Nissan hopes that its new pick-up truck, the NP300 will will be a success as it is aimed at the business market while sibling the Navara will be aimed at the leisure market.
Looks
The NP300 has a powerful stance. At the front the 4x4 has a honeycomb grille, large headlights and a black plastic bumper giving it a mean and always ready for action look.
Interior
On the inside the NP300 is definitely a ‘proper look up’, this is no lifestyle vehicle as Nissan have other cars for this niche, this is a practical work-horse. The plastics have a tough and durable feel while the look as if they will last for quite some time.
A downside is the front bench, the seats up front are not separate which means that if you have a small driver and large passengers or vice versa it is going to be difficult to get everybody comfortable.
Practicality
Take a wander around to the business end of the NP300 and the Nissan shines brightly. The pick-up truck can carry a payload of up to 1135kg, which should mean there’s plenty of room for a wide variety of loads. To open and shut, the tailgate has two handles, which flick down to release the door and push up to lock. This is a very simple but effective mechanism and is safer than some of the NP300s rivals as they have only one locking device on their tailgates.
On the road
Under the bonnet the NP300 has got a the 2.5-litre four-cylinder 16 valve diesel power plant, which produces 133PS. The rear wheel drive pick-up has a refined engine and this is mated to a five-speed gearbox - the shifts are smooth and slot into place with ease.
To save fuel the 4WD system is part time and can be switched for better traction at any time with the switch of a gear lever.
The vehicle has 230mm of ground clearance and a wading depth of 450mm so if there is a need to negotiate the rough stuff then the NP300 should be an able companion.
Motorway driving is pleasant although at the national speed limit bin the UK wind noise can be intrusive as the large wing mirrors seem to catch the wind quite a bit.
The Nissan NP300 has a price tag starting from £13,630 excluding VAT but this rose to £14,180 as the test model we drove had the Comfort pack. This pack includes aircon, which is a real boon in the summer months.
The Nissan NP300 is an impressive business tool which can be used in a variety of environments.
