmission that features seven programmed ratios for a more natural feel under heavy acceleration.

It also has a multi-mode drive controller that allows the driver to switch between 2WD, Auto and Lock settings, the latter maintaining a 50:50 torque split across the front and rear axles at speeds below40km/h to optimise its offroad capabilities.

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE? It’s a big, humble family hauler that doesn’t do much wrong. While it isn’t the most exciting machine to drive, the engine is strong and revs cleanly with good mid-range pulling power. It’s helped by the CVT automatic that is one of the best of its kind and, with the stepped ratios, it doesn’t display the vices of others by flaring the engine speeds under acceleration.

However, it’s still on the thirsty side of the ledger and matching its claimed average fuel consumption is impossible if you stay within the stop-start confines of the suburbs.

The steering is well weighted and it’s easy to navigate around town, although it is a big car and the turning circle is quite large, so tight spaces need a bit more wheel work. The suspension is biased more towards comfort than cornering, and in that regard it soaks up bumps respectively and cruises quietly at highway speeds.

WHAT’S IT LIKE INSIDE? Everyone will like the top-spec Pathfinder as the cabin is spacious and filled with enough toys to keep the entire family engaged.

From the driver’s seat, there’s good vision, plenty of adjustment, clear instruments and heaps of headroom. The front pews are also comfortable and, having heated and cooled ventilation, make it an easy place to sit on long journeys.

The dash isn’t the most modern in its class, and the multimedia system is fiddly, not all that intuitive to navigate and it misses out on smartphone mirroring like Apple CarPlay. But the materials are good quality and there’s a decent amount of small-item storage, including a generous centre console and large door bins.

Those in the middle row are treated to plenty of space, have rear air vents and their own entertainment system with HDMI

NUTS & BOLTS PRICE $66,190 (plus on-road costs) ENGINE 3.5-litre V6 petrol POWER 202kW at 6400rpm TORQUE 340Nmat 4800rpm TRANSMISSION CVT automatic, all-wheel drive FUEL USE 10.1L/100km

and AUX inputs and a 12V power outlet, while the third row is reasonably easy to access and can fit couple of young teens at least.

However, like most seven seaters, boot space is limited when all three rows are in use.

IS IT SAFE? All Pathfinder models have six airbags with side curtains that extend to the third-row occupants, as well as featuring stability control, a reverse camera and a tyre-pressure monitor.

However, the base-level ST misses out on the active driver aids that are standard on the ST-L and Ti model grades, which add autonomous emergency braking, active cruise control, blind-spot monitor and rear cross traffic alert, and a 360-degree camera.

WOULD I BUY IT? While the recent updates have improved the Pathfinder, it still doesn’t match the best seven seaters on the road.

That’s not to say it should be discounted altogether, as it is comfortable, spacious and drives nicely.

The Ti in particular comes loaded with plenty of gear. N PATHFINDER |

29

The Saturday Age, Melbourne | 10 MAR 2018

SHE SAYS, HE SAYS NISSAN PATHFINDER TI HOW DOES NISSAN'S UPDATED SEVEN-SEAT SUV HANDLE FAMILY LIFE? DANIELA INTILI AND ANDREW MACLEAN

HE: The big Aussie family car has grown to become a hulking seven-seat SUV, and Nissan’s Pathfinder is one of those. This latest-generation is no longer a ute-based SUV like its predecessor – and a growing breed of rugged alternatives such as the Ford Everest and Toyota Fortuner – but a more car-like soft-roader capable of hauling a big tribe.

Nissan recently updated the Pathfinder, slotting in a heavily revised V6 petrol engine, minor styling tweaks and a few more features.

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We’re testing the range-topping Ti 4x4 version, which costs $66,190 plus on-roads. What was your first impression Dani?

SHE: It doesn’t look too different following last year’s big design revamp and, though it presents well, it still lacks a little finesse. It’s unmistakably massive and stands out from the pack. I think this is the sort of car kids and dads get more excited about than mums, however there are a lot of features in the Pathfinder that would be pleasing for parents.

HE: It is a big car, and not quite as sleek as a MazdaCX-9 for example, so I can understand where you’re coming from there. It’s designed and built in America, where it slots right in with other family-sized SUVs. Anyway, I think it looks OK– both inside and out – and does what it says on the tin: it’s a comfortable and capable seven-seat SUV with plenty of space and a decent spread of equipment. Do you think it works as a family car?

SHE: I think the cabin is extremely comfortable and really well

HE: Those updated safety functions make the Pathfinder a more convincing family option than before, especially because of its size.

Personally, I think the Pathfinder is an underrated choice among the growing breed of seven-seat SUVs. I don’t know if all-wheel-drive is worth paying an extra $4000 for, as it’s not a serious off-roader.

I would probably pick the cheaper front-drive version as a regular urban run about. Do you think it’s good value?

thought out. Being the top-spec model, there are lots of toys and creature comforts including threezone entertainment, Bose stereo, heated and cooled leather seats and a panoramic sunroof. The infotainment system is a bit fussy to use and there’s no Apple CarPlay or Android auto, but it does have two-colour screens behind the front headrests. My daughter had a blast watching a movie with the wireless headsets. I like how the seating in the second row glides and flips forward, providing easy access to the third-row. The US-spec version of the Pathfinder has rear door alert, which consists of a series of honks ensuring kids don’t get left behind in cars. It would’ve been nice to see that in Australia.

HE: That’s a pretty rare feature here, but Hyundai’s new Santa Fe due here mid-year will have it, and I think Nissan should also tick that box for local cars.

The big-ticket item in the updated Pathfinder is its new 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine, which now features modern direct-injection technology that improves performance and efficiency, lifting power outputs to 202kW and 340Nm while reducing fuel consumption to 10.1L/100km – all of which are decent numbers.

In our test car, the engine drives all four wheels through a revised CVT automatic transmission with seven pre-programmed ratios to give it a more natural feel under heavy acceleration. I think it’s a great powertrain that suits the

suburban nature of the car, but it’s not a heavy-duty off-roader by any stretch even if it does have a rear diff lock to help in low-speed slippery conditions. How did you find driving it?

SHE: I’m a huge fan of the Pathfinder’s V6 engine; it’s powerful and full of grunt but the CVT doesn’t do much for me. The ride is comfortable and, though it can feel heavy at times, it moves briskly once it gets going from a standstill. The 20-inch tyres on the Ti provide good grip, however driving the Pathfinder through tight, narrow streets in inner-city suburbs can prove a little nerve-racking.

Being such a big car, advanced safety aids such as blind-spot monitoring are really helpful and the 360-degree camera is really clear.

There’s also automatic emergency braking and what’s even more pleasing is that AEB is now standard across all models.

SHE: It is right up there as one of the most expensive of its type, and it’s also costly to fuel up (using considerably more than the claimed 10.1L/100km if you stay in the suburbs). While there’s a lot of good equipment and decent safety, I think the Mazda’s CX-9 is still hard to top in this class.

HE: I agree. There’s a lot to like about the CX-9, which is why it retained its place as Best Family UV in our Drive Car of the Year awards. But the Pathfinder shouldn’t be left off the shopping list of those searching for a sevenseat family wagon. N

PATHFINDER |

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carsales.com.au | 23 MAY 2018

NISSAN PATHFINDER 2018 REVIEW BIG AND STRONG, ROOMY AND PRACTICAL… BUT IS THE PATHFINDER BEGINNING TO SHOW ITS AGE? FEANN TORR

THE MODERN-DAY NISSAN Pathfinder has changed. This one, the range-topping Pathfinder Ti, is less rough-and-ready mud-slinger and more High Street cruiser. Priced at $66,190 (plus on-road costs) the large SUV has seven seats, loads of cargo space, a silky-smooth V6 engine and enough mod cons to match a Lexus. But will it get you out bush and back, up the Canning Stock route and down the Oodnadatta? Probably not.

COOL TOOL FOR SCHOOL Reversing the Nissan Pathfinder into the school parking zone would have been an intimidating prospect a decade ago.

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Cars moving every which way, kids running around, it's not a particularly pleasant place to manoeuvre a twotonne SUV. The 2018 Nissan Pathfinder measures more than five metres long (5042mm) and almost two metres wide (1960mm). It's bigger than a white rhino bull. Its size makes it hard to place its extremities. So with kids somersaulting out of other cars, running to and fro and doing what kids tend to do – anything unpredictable – hesitance is understandable.

But on a busy Monday morning in the school car park it wasn't a torrid affair, thanks in large part to the bevy of parking cameras.

$41,990 - $69,190 EGC

As well as rear and forward facing cameras there's even a 360-degree surround-view of the car, which turned out to be one of the most used features on this test.

The 360-degree camera view works in conjunction with a moving object detection system that beeps and bleeps if something enters its proximity zone. Factor in rear cross traffic alert and the car provides several very useful extra pair of eyes.

After dropping my daughter off at school without holding up other vehicles in the busy school precinct – courtesy can reduce road rage, I

reckon – it was time for a grocery run. Again, despite its size, the Pathfinder dealt with another busy (and less patient) car park with ease.

The SUV on test is the rangetopping Nissan Pathfinder Ti which comes with loads of goodies, including a powered tailgate. You can adjust the position of the tailgate and it even opens with a gesture – a sharp kick under the rear bumper which is good if you're hands are full (and oddly fun when they're not).

The boot has more than enough room for a large grocery haul. Even with the seven-seat configuration engaged, a total of 453 litres of space is available, which easily swallows several full shopping bags.

Fold the twin rear seats flat and the big US-built wagon gets even more space, up to 1354 litres.

Fold down the three middle-row seats and you're looking at 2260 litres, almost enough room for the whole family to lie down and have a nanna-nap. It's good that the second-row seats can slide fore and aft on rails, providing more room (and access) to the third-row occupants.

Four top-tether and two ISOFIX child seat anchorages are offered and this model gets three-zone climate control as well, so the kids (or adults) in the back can choose their own temperature.

REFINED, RESPONSIVE AND VERY CUSHY Chores done, it's time to get a feel for how the Nissan Pathfinder drives, a vehicle I haven't driven in years.

The good news? It's still a refined and responsive vehicle. Power and torque from the 3.5-litre V6 (202kW/340Nm) find their way to all four wheels via CVT, or continuously variable transmission, very effectively.

This automatic transmission lacks character but it is responsive and given the cars weight (2070kg) it provides the Nissan Pathfinder a surprising turn of speed.

Drop the hammer in the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder and it heaves itself up the road at an impressive clip. It's tuned for response, blasting off the

line with a sharp throttle stab but is quick to build revs at high speeds for overtaking on country roads too.

The V6 petrol engine is a refined unit in all situations, purring along at low speeds and emitting a muted burble at full throttle that's somewhat endearing. It's a smooth and cheerful operator if a bit old school compared to the superefficient four-cylinder turbos offered by other Japanese and European SUVs nowadays.

Think of the Nissan Pathfinder's naturally-aspirated V6 is a bit like a Wall Street banker – greedy.

Nissan claims fuel consumption of 10.1L/100km on the combined cycle. I covered around 800km on this test (600km of freeway cruising at 110km/h) and the trip computer claimed 13.0L/100km – which isn't too shocking for a car of this bulk.

