Nissan has just the answer for those who don’t really need a pick-up packing a 4X4.
HANDS up all those who own a 4X4 SUV or pick-up truck.
Wow, seems like quite a number of you. Hands up those who actually shift it into four-wheel drive mode for a spot of jungle bashing.
As I suspected, just a few of you. Many people who buy 4X4s never actually take advantage of the 4X4 drive system. Instead, they buy SUVs and 4X4 pick-up trucks for the spaciousness and versatility.
And in the case of most pick-up trucks, they tend to be really good buys too, with their prices comparable to their much smaller entry-level sedan siblings.
Enter the new Nissan Navara Calibre 4X2 twin cab pick-up truck, another variant of the Navara 4X4 Mother Trucker.
And for ease of writing, I’ll refer to the 4X2 variant as the Calibre and the 4X4 as the Mother Trucker.
As its name implies, the Navara Calibre is two-wheel drive, which means only two of the four wheels drive the vehicle along, in this case, the rear wheels.
At first glance, you will not notice any difference between the Calibre and 4X4 Mother Trucker.
In fact, try as hard as you may, you won’t find differences at all. The Calibre 4X2 shares the same classy good looks as the Mother Trucker.
The exterior dimensions are exactly the same.
Likewise the cargo bed, interior layout, the seating arrangement and just about everything else that can be seen with the naked eye are the same.
Short of bringing out the X-ray machine, no external differences are perceivable until you take a peek at the undercarriage.
The Calibre lacks a 4X4 drive system, which makes it some 120kg lighter than the Mother Trucker.
You would think that the Calibre would have a weight advantage when comparing performance but the engine has been slightly detuned.
That is about the only difference you’re going to find.
Both Calibre and Mother Trucker share the same 2,488 cc 4-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine. But as mentioned before, the Calibre’s engine has been detuned to a maximum 144bhp at 4,000rpm as opposed to the Mother Trucker’s 174bhp.
A loss of 30bhp is a significant difference but because of the Calibre’s lighter weight, the detuned engine doesn’t have to work as hard.
I could not perceive any difference in performance between the Calibre 4X2 and the 4X4 Mother Trucker, which I reviewed quite some time back. Maximum torque is also down – 356Nm at 2,000 rpm for the Calibre compared to the Mother Trucker’s 403Nm.
Mated to the diesel engine is the same five-speed auto box as the Mother Trucker’s. You’ll only find five-speed auto transmissions on some higher-end imported vehicles.
I found the gear ratios well spaced to take advantage of the torque without causing much strain on the engine.
This was particularly useful on the highways where the transmission kicked down smoothly for quick spurts of acceleration while overtaking.
And to keep it all nice and safe, the Calibre also comes with anti-lock braking system and electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD), the latter usually found in more expensive vehicles.
Due to inertia and the laws of physics a fully loaded pick-up truck will take a longer distance to stop than an unladen one.
EBD will take into account the weight of the cargo load and apply an optimised brakeforce to help stop the vehicle in a shorter and safer distance.
The actual driveability of the Calibre’s engine on the road is still quite impressive.
The Calibre did exceptionally well on the highway, keeping up with much of the traffic. The Calibre has been configured specifically for asphalt.
In fact, it feels and drives like an oversized sedan except that the Calibre is built rock solid.
But being designed as a two-wheel drive, it lacks the necessary off-road gear like chunky tyres, diffs, rock sliders and a winch.
But because the Calibre shares much of its DNA with bad boy Mother Trucker, you are assured that it’s not going to be perturbed by the numerous potholes and speed bumps that litter our urban streets.
I dare say that it probably will also do well on light gravel or laterite trails that are found in numerous rubber and oil palm estates.
Just make sure you do it in the dry because two-wheel drive isn’t really suited for muddy conditions.
Did I mention that the Calibre is huge?
With an overall length of more than 5.2 metres and an overall width of just over 1.8 metres, the Calibre and the Mother Trucker are not so manoeuvrable in tight spaces like a hypermarket car park.
Thank goodness, the Calibre is equipped with a reverse sensor or I would be backing it into a pillar or someone’s car.
It would also be nice if all the Navara variants could be equipped with a reverse camera as an option.
Designed more for the urban jungle rather than the rainforests, the Navara Calibre 4X2 is a great vehicle if you want a pick-up truck but not the four-wheel drive that comes with it.
The Navara Calibre 4x2 is yours for RM90,278 OTR with insurance.
TOKYO, Feb 25 — Three Japanese carmakers announced recalls today, mostly in their home market and not on the same scale as recent moves by the likes of industry leader Toyota which heightened scrutiny of car safety.
