My annual "how to become a motoring journalist" talk is always a popular event. Nothing to do with me - it's all down to the model I take along to give children some hands-on material for their writing assignments. This year's wheels proved nearly as exciting as an impromptu school closure: Nissan's supersize Navara.
Welcome to the field leader in the healthily swaggering pick-up market. Pick ups are the perfect solution for anyone who has a proper reason to wonder off the beaten track - perhaps a watersport obsession or a job mending telegraph poles - and wants something that matches the lifestyle without being pretentious. Think of an SUV as a statement of intent, but this as the proof.
Their popularity has exploded among active family men - with five seats and all that room in the back, cars like this remove the need for two sets of wheels. So the government is taking action. At the moment there's a ¯¿½500 flat rate company car tax on the Navara, but by 2007-8 it'll be going significantly up. Mitsubishi has a new L200 in the wings and Toyota a revised Hilux, but this is the current catwalk star.
Anything of interest here if you're not a kid?
Absolutely. The best place to be is behind the wheel, where you really are king of the road. Granted, it's a touch broad in the shoulders on narrow country lanes, but by the time they've seen the whites of your eyes, other drivers tend to obligingly give way. Despite the Leviathan proportions, the Navara is surprisingly happy to accompany you to the shops, its extremeties being easy to see when parking.
And power-wise?
Have we a treat in store. This is the most potent option in the field. Or on the road. It's got 174PS and maximum torque at just 2,000rpm, all liberally exploited by a smooth and light six-speed gearchange. The range has just this one engine option, but by golly it's good: a 2.5-litre direct injection common rail diesel fitted with a variable-nozzle turbocharger. The latter means you can squirt all the power you need, whenever you need it, though the overall fuel consumption - despite this being a trainee monster truck - is a commendable 33.2mpg.
Is it really a car alternative though?
Well you'd probably find it a touch impractical in suburbia, but if you've even remotely contemplated buying a chainsaw or wearing a hat with protective ear flaps this is your perfect machine. Given no pressing urgency to transport children, I opted for the King Cab version, which features two fold-down temporary rear seats and a shorter cabin than the full five-seat Double Cab version. The advantage is a longer load floor in the rear - 1861mm, as opposed to 1511, though - as the pupils pointed out - you need to be seriously kindergarten material to not find the back seat an excessive squeeze. Oh and the reverse-opening rear doors are claustrophobic for anyone small enough to have need to use them.
And what about equipment?
Depends on your choice, but prepare to be surprised, big time. Pricing for the standard King Cab starts at ¯¿½14,695 excluding VAT, but the main model is the Outlaw Double Cab, priced at ¯¿½18,195. Like all models, it gets a colour-coded 4x4 grille and a part-time four-wheel drive system which is electrically selected via a dead-simple rotary dial on the dashboard. Anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution and brake assist are also standard, along with twin airbags and a single CD audio system.
Spec up an extra ¯¿½1400 for the SE which has side bars and chunky chrome back bumpers. Here, the wheels grow to 17-inchers. Standard kit includes electronic climate control, a leather steering wheel, electric and heated door mirrors, a fold-flat passenger seat, and active front headrests. Add another ¯¿½900 and you're into the Navara Outlaw, as tested here. The spec includes luxury features you'd not expect on a standard car: automatic headlamps with washers, rain-sensing windscreen wipers, a trip computer, cruise control, front fogs, a six-CD autochanger with steering wheel controls and rear dark tinted glass. Add Nissan's groovy bird's eye sat nav system and the King Cab Outlaw scrapes in at just over ¯¿½22,000, but from the M4 to the farmyard, it's an incredible all rounder - and a true head turner. Just ask any school kid.
Tiscali verdict: 8/10