Although 98 premium unleaded petrol was used in this test, it will happily use 91 RON juice.

The Pathfinder has a 2700kg towing capacity with a braked trailer, or 750kg of haulage non-braked, and a 73-litre fuel tank which should be good for around 600km if you're not too aggressive with the throttle.

Ride comfort is seriously good, even on the big 20-inch alloy wheels.

If you're looking for a super-comfy large SUV with seven seats, there are worse places to start. The plush suspension absorbs almost anything thrown at it; cracks in the road? Barely felt. Pot holes? Glides over them. Speed bumps? Like they're not even there. A pack of

HOW MUCH IS THE 2018 NISSAN PATHFINDER TI 4WD? PRICE $66,190 (plus on-road costs) ENGINE 3.5-litre six-cylinder petrol OUTPUT 202kW/340Nm TRANSMISSION Continuously variable FUEL 10.1L/100km (ADR Combined), 13.0L/100km (as tested) CO2 234g/km (ADR Combined) Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP (2013 tested)

rabid goats? I made that one up.

There's a distinct North American feel to this vehicle which makes long distance cruising easy and comfortable and short trips to the shops equally serene. For better or worse, the Pathfinder's once rugged persona has been replaced with a smooth attitude.

The flipside to this comfortable approach is that the Nissan Pathfinder wallows and pitches through corners, so you can't blast through roundabouts at warp speed without the tyres squealing like a quartet of terrified piglets.

This is no Nissan GT-R.

WHAT WE LIKE Punchy V6 Parking aids Interior space NOT SO MUCH Handling Off-road ability Fuel consumption

PATHFINDER |

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EDITOR’S RATING 70/100 ENGINE / DRIVETRAIN / CHASSIS

PRICE, PACKAGING & PRACTICALITY

SAFETY & TECHNOLOGY

BEHIND THE WHEEL

X-FACTOR

The brakes are generally up to the task of decelerating the Pathfinder's significant mass, with ventilated discs fore and aft measuring 320mm and 308mm in diameter respectively.

However, in one situation, when the traffic lights flicked to orange in an 80km/h zone (and a full load of people and belongings) the stoppers needed quite a shove to bring the Nissan to a stop hastily.

NISSAN PATHFINDER OR NISSAN ROADTRAVELLER? The Nissan Pathfinder used to be a rugged, go-anywhere adventure machine and today it feels a lot less of a knock-about mudslinger and a lot more like a Lexus SUV. It's good on dirt roads, no doubt about it, but ground clearance isn't anything to write home about (181mm) and its monocoque frame has more in common with your average family hatchback than a rugged off-roader.

If you get a little excited with the accelerator pedal on gravel roads the stability control does more harm than good, too. There's no nuance to its instigation and it stymies momentum with an "all or nothing" approach. It feels low tech and I found the car felt more predictable on dirt with stability control switched off.

Being the top-spec Nissan Pathfinder Ti model means you get a fully catered feast, with food, drink and after dinner mints. You can forget manually adjusting the steering wheel – power-operated 34

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all the way! Just toggle the four-way nub. Heated and cooled ventilated front seats will make your tooshie very happy whether its summer or winter and a panoramic rear moonroof and front sunroof let the sun shine in.

Electric everything – mirrors, windows, sunroof – is pleasing and I like that the windows operate after the engine's off. When there are kids in the car this is important, because half the time they’ve left the vehicle with the windows down. It wastes fuel to turn on the engine again just to wind the windows up, which is the case with some vehicles.

The infotainment system comprises an 8.0-inch touchscreen that looks and feels old compared to newer rivals; this Pathfinder was introduced in Australia in 2013 which in car terms means it's got a foot in the door of the retirement home.

The satellite navigation is a bit clunky and didn't display one newly laid road. The infotainment system got a good workout streaming Bluetooth music, podcasts, YouTube audio and telephone calls and in these respects it operated satisfactorily.

There's also twin screens integrated into the seats backs for second-row occupants with wireless

headphones. Lump in a 13-speaker BOSE stereo and you'd almost be convinced this car was aimed at the premium end of the market. Then again, with on-road costs closing in on $70,000….

Radar cruise control is a nice feature, allowing you to take your feet off the pedals on the open road, and other convenience features like push-button engine start, keyless entry and eight-way power adjustable driver's seat are nice touches.

Leather upholstery gives the interior a premium feel and the seats can be ordered in black – as tested – or a beigey colour dubbed 'ivory'.

There are seven exterior paint finishes including the Cayenne Red of this model, along with blue, black, silver, white, gun metal grey and a weird military-ish green hue, dubbed Midnight Jade.

FINDING NEW PATHS The Nissan Pathfinder is not going to match it with a Toyota Prado when it comes to off-roading and given there's no diesel option. It can't match its top-selling Toyota rival in the sales stakes either. It's true that the Nissan Pathfinder can be had with a (more expensive) supercharged 2.5-litre hybrid

powertrain but it's tailored to the US market and has failed to ignite the imagination of Aussie buyers where hybrid incentives don't exist.

The 2018 Nissan Pathfinder is an interesting proposition. It's easy to drive, easy to live with and has loads of room and lots of neat technology to make family life just that little bit easier – and safer. Other features like autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and blind spot warning are welcome additions.

You can get into a 2WD Nissan Pathfinder ST for around $42,000, significantly more affordable than this range-topping Ti at almost $70,000 and if it's space, size and grunt you're after, the entry-level model might make sense.

But when you look at vehicles like the Skoda Kodiaq, Hyundai Santa Fe and the Mazda CX-9, the Nissan Pathfinder loses its lustre.

The Pathfinder was once a rugged go-anywhere bush-basher that could take you to Woop-woop and back. Today it's more of an urban explorer with a smidgen of off-roadability thrown in… and a big shake of luxury if you're willing to splurge on the upmarket models. But as newer rivals start doing things differently, the Nissan Pathfinder will continue to show its age. N

PATHFINDER |

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Daily Telegraph, Sydney | 27 Jan 2018

ROCKY LEDGER

NISSAN’S PATROL, A DINOSAUR IN THE CITY, EXCELS ON THE ROCKY TRACKS OF ITS NATURAL ENVIRONMENT RICHARD BLACKBURN

THE NISSAN PATROL IN peak hour is not so much a fish out of water as a beached whale. Its hulking threetonne frame is totally unsuited for city driving, the big V8 under the bonnet is guzzling as if it’s happy hour at the pub, I’ve almost lost the jumbo-sized side mirrors on a narrow backstreet and I can only just glimpse the roof of the little hatchback behind me. On top of that, the steering is woolly and the turning circle stretches three-point turns into five-pointers.

AT A GLANCE About $97,300 drive-away (expensive) 3 years / 100,000km (avg); $2,269 over 3 years (pricey) 5.6-litre V8, 298kW / 560Nm (plenty) 6 airbags, not tested, blind spot, lane departure, auto emergency braking, surround camera (ample) 14.4L / 100km (very thirsty) Full-size alloy (good) 468L / 1413L (excellent)

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The Patrol is a living relic of a past when petrol cost less than a dollar a litre, men were men and four-wheel drives actually ventured off the beaten track.

It’s about as fashionable as tucking a pack of Winnie reds into the sleeve of your T-shirt.

But people still buy them, even if not in the numbers they once did.

And not in the same numbers as the only rival in the “upper large” SUV segment, Toyota’s LandCruiser.

That’s mainly because, for reasons known only to itself, Nissan no longer has a diesel Patrol.

The only choice of propulsion is a 5.6-litre petrol V8 with claimed combined fuel consumption of 14.4L/100km — 20.2L in the traffic. That’s not a lot less than a Lamborghini Aventador and frankly the Nissan claim is a bit fanciful. We saw 30L/100km on our first commute.

Thankfully it has a huge 140L tank.

No wonder 99 per cent of LandCruiser buyers choose a

diesel and no wonder the big Toyota outsells the Patrol by more than 10-toone. There’s a good chance that this generation of the Patrol will be the last we see – it appears headed the way of the V8 Commo-Dodo.

In the cabin, there are telltale signs that the Patrol isn’t getting the development dollars of its more popular, smaller siblings such as the Qashqai and X-Trail. It’s a self-fulfilling spiral — you sell fewer cars, you spend less on the new model and the car trails the rivals in adopting new technology, which leads to fewer sales.

The central readout in the instrument display has old-school graphics, the centre screen on the dash is smaller than similarly priced cars and modern features such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are absent.

It’s not all doom and gloom, though. A recent update has brought a very useful piece of tech absent on rivals, even those with luxury badges. The rear view mirror can switch to a camera view, giving the driver a much clearer look at the road behind.

The camera is mounted on the rear of the car, effectively removing any obstacles to the driver’s vision, such as the rear pillars. It’s especially handy if the Patrol is packed to the roof with camping gear and the third-row seats are occupied.

Camping gear? That’s the whole purpose of this road test. To roll the whale back into its natural habitat, where it can impress us with its beauty and grace.

That means a trip to the heritage-listed Blue Mountains in NSW and what 4WD enthusiasts call the Lost City, a spectacular array of sandstone and ironstone pagoda-like rock formations on the western flank.

But first it’s time to stretch the Patrol’s legs on a freeway — and hopefully get that fuel consumption back into the teens.

Apart from its seemingly unquenchable thirst for premium unleaded, the Patrol is the ultimate freeway cruiser. It’s easy to see why the Yanks love their Escalades and Expeditions — the Patrol is a loungeroom on wheels, complete with two DVD screens for the kids.

The third-row seats are big enough for adults for a change and get proper aircon vents. There’s even a decent amount of space behind them for cargo, although if you want to carry seven and their luggage, you’ll need to tow a trailer — not a problem for the Patrol as it can haul 3500kg. The V8 and seven-speed auto are a silky smooth combination, overtaking is a breeze and you’d imagine it would make short work of towing a trailer.

Two hours out of Sydney we arrive at the entry point to the Lost City, the Zig Zag Railway just out of Lithgow.

The heritage-listed railway line ferried people from the mountains to Sydney in the late 1800s. It was revived in the 1970s as a tourist attraction but safety compliance issues and a disastrous bushfire in 2013 have kept it inoperable. There are plans to reopen next year.

From the Zig Zag we follow the power lines along well maintained dirt tracks until things get interesting.

It’s been raining in the past week and there are some decent sized water crossings ahead.

We engage 4WD low and the Patrol waltzes through at pace, despite waves crashing over the bonnet. The only damage is a slight bend in the numberplate, courtesy of the water pressure.

The crossing brings back childhood memories of playing in the mud — that thrill you’d get when you knew you were doing something your parents would frown upon.

Next things get rocky — literally — as we descend some gnarly moguls on the way to the viewing area for the valley. You can feel the weight of the Patrol shifting and tipping as wheels lift off the ground.

Still it pushes on unperturbed, the only sound is the grinding of brakes from the hill descent control. Finally we’re on an outcrop overlooking the valley with its spectacular rock formations.

And at this moment the Patrol makes sense, not just because it was a lot of fun getting here, but because it has taken us somewhere so many others simply couldn’t. A breathtaking piece of nature all to ourselves. To borrow a line from an Aussie classic: “How’s the serenity?”

