In the spring of 2007, Nissan unveiled the NP300 compact pickup, an upgraded version of the first-generation Navara utility workhorse with the in-plant D22 designation, also known as the Frontier in North, South and Central America.
The original model was produced from 1997 to 2004, giving way to the more expensive "sports truck" with the "D40" index, but since the market needed an affordable "truck", the Japanese decided to give it a "second life" and a new name, continuing production to the present moment in time at a plant in South Africa.
Outside, the Nissan NP300 looks boring and old-fashioned, but this is not surprising, because it was created at the end of the last century. The car demonstrates a utilitarian and unremarkable look with square body shapes, simple lighting technology and embossed "influx" of wheel arches that can accommodate 16-inch wheels with tires of standard size 255/70 / R16.
The four-door pickup Nissan NP300 is 5045 mm in length (5180 mm for the "top" versions), 1825 mm in width and from 1715 to 1720 mm in height. The vehicle has a wheelbase of 2950 mm, and its ground clearance is 230-240 mm, depending on the modification. But if in Russia the car was presented exclusively with a double cab, then in other countries it was also presented with a single and one and a half.
The interior of the Japanese "truck" is unpretentious, simple and solid, but its design returns to the last century - a four-spoke steering wheel, an archaic instrument cluster with analog dials and a simple center console with a "music center" in the upper part, air conditioning and slide ventilation controls ... True, the most affordable equipment costs only an ordinary "stove" and is devoid of a radio tape recorder. You cannot find noble polymers inside the car - all panels are made of frankly budget plastics, and the seats are dressed in fabric.
At the front, the Nissan NP300's four-door cab features amorphous seats that clearly lack lateral support and wider longitudinal adjustment ranges. Access to the rear seats is difficult due to narrow doors, and the sofa itself does not differ in a hospitable profile due to the vertical backrest and insufficient space, especially in the legs.
But with the commercial component, the Japanese pickup truck is in full order: its platform is 1485 mm long, 1390 mm wide (1060 mm between the wheel arches), and its side height does not exceed 435 mm. It is possible to take away in the body a maximum of 1060 ~ 1080 kg of cargo (depending on the modification), simultaneously towing a trailer equipped with brakes weighing up to 3 tons.
Specifications. Under the hood of the Nissan NP300, a four-cylinder diesel unit with a volume of 2.5 liters (2488 cubic centimeters) with in-line "pots", 16-valve timing, turbocharging and common rail direct injection is installed, which meets the environmental requirements of "Euro-4". Its output is 133 horsepower at 4000 rpm and 304 Nm of torque, which is available from 2000 rpm.
The engine is combined with a 5-speed manual transmission, a dry single-plate clutch and a hard-wired part-time all-wheel drive with a 2-speed transfer case, a reduction gear and an interwheel limited slip differential.
The car can go in three modes: 2H - only the rear wheels are spinning; 4H - torque is distributed in a 50:50 ratio (works at speeds up to 40 km / h); 4L - all four wheels are engaged with a downshift engaged.
In asphalt disciplines, the Nissan NP300 does not impress with its performance: it takes 13 seconds to conquer from the 100 km / h mark, the maximum capabilities fit into 168 km / h, and the average consumption of diesel fuel is called at the level of 9.1 liters per 100 km / h. in combined conditions.
But the off-road characteristics of the "truck" do not raise questions: it is able to overcome climbs with a steepness of up to 39 degrees, force fords with a depth of 450 mm, and its entry and exit angles are 31 and 23 degrees (for the basic version - 31 degrees), respectively. In addition to this, the low center of gravity allows the car to travel with a 48-degree lateral slope.
At the heart of the Nissan NP300 pickup truck is a classic ladder frame, on which the power plant is mounted longitudinally. The compact pickup truck is equipped with an independent front axle suspension on two wishbones and a continuous rear axle attached by means of leaf springs. In both cases, hydraulic telescopic shock absorbers are used.
The car is equipped with a "screw and ball nut" steering system with a hydraulic control booster and a dual-circuit brake system with a vacuum booster, disc and drum mechanisms in front and rear, respectively, as well as ABS.
Options and prices. The deliveries of Nissan NP300 to the Russian market were discontinued in July 2015 due to low interest from consumers - at that time the pickup was available in Base, Comfort and Premium trim levels at a price of 1,053,000 rubles.
In the initial version, the car has two airbags, an immobilizer, heated front seats, audio preparation with two speakers, 16-inch steel wheels, electric power steering, ABS and heated rear window.
The "top" modification, in addition to the above, "flaunts" a radio tape recorder with four speakers, air conditioning, alloy wheels, power windows, fog lights and electric and heated side mirrors.