Mission almost accomplished, the Patrol climbs the steep rocky track out with equal ease. In some ways it’s a lot like a Lamborghini, a toy for the weekends rather than a day-today proposition.

After that revelation, it’s time to head back to civilisation and that dreaded trip to the petrol pump, where the damage is roughly $200.

Ouch, but I guess many great parties come with a hangover. N

AS THE MAKER INTENDED Most people buy an SUV because they dream of exploring the great outdoors. In reality, though, very few venture further than a muddy sports ground carpark.

Conventional wisdom says about 10 per cent of owners venture off-road.

Not Patrol owners, though. According to Nissan’s research, roughly twothirds of owners use the car’s fourwheel drive ability once or twice a month. One in three of those drives off-road in forests or bushland; one in four tackles sandy roads, desert and river beds.

The majority use the Patrol as a tow vehicle once or twice a month..

PATROL |

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Penola Pennant, Penola SA | 08 Nov 2017

NEW INTELLIGENT REAR VIEW MIRROR TECHNOLOGY DEBUTS ON UPDATED NISSAN PATROL THE NEW-LOOK NISSAN PATROL has received a safety update with the introduction of an Intelligent Rear View Mirror - a first for both Nissan and upper large SUVs in Australia.

Nissan's Intelligent Rear View Mirror (I-RVM) has been innovatively designed to help drivers "see around" second and back row interior obstacles, improving visibility and helping maintain a clear 38

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view of the conditions and traffic behind them.

Featuring an LCD monitor that has been cleverly integrated into a traditional rear view mirror, Nissan's latest 'Intelligent Mobility' technology works in conjunction with a highperformance rear-facing camera that combine to give drivers an unimpeded rear view.

Included on the range-topping Patrol Ti-L grade, drivers can easily swap between the I-RVM and the traditional mirror by flicking a switch which is located at the bottom of the mirror – even when driving the vehicle.

Adding to an already impressive list of active safety technologies, I-RVM joins Blind Spot Warning and Intelligent Blind Spot Intervention, Intelligent Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning and Intelligent Lane Intervention, which are standard equipment on the Patrol Ti-L. The model also boasts an Intelligent Around View Monitor giving drivers a complete 360 degree view of everything surrounding the vehicle, it adds Moving Object Detection for the first time and has Intelligent Cruise Control and Intelligent Distance Control, plus Intelligent Brake Assist.

"Safety is one of the key drivers when it comes to purchase consideration and intent and Nissan just upped the ante in this important area," said Nissan Australia general manager of brand and communications Rebecca Williams.

"Front and rear sensors. Forward Collision Warning, reverse parking camera and Blind Spot Monitoring mean that drivers are more aware of their surrounds than ever before.

"What the Intelligent Rear View Mirror does is take this awareness to a whole new level. If the second row is full of passengers or the car is packed to the roof, the driver will still have perfect vision out the back of the vehicle. This certainly offers peace of mind."

Arriving in the country last week, the MY18 Nissan Patrol has been redesigned, now featuring a more modern, but aggressive, front bumper that includes a new grille with horizontal metallic bars and new fog lamp housings. A fresh set of 18 inch alloy wheels give a more premium look.

Inside, the Patrol range gets a more intuitive, multi-touch panel infotainment system, there are now two USB charging points at the rear of the centre console, and in the Ti-L grade, longer trips are more enjoyable for second row occupants thanks to the larger 8-inch screens that are

built into the back of the front seat head rests.

The Nissan Patrol boasts a 5.6 litre V8 petrol engine that is the most powerful in its class* with 298kW of power at 5,800rpms and 560Nm at torque at 4,000rpm helping it perform in the most extreme conditions.

A 7-speed automatic transmission with manual mode complements the Intelligent 4X4 shift switch (Auto, 4-high and 4-low capabilities) making driving, whether on road, snow, sand or rock, enjoyable.

As standard equipment across the range, Patrol includes Satellite Navigation with 3D mapping and an 8-^inch integrated colour display with touch screen, BluetoothÂŽ hands free phone system with steering wheel controls, push button start, climate control and a full size alloy spare wheel.

HOW THE I-RVM WORKS Nissan's new I-RVM utilises a high-performance, narrow-angle camera and a specially shaped LCD monitor, with a unique aspect ratio of approximately 4:1, versus a conventional monitor's 4:3 or 16:9.

Using a standard wide-angle camera lens on this monitor would have produced a low-resolution image with insufficient picture quality. To overcome this, a narrow-angle camera was developed so that picture quality would not be sacrificed.

When the LCD monitor and mirror are used in unison, the transparency of the monitor and the reflection in the mirror can create an image overlap – a dual layered effect – making it difficult to get a clean view.

With I-RVM, Nissan applied a special technology to the structural design of the LCD monitor and the mirror, enabling it to function without any image overlapping, giving drivers a perfect view of what is happening behind them on the road.

The high-quality camera and image processing system implemented in the LCD monitor consistently results in a clear image with minimal glare, even during sunrise, sunset or when being tailed at night with strong or high beam headlights. * Upper large SUV segment under $100,000. N PATROL |

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4X4 Australia, National | MAR 2018

EVOLUTION, NOT REVOLUTION NISSAN FIXES THE NAVARA’S SUSPENSION ILLS TO MAKE IT A MORE COHESIVE DUAL-CAB PROPOSITION TOBY HAGON

IT WASN'T LONG AGO that the Nissan Navara was the perennial bridesmaid in the hard-fought sales of dual-cab utes. Far from a negative, running second to the dominant Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger was no bad thing – and helped reinforce Nissan as an off-road powerhouse nicely. But a few years of brutal competition and some missteps has seen the latest generation Navara drop off the radar for many Australian ute buyers.

Since the arrival of the current D23 mode – a truck briefly marketed as the NP300 – the Navara has been playing catch-up, something Nissan is (understandably) not comfortable with. It explains why we’re standing in a dry, dusty picnic area not far from Bendigo north-west of Melbourne. A Y61 Patrol is perched 40

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on a car trailer, ready to act as ballast. There’s a decent smattering of tools on hand and there are trays of lead weights under a gum tree in what resembles a roving workshop flanked by enthusiasts testing the mettle of their rigs.

Except that instead of enthusiasts, the people on the ground are senior Nissan product planners and engineers. They include Takahiro Nojiri, the Japanese- based man now in charge of the Navara program.

There's also the man tasked with digesting the requirements of individual markets, Hajime Tanaka.

“At first not many people in Nissan Japan realised ... what the uniqueness here is,” he said, something he expressed strongly enough to convince HQ to a delegation Down Under. Their

mission: return the Navara to its former glory. Local product manager John Kil acknowledges what 4X4 Australia readers have long known: that the rear coil suspension to date hasn't been up to the punishment and load-lugging ability of key rivals, all of which use a leaf-sprung rear (at least, until the arrival of the Mercedes-Benz X-Class).

“As part of the overall continuous improvement of the vehicle, we’re trying to address that feedback and we also wanted to improve the ride and handling,” says Kil, explaining that our surroundings in central Victoria were chosen for their steep pinches, sweeping bends, fast gravel and dips and dives. All the sorts of things so many ute drivers experience daily.

Discussions about the Navara update began early in 2017 – two months before Nissan had unleashed the first update to the D23, one aimed at quelling those issues with carrying a load. For this

tweak – which improves the dualcab SL, ST and ST-X models (the base RX is unchanged) – there could logically have been a temptation to switch to the leaf sprung rear end used in some D23 variants.

However, engineers don’t like admitting defeat. And Kil says there has been plenty of positive feedback from the growing number of “dualpurpose” customers who use a ute for work and play. “Most of the time they’re not using more than, say, 400- 500kg in the back. For those customers, Navara has actually been really positive.”

Those more supple and better controlled coils work nicely with nothing in the tray. Besides, despite the waves of discontent when doing utey things with a laden coil sprung Navara, engineers are all about finding solutions to problems. Nissan was confident it could maintain the respectable on-road prowess of the Navara, but with newfound control.

The solution was new dual-pitch coils. Instead of a coil with uniform spacing between each twist, the coil is twisted in two different distances at either end, something unique in its class. The idea is to allow a supple ride when unladen – many people drive their dual-cab utes without much in the tray – but allowing for more muscle with close to a tonne in the tray. Towing,

too, was a big issue that needed attention for the new model.

The Navara's unchanged 2.3-litre twin- turbo diesel has no issues dragging around up to 3.5 tonnes – its 450Nm is eminently accessible – but the lack of control in the car’s rear-end didn’t always instil confidence. Teaming with the new rear coils is a new rebound damper to better control the movement, particularly when working. And the rear suspension has been tuned to match the additional control and movement of the rear, with the aim of leading to a more cohesive feeling.

Our first experience comes with the car unladen. Even better, there’s

one of the old (2017 model) Navaras for comparison; back-to-back on the same roads. In terms of body control there’s not a significant difference in the way the updated Navara deals with a pockmarked backroad. It still jiggles and occasionally bucks over a larger bump.

Instead, it’s the steering that displays the biggest improvement.

The ratio has been tightened from 4.1 turns lock to lock to about 3.4. No longer do you need to be twirling the tiller like a forklift driver in a tight squeeze. It’s also been lightened, making for an altogether more pleasant machine, especially when the NAVARA |

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D23 NISSAN NAVARA ENGINE 4cyl twin-turbo diesel CAPACITY 2.3 litres MAX POWER 140kW at 3750rpm MAX TORQUE 450Nm at 1500-2500rpm GEARBOX 7-speed auto CRAWL RATIO 44:6:1 4X4 SYSTEM Dual-range part-time CONSTRUCTION Separate chassis FRONT SUSPENSION Independent/coil springs REAR SUSPENSION Live axle/coil springs WHEEL & TYRE SPEC 18-inch allows, 255/60 KERB WEIGHT 1969kg GVM 2910kg PAYLOAD 941kg TOWING CAPACITY 3500kg SEATING CAPACITY 5 FUEL TANK CAPACITY 80 litres ADR FUEL CONSUMPTION* 7.0L/100km *Australian Design Rule ‘Combined-Cycle’ claim

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road gets windy or when manoeuvring at low speeds.

Things get better when you launch a load in the back. For this test each car was bolstered with 750kg of lead, still a couple of hundred kilos below the payload, but more than most will expect of their truck.

Before turning a wheel there are clear improvements; whereas D23 Series II is sagging in the tail, its rear-end succumbing to the weight, the latest version is retaining its composure.

On the road, too, there’s a stark improvement. In the old Navara the rear-end lacks control over bumps, floating and occasionally reaching the limits of its suspension travel.

The new one not only sits flatter but disposes of imperfections – particularly big ones – with conviction. In a third-time-lucky sorta way, Nissan finally has the coil spring Navara doing a decent job of carrying loads.

Towing, too, is more controlled in the rear, the trailer more in sync with the movement of the car.

However, unlike the load test, the improvements with 3.5 tonnes on a trailer are more incremental rather than revolutionary.

Elsewhere, the Navara is largely unchanged. The four-cylinder diesel is a hearty powertrain and one that

musters its torquey best low in its rev range, for easy accessibility, and the seven-speed auto shifts faithfully, its well-spaced ratios assisting in the whole forward motion equation. All of which gets no black marks from us.

Nissan has attacked the area that really needed fixing: how the Navara drove when it was called on to do things ute drivers all over the country do regularly. That it manages to hit its target while retaining decent – if not outstanding – on-road manners makes this improvement all the more worthy.

The suspension changes haven’t revolutionised the Navara, but they’ve brought welcome evolution that makes it better for towing and carrying a load, something that should directly improve its off-road touring capability. N

thewest.com.au | 28 FEB 2018

NISSAN IS WATCHING YOU… NEIL DOWLING

AUSTRALIA HAS BECOME THE go-to nation for Nissan’s global ute development, elevated by a passionate customer base demanding more from their vehicles than their overseas counterparts.

And Nissan’s global light commercial vehicle director Ashwani Gupta is listening.

In Australia to witness firsthand the soaring demand for utes and to gauge reactions to future ute and SUV developments — including the upcoming Navara-based Terra SUV — Mr Gupta said he looked to Oz for the worldwide direction of the leisure four-wheel-drive market.

He said Australians were tough customers when it came to wants and needs in utes and Nissan was watching us more closely than other markets.

We demand utes with excellent offroad performance, competent towing, with comfort and room for a family and that can survive the hardships of a commercial environment.

But Mr Gupta was cautious when discussing subjects Australians often grizzle about with Nissan’s 4WD product: where is a diesel Patrol and a V6 diesel-engined Navara and Pathfinder?

They were possible, he said, but given the tiny right-hand-drive global market, didn’t make good

business sense, so his attention was on utes.

“The framed truck (ute) market is traditionally divided into those for professional customers and those for the leisure market,” he said.

“Now the world is catching up to Australia with demand for an aspirational vehicle that can do all roles, from extreme conditions as a workhorse and also a comfortable vehicle for the family. This gives Nissan a big challenge to find out what the next generation of vehicle will be.”

Moving closer to the ideal dual-role, dual-cab was partially answered this week when Nissan unveiled an updated dual-cab 4WD range, launched in Australia before other markets.

This is the company’s third Navara update since its 2015 launch, showing how closely Nissan is listening to local customers.

The 2018 upgrade only affects the 4WD versions with the innovative rear coil suspension — the layout employed as Nissan chased improved comfort and sets it apart from its major rivals.

Now the coil suspension has been retuned with dual-rate coils that start soft and end up very firm as weight is added, allowing the ute’s handling characteristics to remain stable despite additional payloads.

The change aims to help with payload but also ensure the handling — especially when towing — remains precise and sure-footed.

With it comes full suspension tuning and testing done in Australia for local conditions, and a 14 per cent faster steering rack to make tight manoeuvring easier.

There are other improvements, including two Isofix baby-seat points in all variants and a 360-degree camera for the top-spec ST-X. Buyers may consider waiting for the Navara’s June production to get the running change, highlighted in all dual-cabs by a digital speedo set on a colour TFT instrument panel.

On the road the changes see improvement to the steering, reducing the effort when cornering while giving a more positive feel.

Rear spring performance was tested with launch vehicles being offered on the drive program with either an empty tray, a 650kg weight or towing a trailer or, in my case, a 1600kg camper-trailer.

There has been no change to the engine and transmission and there appears little reason. There is also no alteration to the 3500kg tow rating.

The trailer-laden ST-X ignored the tightly-twisting and undulating roads in country Victoria.

Even a few hill starts with the camper-trailer in tow showed the engine certainly has more than sufficient torque to pull away cleanly and without stress.

At the same time, the sevenspeed automatic transmission never hunted between gears and always slipped smoothly up and down the box.

The test route with the 650kg tray weight was the best to show up the new suspension. The ride is compliant and handling acceptable, though cornering brought up the extra mass and, like the experience with the camper-trailer, displayed some understeer.

The improved ride is better than some rivals and only beaten by the more expensive Volkswagen Amarok. It is certainly a ute that can fulfil the dual-purpose demands of buyers. N NAVARA |

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ozroamer.com.au | 28 FEB 2018

2018 NISSAN NAVARA LAUNCH REVIEW ROB FRASER

2018 NISSAN NAVARA UTE OVERVIEW Nissan has just launched the updated 2018 version of its Navara Ute range. First launched about three years ago, the Navara had a few issues that have been addressed in this update to bring it back to mixing it with the pack leaders once again.

While almost nothing has changed externally, there are extensive updates to the handling and steering of the 2018 Nissan Navara, as well as a range of technology and safety enhancements The updates, initiated by Nissan Australia, and tested extensively in, and exclusively for, Australian conditions by a global group of Nissan Pickup experts, have been developed for Dual Cab SL, ST and ST-X variants in the Australian and New Zealand markets.

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RANGE The Navara is available in three body styles, single cab, king cab and dual cab in either pickup or cab chassis configuration.

There is a choice between two engines, two drivetrains, 4×2 and 4×4 and two transmissions.

There are 27 Pickup and eight Cab Chassis options and 10 4X2 and 25 4X4 variants. To get a better understanding see the prices below.

EXTERIOR There has been no changes to the external design in this update.

The Navara maintains a look that is somewhere between the bold American pickup truck like design of the Ranger and the softer sleeker look of the Isuzu D-Max or Mazda BT-50.

The front grill has a sweeping design that incorporates the

headlights and flows through the side bonnet bulges. These define the bonnet and also, surprisingly assist with wheel placement off road.

From the side and rear the Navara maintains a sense of subtle style, yet the jury is out on the rear tailgate lip.

Exterior features include DRL’s on all model variants, LED headlights on SL, ST, and ST-X. The ST-X grade also features LED door mirror turn indicators. The ST-X and King Cab ST also features LED door mirror turn indicators.

The SL, ST and ST-X have side steps and the ST & ST-X grades feature front fog lamps with chrome accents, located in the front bumper. ST-X has folding exterior mirrors, polished silver roof rails and intelligent keys system.

The Single Cab has a choice of 15 or 16 inch steel wheels, the King Cab

offers 16 inch steel or alloy wheels, plus an 18inch option for the ST-X, while Dual Cab comes with three 16 inch steel or alloy variants, and an 18 inch alloy. Regardless of the vehicle, the spare wheel is either a full size steel or alloy.

INTERIOR The Navara is comfortable inside.

Also as you drive it you notice how quiet it is as well.

Functionality of the dash is pretty good. Two large dials with a MFD between is a fairly standard design.

These are clear and easy to read.

In select grades, the Advanced Drive Assist Display (ADAD) provides multiple screen options in the centre of the dashboard, between the tachometer and speedometer dials, meaning drivers can view information at a simple glance.

The overall feel of the interior is clean and uncluttered.

The front seats are great, even the cloth seats of the lower grades. Like a few other Utes the Navara comes with cloth trim across the entire Navara range.

All Dual Cab ST-X models, and the King Cab ST-X 7-speed automatic, come with a leather seat option – priced at $1,500 – that includes leather-accented heated seats, leather-accented door trim and an 8-way power driver’s seat with lumbar support. To my mind this is a must have.

There are soft touch points on the door trims, centre console lid and other convenient places. Having jumped out of another Ute to go to this launch, this subtle styling luxury was noticeable.

There is enough seat slide for taller drivers and while the steering wheel isn’t reach adjustable, it seems to protrude further forward than some other similar Utes, so taller drivers aren’t reaching for the wheel. That makes a difference to driving comfort.

The glove box is a reasonable size, door pockets will hold a bottle and little else, and the centre cup holders are great and the centre console is average. Nissan has copied the idea of cup/bottle holders on the dash, which is a clever feature.

Rear seats in the dual cab, are slightly more comfortable than most of its competitors and there appears to be a little more room back there.

While dual cab Utes are often bought for their family qualities, they really don’t cater to the comfort of rear passengers all that well. There is an electronic slide rear window and rear A/C vents for convenience as well.

Forward visibility is good, and over the shoulder is a little restricted.

The ‘A’ pillars seem to come in, following the bonnet design, and the size and angle is obstructive in roundabouts etc. You can seriously lose a complete vehicle in them.

Unfortunately many other vehicles are the same.

FEATURES/TECHNOLOGY For the first time on a Navara, an Around View® Monitor has been fitted within the 7-inch infotainment system on top-of-the-range ST-X Dual Cab and King Cab grades.

Four mounted cameras help drivers notice people and cars surrounding and approaching

the vehicle, improving safety.

It also makes parking easier, recognising cars and marked lines so that drivers can position the vehicle in its bay.

Supporting this technology is the Rear View Camera, which is now offered as standard equipment unfortunately only on the pickup variants.

This is a failing of the ANCAP system as I believe what gets measured gets done. A rear view camera should be mandatory across the range for all vehicles to obtain a 5 Star safety rating.

The Rear View Camera is fitted within the infotainment screen on SL, ST and ST-X Pickup grades, and within the rear view mirror on RX pickup variants.

Helping Ute owners keep a more accurate eye on their speed, from June production all Navara SL, ST and ST-X models will feature a digital speedometer housed within the instrument cluster.

Satellite navigation has been fitted as standard equipment on the King Cab ST grade, aligning with its Dual Cab sibling.

Other features include: dual zone climate A/C, Automatic on/off headlights, heated front seats, second row seatbelt alert and two pairs of ISOFix child restraint anchorage points on Dual Cab models.

ENGINE AND DRIVETRAIN There are two engine types, the most popular being the 2.3 litre intercooled twin-turbo diesel with 140kW of power at 3,750rpm and 450Nm of torque at 1,500-2,500rpm.

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The second engine is a 2.3 litre intercooled single turbo four-cylinder diesel engine available that produces 120kW of power at 3,750rpm and 403 NM or torque at 1,500 to 2,500rpm Variants are mated with a choice of a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed automatic transmission, the latter of which has a manual mode. Both engines have pretty good fuel economy figures These are mated to either a 2WD or 4WD system. 4X2 or 2WD versions drive the rear wheels.

The 4WD versions benefit from advanced shift on the fly technology, between 2H and 4H with the traditional stopping and neutral change for 4L. The desired mode is electronically controlled via an easyto-reach dial on the dash.

The driver can switch from 2WD to 4H while the vehicle is moving at speeds of up to 100km/h. It is recommended that the driver doesn’t exceed speeds of 100km/h when 4H is engaged as this can cause damage to the transfer case.

4H is great if you are trying to get optimal traction on slippery surfaces, rough terrain, or are using 4X4 for precautionary measures.

4L (4WD LOW RANGE) 4L generates much more torque than 4H, and is used during more extreme off road situations.

During low speed operation, the low range gear provides additional control.

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situations, during steep climbs or through thick mud or water.

Other handy drivetrain features include an electronic locking rear differential, for those more difficult situations and on the ST-X, Hill Start Assist and Hill Descent Control WHAT IS IT LIKE TO DRIVE We had the opportunity to drive both engine options but only the 7 speed AT on the launch. We did however, manage to tow a range of trailers, including a typical hard floor camper trailer, dingo digger and a mixer with sand and gravel.

We also drove the Pickup version with 650kg on board and the top of the line ST-X coil sprung Ute with no rear weight. We drove these over freeway, back roads, forest trails and dirt roads.

So there was a fair degree of variation and sampling from which to form an opinion of the revised suspension set up.

If you want to go into detail about the revised suspension set up you should check out the Nissan website.

The verdict is that they have finally got it right. On all surfaces, across all loads, the suspension was compliant with no bottoming out that we felt, and handled the loads and towing responsibilities with composure. In fact the range topping ST-X will now challenge the leading Utes as the best on road riding Ute. The re-rated steering feels well weighted, linear, with good feedback and direct response. I didn’t like the steering wheel itself, it was a

little too thin and plastic for me, but others liked it.

One noticeable feature was how quiet the Navara was, it appeared well insulated from both excessive road noise and wind noise. The engine was also muted, at times you had to wonder of it was a petrol or diesel engine.

The engine itself is willing and frugal. For me there is only one choice and that is the twin turbo 140kW version. For most of the test it cruised comfortably and unstressed. Occasionaly, while towing and under load, it definitely had to work harder, but this may be as much to do with the transmission as the engine.

At times it appears that the matching between engine and gear selection is slightly off.

Very minor but it left you feeling that there is a touch more left on the table. This is something that would disappear with more time in the driver’s seat and it adapts to your style.

DIMENSIONS The ST-X dual cab Navara has an overall length of 5255mm, wheelbase of 3150mm, width of 1850mm and Height of 1855mm.

U nladen ground clearance is 228mm.

A pproach angle is 33.2 degrees, rampover is 24.7 and departure angle is 28.2 degrees.

Wading depth is TBC Turning circle is 12.4m

GVM of 2910kg, GCM of 5910, K erb mass of 1979kg and Payload of 931kg.

T owing capacity is 3500kg and tow ball rating is up to 300kg depending on reduction in GVM. SAFETY The Navara comes with a 5 Star ANCAP Safety rating for the existing model and the update includes a range of new safety and smart technologies.

The Nissan Navara range features: S even airbags, including two front, two side seat, two side curtain and a driver knee airbag, T hree-point Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) belts on all seats, D river and front passenger seatbelts with load limiters and pre-tensioners, H eight adjustment and seatbelt warnings, S econd row seatbelt alert and two pairs of ISOFix child restraint anchorage points on Dual Cab models.

Other features include: Automatic on/off headlights, H azard warning lights and an LED high-mounted stop light.

D aytime running lights are standard, with LED signature daytime running lights on select grades.

Featuring a collapsible steering column and an energy absorbing bonnet, the latter of which is designed to minimise pedestrian injury, the Navara also has door side

intrusion bars, child safety locks on the rear doors and a ‘door ajar’ warning light on all doors.

One negative is that the reversing camera is only available as standard on all Pickup grades, either positioned within the 5-inch or 7-inch infotainment system or within the rearview mirror. Reversing sensors are also standard on ST-X. More technologically focused safety features include: V ehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) with B rake Limited Slip Differential (BLSD) improves dynamic performance and safety, Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), E lectronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Active Brake Limited Slip (ABLS) T raction Control System (TCS) and B rake Assist (BA) also appear on all grades.

CONCLUSION Nissan Navara has always been an excellent Ute. Nissan allowed the competition to get ahead of them in recent times and in an extremely competitive segment, that can be market suicide.

Fortunately it wasn’t and the Navara is now back to its best and can once again challenge the segment frontrunners.

Our next 4WD Ute comparison video should be a ripper with the Navara now reintroduced to the fold.

NISSAN NAVARA 2018 MY PRICING While pricing generally remains unchanged, eight of the variants have seen prices increase between $200 and $500 reflecting the addition of equipment that is now standard. Pricing#for Single Cab variants start at $25,990, King Cabs from $28,490 and the Dual Cab from $33,490.

For an additional $1,500 Nissan offers a Leather Accented Seat Option³ on King Cab ST-X 7AT and all Dual Cab ST-X grades.

A tilt and slide electric sunroof package is also available for $1,000 on the Dual Cab ST-X 4X4.

Available in eight contemporary exterior colours, the 2018 Nissan Navara is on sale now.

VERDICT The verdict is that they have finally got it right. On all surfaces, across all loads, the suspension was compliant with no bottoming out that we felt, and handled the loads and towing responsibilities with composure.

In fact the range topping ST-X will now challenge the leading Utes as the best on road riding Ute. N

SUMMARY 2018 NISSAN NAVARA ROAD TEST

4.0

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The Courier Mail | 2 FEB 2018

FAMILY PICK-UPS TOUGH IT OUT: NISSAN NAVARA ST V MAZDA BT-50 XTR CRAIG DUFF

NISSAN NAVARA ST $45,490 DRIVE-AWAY, 18PTS VALUE 4 STARS The Navara outsold the BT-50 by almost 40 per cent last year. Now it is undercutting the Mazda on price — and it doesn’t need a bullbar to look good. Beyond the visual impact, the ST has keyless entry and rear door pockets. The Nissan has an average threeyear/100,000km warranty but only needs servicing every 12 months/20,000km and the first three services will be about $1832.

DESIGN 3.5 STARS It looks tough but is probably the most car-like to travel in courtesy of a five-link rear suspension. The set-up means it can’t match the leaf-spring layout of its rivals and sags under any decent load. The actual payload is 982kg for the auto model. Most buyers are chasing the look not the cargo capacity, which puts the Nissan right in the picture.

ENGINE 4 STARS The 2.3-litre twin-turbo diesel (140kW/450Nm) cedes displacement to its opposition but doesn’t lose much in performance due to the light weight and seven-speed transmission. The Navara is the leaner runner of this duo at a claimed 7.0L/100km. Expect about 10.0L in the real world — still better than most in this class.

SAFETY 3.5 STARS Seven airbags and a five-star rating give the Nissan solid safety credentials. A 2015 ANCAP assessment gave it 35.01/37.

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The ST comes with a reversing camera and cruise control but misses hill start assist and hill descent control.

DRIVING 3.5 STARS The Series II updates to the NP300 resulted in stiffer suspension that now controls body roll through the turns and gives the Nissan better balance when loaded. It shares the Mazda’s tendency to bounce over small bumps but, again, it’s far from a deal-breaker.

The steering is noticeably slower than the BT-50 — not so great in carparks but better off-road.

SAFETY 3.5 STARS ANCAP crash-tested the Ford Ranger on which the BT-50 is based in 2011 and awarded the Mazda five stars, though it noted design differences between the two models meant the Mazda’s pedestrian protection wasn’t tested.

Standard gear includes six airbags, cruise control, a camera, trailer sway and hill ascent/descent controls.

infotainment screen that thankfully relocates the reversing camera display from the rearview mirror to the screen. Payload is 1100kg.

MAZDA BT-50 XT-R AUTO $47,990 DRIVE-AWAY 17/25PTS VALUE 3.5 STARS Prices on the BT-50 range have been tweaked to compensate for the fact this Ranger-derived workhorse was outsold by everything this side of a VW Amarok last year. That makes the XT-R exceptionally good value right now. Default equipment includes satnav, an eight-inch Alpine-derived infotainment screen with satnav and dual-zone aircon as standard. The two-year/unlimited km warranty is ordinary but extends to three years if you haven’t hit 100,000km. Servicing isn’t great at 12 month/10,000km but the price is competitive at $1800 for the first four years/40,000km.

ENGINE 3.5 STARS A 147kW/470Nm 3.2-litre turbodiesel certainly isn’t lacking in power.

It does lack for fuel efficiency at a claimed 10.0-litres/100km and on-the-road figures will see that blow out around 12-13L/100km.

The six-speed auto (like the Navara a six-speed manual is standard; no-one buys it) is a syrup-smooth performer though there’s a bit of noise when you hit the accelerator to tap that performance.

DRIVING 3.5 STARS The Mazda is still the pick of this pair for on-road manners. Firm dampers make the ride mildly jittery over corrugations if there’s only a driver on board but it’s far from uncomfortable. Add some weight and the BT-50 settles onto its leaf rear springs and absorbs the worst our substandard roads can throw at it.

VERDICT The combination of looks and fuel efficiency edges the Navara over the line. High-spec 4WD pick-ups are intended for family duties and the Nissan fulfils that brief marginally better than the BT-50. A revised Navara is coming later this year for those prepared to wait for suspension that deals with a decent load. N

DESIGN 3 STARS The ugly duckling of the four-wheeldrive pick-up range suffers for its lack of visual toughness. Mazda has tried to address that with a midlife facelift but the BT-50 still has a more car-like front than its competitors — and buyers haven’t taken to it. The interior boasts an eight-inch Alpine NAVARA |

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behindthewheel.com.au | 1 SEP 2017

2018 NISSAN 370Z NISMO LAUNCH REVIEW JOEL HELMES

THE NISSAN ‘Z’ CAR HISTORY goes back to the legendary Datsun 240Z, in 2017 the original ethos of an affordable sports car continues with the new NISMOtweaked Nissan 370Z. The 370Z is certainly not the freshest thing on the shelf, this body shape dates back almost a decade, and for many people the Nissan 370Z was a car that was simply no longer on sports car buyer’s radars.

In recent years we’ve seen other sporty options come along, primarily the wildly successful Ford Mustang.

But the 370Z is set to jump back onto the test-drive list with sharper pricing across the standard coupe/ roadster variants (as covered here) and this new NISMO-tweaked variant. I got along to the Australian launch of the 2018 Nissan 370Z NISMO and came away a fan of the offering, particularly taking pricing into account.

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Available only in coupe form, Nissan is going to be asking you for an amount starting from $61,490 for the manual, $63,990 auto.

I drove both variants and while Nissan reckons 65% of the NISMO cars will leave dealerships with an auto transmission, there is no way that would be the one I would buy.

The six-speed manual with a delightful short/tight shift feel finishes this sporty offering off so much nicer.

SO, WHAT SETS A NISMO 370Z APART FROM A ‘STANDARD’ 370Z? There’s a twin exhaust – this helps boost power and torque up 8kW/8Nm to 253kW/371Nm. You also get 19″ NISMO alloy wheels, a reasonably subtle body-kit, beefedup brakes, some red stripes on the mirrors, stiffened up suspension, and Recaro sports seats. The end result is a genuine fun machine, it isn’t perfect, but it’s a great value offering.

On the road, the suspension is certainly firm, but nowhere near as jarring as something like the Volkswagen Golf R. YOU COULD LIVE WITH THE SUSPENSION IN THIS CAR EVERYDAY. The steering is heavy at low speeds, and quite direct, while the handling and grip allow you to feel like a much better driver in the bends than you might actually be.

A downside is the amount of tyre noise that permeates through to the cabin, especially on course surfaces.

There’s also some wind noise, though this is generally drowned out by the tyres!

Thankfully Nissan’s 3.7 litre V6 naturally-aspirated engine (not a turbo to be seen) can still be heard, and exacerbated by the twin exhaust.

There’s some blind spots from the driver’s seat, the

NUTS AND BOLTS – 2018 NISSAN 370Z NISMO ENGINE 3.7 litre V6 producing 253kW/371Nm TRANSMISSION Six-speed manual or seven-speed auto SAFETY Not tested WARRANTY 3yrs/100,000km ORIGIN Japan PRICE $61,490 (manual), $63,990 (auto)

gauges and controls are more 2010 than 2018, it’s a bit of a hard thing to get in and out of, and cabin storage areas/luggage space are minimal too.

The bolstering, especially on the seat base of the Recaros is also a better fit for those who are more on the petite side, rather than the average middle-aged male!

There’s no back-seat whatsoever, the 370Z is purely a two-seat fun machine… oh and don’t go looking for mod-cons like Apple CarPlay/Android Auto or digital radio.

Summing it up; the Nissan 370Z isn’t perfection on wheels, however these NISMO enhancements have helped breathe new life into the old girl.

It delivers a lot more performance and dare I say cabin space than cheaper rivals like the Toyota 86/Mazda MX-5, and is a more enjoyable car in the bends than then portly Mustang.

If you’re in the market for a genuine sports coupe, and want to keep your outlay below sixty-five grand, you’d be mad to not to take the NISMOtweaked 370Z for a spin. N

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Daily Telegraph, Sydney | 2 SEP 2017

WAKE UP FOR NEXT ZED SLICK PRICING FOR THE TOPLINE NISMO CARS GIVES THE 370Z A DIG IN THE RIBS PAUL GOVER

ASHIPMENT OF FAIRY DUST ARRIVED this week from Nismoland in Japan, sprinkled over the top of a lightly tweaked Nissan 370Z. If any car needs the magic it’s the ancient Zed, which has been around almost unchanged since 2009. It’s an old-school driving car with a frontmounted V6 and rearwheel drive, not a trendy front-drive turbo hatch — or the gargantuan GT-R Godzilla that it follows as the second Nismo model in the gofaster local line-up.

The Nismo changes are simple and predictable, from firmer suspension and bigger wheels to spoilers, Recaro sports seat, alcantara wrapping on the steering wheel and some stickers. There are a double-bazooka exhaust, chassis dampers and slightly higher engine outputs, up by 8kW/8Nm. So why bother?

“I think it will sustain interest in the Zed as a car. I’m not banking on it giving the car a kick in sales,” says Nissan Australia managing director Richard Emery. “It’s to get more excitement into our showrooms.”

Any excitement will be good.

Nissan has retreated into SUVs and light commercials as it works

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QUICK GLANCE NISSAN 370Z NISMO PRICE From $61,490 SAFETY Not rated ENGINE 3.7-litre V6, 253kW/371Nm TRANSMISSION 6-speed manual, 7-speed auto; RWD THIRST From 10.4L/100km

to make a smarter business case for passenger cars in Australia. It’s relying on Nismo to polish the GT-R and 370Z badges.

Emery anticipates the 370Z will run for at least another two years — despite a complete blank on plans for a successor — and believes the update and major price adjustments will stabilise sales at 300-400 annually.

For many, the best thing about the 370Z Nismo coupe is the price change it brings for the whole Zed family. The six models start from $49,990, with the manual Nismo version from $61,490 and the auto from $63,990.

Emery expects 30 per cent of 370Z sales to have the Nismo gear and buyers to come from two obvious — but very different — groups. “There are males 45-65, married, probably with no kids at home, excited by driving. Then males 20-24, Nismo enthusiasts.”

ON THE ROAD This is not what I expect from a 370Z with Nismo badges. I’m fearing something from the “Pull out the suspension, make it loud” crew. This one is smoother and more refined than the regular 370Z and generally more pleasant.

Its advanced age is obvious. I can’t find a digital speedometer anywhere, the cabin is messy and outdated and there are none of the latest advanced safety features.

Still, the basics will still work for people who like to drive and the Recaro seats are great.

It’s no rocket ship, though it is easier to keep the car running along thanks to the shove of the midrange torque. It runs well to the redline, too, with a great bark from the Nismo exhaust.

The body changes give the car a bit more visual heft. The wheels are

set 15mm wider apart but the bigger advantage comes from separate mass dampers that aid suspension compliance. Some people might find more grip from wider rear 245-35 Dunlop tyres.

The exhaust also removes the drone of the regular 370Z — and the rear looks great.

VERDICT A little does quite a lot for the 370Z. The Nismo car is sweeter to drive but keep an eye on the speedo. N

WHAT'S NEW PRICE Introducing Nismo models allows a price cut. The starting price has never been cheaper, at $49,990.

TECHNOLOGY The suspension is tweaked with old-school springs and dampers but there is Bose active noise-cancelling to help in the cabin. Chassis dampers reduce vibration but the Nismo strut brace in the engine bay is the regular one from a Zed ... with a special sticker.

PERFORMANCE The Nismo exhaust is a complete dual set-up for better flow, working with tweaks to the engine management computer. Extra 8kW and 8Nm outputs are undetectable.

DRIVING The 370Z has always been fun but not very refined. The Nismo package smooths the edges, allows more confident cornering and makes any drive more relaxing and rewarding.

DESIGN The shape is unchanged, so the Nismo tweaking is just tinkering around the edges with a spoiler, side skirts and badges. The 19-inch Rays forged alloys save weight.

wheelsaustralia

MOUNTAIN MONSTER WHAT BETTER TEST FOR THE ANGRIEST-EVER GT-R THAN THE MOUNT THAT MADE THE GODZILLA LEGEND? ALEX INWOOD

FORREST’S ELBOW. BATHURST. NOT a place you’d normally associate with a moment of crystal-clear realisation, and yet, as the GT-R Nismo launches from the downhill lefthander, its traction-control light blinking with epileptic urgency at the top of fourth gear, 200 km/h already on the dial, that’s exactly what happens. My mind drowns out the fighter-jet roar of the twin-turbo V6, the slight tugging on the wheel as the semi-slick Dunlops scrabble for traction, and instead zeroes in on the battle-scarred piece of cement to my right.

“Huh,” I think. “That’s where Jim Richards aquaplaned into the wall in his R32 GT-R in 1992…”

Reality returns with a rush and seconds later I’m resisting the urge to lift as the car goes light over the crest on Conrod at 280km/h, yet the moment isn’t lost.

Richards’ crash during that rain-soaked race, and his resulting controversial victory alongside teammate Mark Skaife, is at the core of the Skyline GT-R’s legend in Australia.

And now, 25 years later, Godzilla has returned to The Mountain. And what a return it is.

In the hierarchy of GT-R, this Nismo version is the biggest, baddest and

fastest of the lot. It’s also the most expensive. Nismo will only build around 200 a year, 20 or so of which will make their way to Australia for the princely sum of $299,000.

In the GT-R pecking order, that’s a whopping $101,000 more than the already rabid GT-R Premium, and $72,000 more than the GT-R Track Edition, which shares the Nismo’s bonded chassis (for an eight percent improvement in rigidity), stiffer suspension componentry and semislick rubber (255/40R20 up front, 285/35R20 out back).

So, what exactly are you getting for the extra coin?

Well, there’s more grunt, for a start. Nismo versions use the same 3.8-litre twin-turbo VR38DETT V6 as other GT-Rs, but score larger turbochargers from Nissan’s GT3 racing car, for a power hike of 22kW/20Nm. Total outputs now read 441kW/652Nm. There’s also a more resolved aero package – headlined by that monster carbonfibre rear wing – which Nissan says provides an extra 100kg of downforce at 300km/h.

The suspension has been overhauled too, and is even more focused than the Track Edition. The spring rates, shocks and dampers

are all Nismo specific, and there’s also a hollow rear anti-roll bar.

Oddly, given the Nismo’s track focus, the brake package (390mm ventilated discs up front, 380mm rear) remains unchanged from the entry-level GT-R Premium, though there are additional cooling ducts.

What has changed is the weight, but not by as much as you’d expect given the Nismo’s extra lashings of carbonfibre, which also extends to the front and rear bumpers and the bootlid. Officially, the Nismo hits the scales at a hefty 1739kg, just 26 kegs less than the regular GT-R. Still, incremental gains have long been the GT-R calling card, and as I pull out of the pits into Mountain Straight for the first time, I’m instantly reminded of the staggering way this things stacks on speed.

The VR38DETT isn’t what you’d call particularly raucous or sonorous, but it is eye-openingly effective.

There is some turbo lag down low, but once on song the V6 GT-R |

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rushes to its 7100rpm redline with ferocious intensity.

Another welcome reminder is just how connected the GT-R feels. In a world of polished, refinsed supercars the GT-R Nismo is refreshingly analogue, its diffs grumbling and transmission clunking at low speed and its diffs grumbling and transmission clunking at low speed and its hydraulic steering providing a tactile sense of communication. Nismo’s engineers have added a little more steering weight, and the result is a tiller that’s immediate, direct and instantly confidence inspiring.

If the bottom of Mount Panorama is all about power and big braking, then the top is all about finesse.

And the GT-R comes to the party.

It turns in hard, is eager to change direction, and demonstrates a sense of balance and grip that defies its substantial heft. It’s particularly impressive through the high-speed sections, where it feels almost unflappably stable.

The brakes are mighty too, though

NISSAN GT-R NISMO ENGINE 3799cc V6 (60°), dohc, 24v, twin-turbo MAX POWER 441kW @ 6800rpm MAX TORQUE 652Nm @ 36005600rpm TRANSMISSION 6-speed dual-clutch KERB WEIGHT 1739kg 0-100KM/H 2.7sec (estimated) ECONOMY 11.7L/100km PRICE $299,000 ON SALE Now

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several hard laps does result in some fade and a longer pedal.

The Nismo is also a car that’s easy to over-drive. Get too fussy with the steering or too eager on the throttle and you’ll run into understeer and power oversteer. Better to be smooth, to settle the car and revel in the grip and the way the rear-biased all-wheel-drive system edges the back-end wide on corner exit. Is it as engaging and as rewarding as rivals that weight 200kg less? That’s questionable, but in isolation the Nismo is a staggering thing.

Where it makes less sense is on a public road. On old, pockmarked tarmac around Bathurst, the flipside of the Nismo’s extra focus is immediately felt. The suspension isn’t crashy, in fact it’s well controlled, but there’s no hiding that it’s super firm. Tramlining is rampant too, and if you do hit a big bump at speed, the whole car skips half a lane across the road. Is it unbearable? No. Is it acceptable?

Just, if you’re driving to a race track.

For regular use, the far cheaper,

and only slightly less focused Track Edition makes more sense.

Which brings us to the core of the issue facing the GT-R Nismo: do its exclusivity and incremental performance gains justify the $300K price tag? Objectively, no they don’t. But as a car to experience, as an expression of what the GT-R is capable of, the Nismo is one of the most engaging, talented and characterful cars on sale. It’s deserving of its place at the top of Godzilla’s family tree. N

SONS OF GODZILLA Nissan has revealed the GT-R Nismo will soon be joined by two other hardcore models, as the company moves to build an “authentic” performance car brand Down Under. Leading the charge will be the ageing 370Z Nismo expected to arrive in late 2017. “I didn’t want the GT-R Nismo to be an isolated product,” said Nissan Australia boss Richard Emery. “Certainly I’d like the second model to arrive within the first 12 months… it’s probably the 370Z that makes the most sense.

A third Nismo model, tipped to be the Juke SUV, is mooted within the next two to three years. “Having three Nismo models would be great,” said Emery. “We’re looking at what’s available, so there’s GT-R, there’s 370Z, there’s Juke, they make a Patrol Nismo for the Middle East but the chance of us getting that is remote.

But Nismo needs to be authentic. It needs to be real performance, not stripes and alloys.

caradvice.com.au | 31 OCT 2017

2018 NISSAN LEAF REVIEW THE 2018 NISSAN LEAF MUST REMIND PEOPLE THAT ITS MAKER WAS THE WORLD'S REAL MAINSTREAM EV PIONEER, EVEN IF SILICON VALLEY GETS THE PLAUDITS. IT'S NOT THE GAMECHANGER ITS PREDECESSOR WAS, BUT CREDIT WHERE IT'S DUE. MIKE COSTELLO

NISSAN’S DECISION TO LAUNCH the first Leaf electric car way back in 2009 was akin to a military leader from ancient history dashing into the fray of battle without ensuring his soldiers were following close behind.

Here the company was, rolling out a mainstream EV across the world before most rival carmakers had so much as figuratively rallied their engineers. It was a major gamble, but one that Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn saw as an essential differentiator for the years ahead.

Claimed range opens more doors Revised cabin displays a step up Smooth and punchy electric drivetrain Solid array of driver aids meet class standards

Could use more sex appeal Lack of steering column reach adjustment Indicated $50k price will be a hurdle if true Australian deliveries likely 12 months away

Anyone who’s into the tech game knows that being an early adopter makes you a crash-test dummy for any problems that arise.

But at the same time, you can stake a claim to leadership if the field matures. And Nissan always thought this was a certainty.

Now it’s time to capitalise, and the new Leaf is tasked with doing exactly this – cashing in on Nissan’s deserved status as the maker of what has long been the world’s most popular EV, often by something

approximating default, in a now rapidly maturing market.

Sure, the segment is still relatively small, but major players such as Volkswagen will launch its own populist EVs by 2020, and industry analysts predict the pricing of electric and combustion-engine cars will converge around 2025. Earlier if subsidies apply.

The other reason why the new Leaf is so vital is that Nissan must remind the public that it is the true EV innovator for the masses, alongside alliance partner Renault and perhaps BMW, and reclaim the limelight from Tesla, which has used its charismatic founder to steal everyone’s thunder without yet offering product the average person can hope to afford.

So what has Nissan done over the past eight years? The answer is tantamount to ‘enough – for now’. The new Leaf for 2018 comes with a redesigned skin sitting on a reworked platform that houses a ‘denser’ lithium-ion battery pack that offers a much longer driving range between recharges, the headline figure for any prospective EV buyer.

It also gets Nissan’s latest active safety driving aids that allow partial ‘one-lane’ hands- and feet-free driving, a ramped-up regenerative braking system like the BMW LEAF |

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i3’s that allows one-pedal urban commuting, and the company’s revamped infotainment displays/UI that finally match slicker rival units.

Where to begin…

Nissan has developed the Leaf’s now 40kWh Li battery pack to house cells with 67 per cent greater density compared to the 24kWh 2010 launch model, and has worked on improving durability by playing with the internal chemistry.

The resultant 400km driving range ceiling is about triple the original Leaf’s, and more than double the iterations uprated with 30kWh packs, even though the actual battery array is the same size as before.

Buyers will arrive at a full charge in 16 hours if using a 3kW connection, or eight hours if using a more powerful 6kW point. Quickcharging capability will get your energy reserves to 80 per cent in 40 minutes, if you’ve access to public charge points.

The new drivetrain makes power of 110kW and instant torque rated as 320Nm, up 38 per cent and 26 per cent respectively, cutting the claimed 0-100km/h time to 8.0 seconds. The kerb weight is about 1500kg, around 200kg heavier than an equivalentsize IC car like a Mazda 3.

For context, how does this compare to Australia’s favourite EV, the BMW i3 94Ah? The carbon-fibre Bimmer is about 200kg lighter, its 125kW/250Nm motor helps it dash to 100km/h about 0.7sec faster, and it tops up to 80 per cent on

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a fast-charger in 39 minutes.

Its 33kWh battery gives an inferior range of about 300km on the European cycle though.

So this Nissan edges the BMW, which it should given the pace at which the market develops. And its lead will be eroded fast if it isn’t proactive, which is why Nissan says it will also offer a Leaf with more power and longer range, at a higher price, during 2018.

This is to ward off imminent competitors such as the 2020/21 Volkswagen I.D and its expected 600km range, plus high-end Golf diesel-matching price, and the Tesla Model 3 when and/if that company gets production ramped-up to satisfy the orders it has taken deposits on.

Looking ahead further still, the company is working on solid-state batteries that theoretically offer even greater ranges. Battery makers are also making huge progress on rapid charging to improve convenience, while Nissan and others are also preparing to trial wireless/contactless inductive-charging conducted via pads and coils, rather than plugs.

But that’s all for the future. Here in the now we can report the MY18 Leaf’s driving characteristics reminded us why EVs have such an obviously strong future for a sizeable part of the population – especially the majority of car-using humans: city-dwellers.

Acceleration is frisky, especially off the line where the motor’s

instantaneous torque delivery gets you up and running fast, equivalent to a proper sports car out to about 60km/h before it starts to taper. The single-speed gearing is also a novel feeling, bringing momentum on with a surge rather than gradation.

The there’s the feted ‘e-Pedal’ with energy recuperation that gives a deceleration rate of up to 0.2 g when you lift off the throttle, effectively bringing the car to a stop without braking.

Once you become familiar, the car’s actual brake pedal will collect dust until you leave the urban sprawl – as our time spent in the similarly

equipped BMW i3 showed us – or unless some numpty cuts you off.

The only downside is the wooden pedal feel if you actually do need to apply said middle pedal. This could use a tweak.

Nissan’s fan-dangled ProPilot suite offers claimed single-lane autonomy.

But forget the nice marketing, it’s just a package of lane-departure prevention that can control the steering if lane markings are clear, and adaptive cruise control that brings the car to a halt, and keeps it there until you hit a button on the steering wheel.

Still, this Level 2 autonomous tech package felt as deft as those in much pricier BMWs and MercedesBenzes on our brief Tokyo test drive, and we would point out that Nissan has been at the pointy end of driverless car research for a long time now – even if it's mostly only emerged in concept form compared to the Germans.

We'll wait to drive it locally...

Finally there’s a ProPilot parking system that controls throttle, braking and steering to put the car into parallel or perpendicular bays all by itself. All you have to do is hold a button and thanks to the car’s four high-res cameras and 12 ultrasonic sensors, it parked us just fine, albeit slowly.

Along with all this, the Leaf gets AEB, blind-spot monitoring,

a 360-degree overhead camera, a system designed to prevent accidental pedal misapplication from actually causing harm in most cases (Nissan actually cited Japan's ageing population as its motivator), cross-traffic alert and traffic sign recognition cameras and data processors.

From a ride and handling perspective, the Leaf’s revised legacy platform limits any hope of hot hatch dynamism, though for urban driving the light steering (feel-free despite new software and stiffer steering torsion bar) and silent drivetrain are ideal, even if the latter merely maximises road roar from tyres and wind.

Heavy components including the battery are placed in the centre of the body and low, to improve stability. The rear bump stops are now rubber not urethane, though honestly on our test loop we only encountered marble-smooth roads.

Though we can’t imagine it’s less at home on patchy extra-urban surfaces than the skinny-tyred and sometimes-graceless BMW i3…

What do you think of the design?

It’s certainly more conventional than before, likely more capable of appealing to a mainstream audience, less polarising than the i3, probably not as classically chic as a Renault Zoe. Though the plethora LEAF |

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of bright colours are hit/miss. Dark red, yes. Bright yellow, eurgh.

It is inspired by the IDS Concept car from the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show, albeit very toned-down, which is a shame. There’s a similar brandsignature V-Motion grille, boomerang light array and ‘floating’ (contrastpainted) roof.

The body also has a slippery 0.28 coefficient-of-drag rating thanks to a roof and floor that direct air flow to converge behind and away from the car’s tail, while the angle of the charging port at the front has been reconfigured for greater convenience, letting the customer connect the charging cable without bending down.

“The philosophy behind the exterior design was to express clean and simple lines and a robust and sleek silhouette, creating the feeling of a high-tech device,” Nissan claims. In case you were interested.

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The Leaf’s cabin belies the car’s Mazda 3-rivalling dimensions thanks to the floor design and high roof, comfortably seating four adults.

The battery mounting point also allows a deep boot with a huge 435-litre capacity, albeit at the expense of any type of spare wheel – though Australia will likely pick up a spacesaver spare as an option, as it should.

There’s a new infotainment screen with simple menus and belated Apple CarPlay integration is Nissan’s finest to date, while its NissanConnect integration system lets you look for continuously updated information such as the location and operating hours of free charging stations and charging station availability.

Owners can also use their smartphone to check the car’s battery status and switch on the air conditioning, heating and charging process remotely.

On a side note, we played with a working trial version of a new Nissan app on a kind Japanese engineer’s phone, that lets you keep an eye on all of your car’s data by pulling it from an Alliance cloud server, and found it way more intuitive than BMW’s i app.

The instruments ahead of you also come complemented by a TFT digital display with a range of submenus, including ones that show what the battery pack and motor are doing in real-time. We also dig the button placement and the little gear shifter/knob.

Less ideal are the hard plastics everywhere that feel far from premium, though in fairness this is a common Japanese design ethos, and the lack of telescopic steering column adjustment that really waters down what are otherwise excellent ergonomics.

OUR RATINGS BREAKDOWN

8.0 9.0

PERFORMANCE & ECONOMY

7.5

CABIN SPACE & COMFORT

8.5

TECHNOLOGY & CONNECTIVITY

7.0

RIDE & HANDLING

Our tester was fitted with one notably cool option: a camera display in the rear-view mirror housing that shows you what’s behind no matter what’s in the cabin. We loved it, though some people we spoke with didn’t. Try before you buy.

On the topic of buying, here’s one major sticking point. The Leaf is now in sale in Japan, and will roll out across 60 countries worldwide in the short term.

Yet because Australia is miles behind Europe, the US and even

China in EV market penetration – thanks in part to a government that looks at subsidising green energy in amateurish fashion, according to one former Nissan Australia exec we know — we’re way down the pecking order.

When can we have the Leaf locally? Potentially as a Christmas present. In 2018. More than a year from now. When it will be priced at up to $50,000. Sure, that’s $15k cheaper than the BMW i3, but it’s also not a projected price point that will change the game.

All that said, provided Nissan offers good buyer support – dealer charging stations, home wallboxes, engaged dealers – it’s in pole position to remain an EV leader both here and internationally for the time being.

The new Leaf is not the paradigm shift that the first one was, and it’ll need to keep improving in terms of driving range, cabin layout and partial autonomy if it’s to match the next crop of rivals launching around 2020. But credit to Nissan where’s it’s due. Just keep the momentum… N LEAF |

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NISSAN GENUINE ACCESSORIES:

COMPLETE CONFIDENCE Nissan is committed to providing accessories that are designed and developed specifically for your vehicle.

Nissan Genuine Accessories have undergone thousands of hours of rigorous testing to meet the high standards of quality and performance, with safety the top priority.

They are made to perfectly fit your vehicle, ensuring they run at the optimum level and are ready for any adventure.

Built to be reliable, Nissan parts also help maintain your vehicle’s resale value.

For more information, speak to your local Nissan Dealership or download the accessories brochure from Nissan.com.au/accessories

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| ACCESSORIES

PHONE HOLDER The laws surrounding the use of mobile phones in your vehicle are getting harsher and harsher – and more expensive – if you are caught using them while driving.

Recently in Victoria, it was announced that new technology is soon to arrive that will capture you using your phone – even texting – when stopped at traffic lights.

Fortunately, Nissan allows you to tether your phone through the infotainment system, with controls via the steering wheels.

But for those of you who still want something to hold your phone, the Nissan Genuine Phone Holder sits perfectly in the vehicle’s cup holder, is safe and practical to use, and is stylish – just like your car.

NUDGE BAR Want to make your Nissan X-TRAIL even more stylish?

The “cool” factor increases with the addition of a Nissan Genuine Nudge bar.

Do you have an active lifestyle, drive off road, or use your vehicle professionally?

Regardless of the usage, accidents can happen and the nudge bar is designed to protect the front of your vehicle.

Built tough, Nissan’s nudge bar includes secure mounting points to ensure it fits perfectly to the front bumper to absorb minor bumps and scrapes.

ACCESSORIES |

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SUNSHADES Do you do a lot of driving? Do you have a family that spends a lot of time in the car? Do you live in parts of Australia that experience significant sunshine – even in the colder months?

Are you tired of the sun shining into your eyes?

If the answer to any one of these questions is yes, than you need the Nissan Genuine Sunshades.

Custom made to fit your Nissan X-TRAIL, Pathfinder and QASHQAI, these branded Sunshades help block out the sun’s harsh rays to not only shield you and your passengers from the sun, but also keep your vehicle nice and cool.

Durable and stylish in their design, the Sunshades create a tint that protects little ones on the brightest of days and are easily positioned or removed.

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LED LIGHT BAR Sometimes we can all do with some more light when driving.

If you do a lot of night driving, live on the land or regularly enjoy off-roading, your high beams might not be adequate to help see the path ahead.

Light up the drive with the Nissan Genuine LED Light Bar. Designed to increase light projection and improve safety and long distance visibility, the powerful and efficient LED Light Bar is available in a range of options, with two different sizes and beam patterns.

Fitment of nudge bar, bull bar and/or genuine lighting restricts the front camera view on Navara Series vehicles equipped with Around View Monitor

SIDE STEPS The Nissan QASHQAI is one of the country’s most popular small SUVs, and it’s one that owners like to accessorise.

Like any vehicle in the Nissan range, there are a considerable number of stylish Nissan Genuine Accessories available.

For example, some are designed to protect, like the bonnet and headlamp protectors; some products, like roof pods, bike carriers and luggage storage bags, help

stow your gear in the right place and safely, while some are designed to simply make your car look even better.

The 17 and 19 inch alloy wheels look tough and work beautifully with the Black Mirror Caps and the rear glass chrome finisher. But new to the range is the Aluminum Side Step (pictured) – which will certainly finish off your new car with style – and turn a few heads.

ACCESSORIES |

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NISSAN INTELLIGENT MOBILITY RECENTLY, NISSAN made the commitment to make transportation safer, smarter, and more enjoyable. Nissan Intelligent Mobility is the roadmap, providing the vision for the future of motoring, and encompasses three core areas of innovation:

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| LOOKING BACK

How our vehicles are powered (Nissan Intelligent Power) How they are driven (Nissan Intelligent Driving) How they are integrated into society (Nissan Intelligent Integration)

But these developments aren’t in the distant future – they are taking shape in the Nissan vehicle that you drive today.

Intelligent Driving, Nissan Intelligent Power and Nissan Intelligent Integration.

NISSAN INTELLIGENT POWER Nissan’s leadership in electric vehicles demonstrates our commitment to progress and to the environment, by bringing cleaner, quiet power and transportation to the world As the world’s best-selling electric vehicle, the Nissan LEAF has redefined what an electric car can be. It gives you instant torque and zero tailpipe emissions, proving that sustainable transportation doesn’t have to compromise the thrill of driving.

Nissan continues to advance technologies that will be integrated into future electric vehicles – like the All-New Nissan LEAF, which has recently been named the 2018 World Green Car of the Year.

NISSAN INTELLIGENT DRIVING Today’s Nissan vehicle offers technologies that help look out for you, and some of them can even take action and help you avoid trouble.

What does this mean? It means that a range of active technologies are built into your car to help improve safety while you drive. In short, they have been developed to better protect you and your passengers.

For example, using radar technology to keep an eye on your proximity to the vehicle ahead of you, Forward Collision Warning can give you audible and visual display warnings to help you know when to reduce your speed. If required, the Intelligent Emergency Braking will apply braking to reduce vehicle speed to avoid or reduce the severity of a collision.

The Intelligent Around View® Monitor provides a 360 degree bird’s eye view of everything surrounding the vehicle via four cameras strategically positioned on the front grille, rear tailgate and both side mirrors, while Moving Object Detection gives visual and audible warnings when it detects an object moving both in front and behind the vehicle.

Intelligent Blind Spot Intervention detects if there is another vehicle in the blind spot area, the Intelligent Distance Control system keeps an eye on your speed and proximity to the vehicle ahead of you, warning you if you need to slow down. It can also apply braking if you fail to respond to help you avoid a collision.

Intelligent Lane Intervention warns you when you start to drift from your lane, alerting you with

NEW NISSAN LEAF The new Nissan LEAF sets a new standard in the growing market for mainstream electric cars by offering customers greater range, advanced technologies and a dynamic new design.

Drivers will feel more confident, excited and connected thanks to the new Nissan LEAF’s ProPILOT autonomous drive technology, ProPILOT Park technology, e-Pedal, increased power and range, and improved refinement, comfort and convenience.* The new, zero tailpipe emission Nissan LEAF embodies Nissan Intelligent Mobility, the company’s approach to changing the way cars are driven, powered and integrated into society.

The three key aspects of Nissan Intelligent Mobility exemplified by the new Nissan LEAF are Nissan

* Specifications for the Australian model are still to be confirmed

a visual warning on the display and an audible signal. If Intelligent Lane Intervention detects that you are still straying from your lane, it will engage and gently help guide you back.

Rear Cross Traffic Alert reduces the risk of low-speed impacts when reversing out of a parking space. If the driver attempts to reverse when an approaching vehicle is detected, the system gives visual and audible warnings.

Intelligent Cruise Control reduces speed, and the gap to the car in front, regardless of the speed, and the Adaptive Front-lighting System changes the direction and pattern of the headlights as a car travels around corners, improving driver visibility.

While we always say that driver aids should not be used as substitutes for safe driving practices, and to always monitor your surroundings when driving, you can see that these technologies, and many others, are there to help you.

NISSAN INTELLIGENT INTEGRATION At Nissan, we’re working to shape what the road of the future will look like. Nissan is helping to shape a sustainable ecosystem enabling cars to interact with people, other cars and road infrastructure.

This approach will eventually lead to remote vehicle operation, reduced traffic jams, more efficient car-sharing, and improved energy management.

Whether your preference is an EV, an SUV or a Ute, Nissan Intelligent Mobility is already available in your favourite Nissan and our promise is to keep developing these technologies to ensure our world is a better place and ready for the generations ahead.

NISSAN INTELLIGENT MOBILITY |

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LOOKING BACK

80 (PLUS) YEARS OF UTE PERFECTION HERITAGE. INNOVATION. EXCELLENCE.

IN THIS DAY AND AGE WE TEND to be obsessed with the here and now. What was popular yesterday, last week and last month is very different to what is holding our focus tomorrow. And you can forget about the flavour of the minute being ‘in’ this time next year. That 15 minutes of fame has quickly passed.

That’s what makes the Navara special. What we drive today has history. Did you know that the original blueprint for a Nissan ‘pickup’ dates back to 1935?

With more than 80 years of experience designing, developing and building vehicles for the popular light-commercial category, Nissan has earned an enviable reputation for Utes that are synonymous with endurance and capability, performance and style.

Recording approximately 15 million global sales across 180 countries, since its arrival in Australian showrooms the Navara has been praised for many of its characteristics, including its class-leading fuel efficiency, the performance and responsiveness from its engines, its comfortable and functional interior, and its real-world capabilities for work and leisure.

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But it takes time to build up to this. In the late ‘30s and early ‘40s, Datsun introduced the Type 13 Truck.

During this same time Nissan started manufacturing trucks, with the first pickup style vehicle arriving 10 years later, with the debut of the 2225 and the Tama truck (pictured right).

The Datsun Truck helped to provide logistical support for the post-war economic growth of Japan. The 320, released in August 1961, was noted for its Bluebird-like front mask and spacious interior.

It featured a 1,200cc engine and independent (torsion bar) frontwheel suspension, improving performance and comfort (see, this has been our focus for some time).

1972 saw the introduction of the Datsun 620, which was in production for the next seven years. It was the first pickup with a longer ‘King Cab’ passenger compartment.

Australia got to experience the company’s utes for the first time in 1980, with the arrival of the Datsun 720. It came in 2WD and AWD. The 720 was available in Regular Cab and King Cab models, there was a GL (standard grade), a deluxe DX and the luxury XE. Two years later the first Dual Cab was released into the Australian market.

The shift from Datsun to Nissan product was in place by 1985. The first generation Nissan Navara (D21) arrived and was sold in

Australia between 1986 and 1998 enjoying 49,430 sales. Available in 4X2 and 4X4, and in Single and Dual Cab, there were two engine types, a 3.0 litre V6 or a 2.4 litre 4 cylinder, the former of which had outputs of 113kW and 248Nm. While it made its global debut in 1994, the next gen D22 was sold in Australia between 1997 and 2015 selling 107,959 units. With cross over sales with the D40 – now known as the Navara – which went on sale in 2005, it enjoyed 128,304 retails.

The Navara that we know today was unveiled globally in 2014, with sales in Australia commencing in June 2015. Since then, Nissan has continued to make improvements to ensure it continues to meet the needs of the buyer – you.

The current generation’s mix of design, performance, ride comfort and technology has made it the Ute of choice for more than 50,000 Australian customers since its arrival, and with each new model, the boundaries of innovation have been pushed, providing owners with everything they need to get the job done.

The Navara combines a tough working pedigree, with premium ride comfort, smart technologies, and sleek, modern styling. All of this means people can use the vehicle as their day-to-day run around, or work ute, and then enjoy everything the great outdoors has to offer without missing a beat.

Enjoy the drive!

NEW

NISSAN QASHQAI TECHNOLOGY THAT KEEPS YOU MOVING

NISSAN

NAVARA

WITH AROUND-VIEW® MONITOR

STRONGER FOR LONGER

Available on ST-X models