Bulky flared fenders, hefty grill and bumper ensemble provide the Navara its intimidating looks. It bears a scaled down resemblance to its massive North American cousin, the Titan. In cab, the Navara does not disappoint … Hold it! Before I get carried away, the boys at bigbigcar.com will give you all the dainty details about the Navara inside and out. They will also report how this little Titan behaves on the road. My role here is pretty clear cut, to determine how Nissan’s latest 4×4 truck the ’08 Frontier Navara D40 performs off road (sheesh… why didn’t they drop the “Frontier” moniker?).

I did get to drive the Navara a few kilometers on the pavement to get to the trail site. The first thing I took notice of was the how the truck lunged forward when I stomped on the accelerator. I shouted “yeah!” with glee as my head snapped back. I began to believe the manufacturer’s claims that its truck has the torquiest CRDi power plant in it’s class. Every 4×4 pickup in the market has at least a 3 liter, heck Mitsubishi’s Strada is a 3.2! Nissan thumbs its nose at the competition and enters a petite 2.5 liter that kicks everyone’s backside with a whopping 403 Nm of axle twisting force. I grinned as I envisioned how this little beast would climb and crawl in low range mode.

Not long after gray concrete beneath the truck transformed to red earth. It was time for 4WD action. The D40 has a simple dial to switch from 2-wheel drive to 4-wheel drive. Like the competition, it has a shift-on-the-fly system when engaging to and fro 2- and 4-high. Unlike the competition, the transfer system is smooth and prompt especially when switching from high range to low range and back. As the terrain began to deteriorate with deep ruts and slopes, I slowed the four-by to a halt and switched to 4-low. It engaged almost instantly and I was moving forward once more. Attacking hills was such a delight because this little titan did it with the littlest of effort. At one point I was negotiating a near 30-degree ascent on 1st gear at only 800 rpm. Every 4×4 off roader worth his salt will concede that the unbelievable torque of the Navara’s engine combined with its exceptionally low, low range ratio of 2.625 make for a terrific off road ride.

However, the new Frontier is vertically challenged. It is severely limited from venturing into more adventurous terrain by its ground clearance and it’s approach angle. A measly 29 degrees compared to 37 degrees by its Isuzu counterpart. The angle of approach is the indication of the steepest incline angle that a vehicle can approach and drive up without encountering front bumper or undercarriage damage.

We encountered a heavily rutted portion on the trail that had deep ditches snaking through the path. It was also damp and slippery from rain the day before. With the aid of a spotter, we negotiated the obstacle with success. Thanks to the ultra-low crawl ratio and the traction aiding limited slip differential on the rear axles. The D40 was also protected by its factory equipped nerf bars. These are tubular side bars that act as steps for entry into the vehicle, and as protection from rocks and ruts when off road. I’ve seen these nerf bars on Nissans since the gen. 1 Pathfinder, I’m glad they are still around.

Soon after the trail had heavily degraded, there was no way a stock 4×4 would make it through and we had to turn back. Turning back was a monumental effort in itself. Maneuvering a long wheel based truck on a narrow single lane path is not fun. You will have to inch the vehicle forward and reverse and repeat the process until the vehicle has done a full 180. I have done this many times before on a truck with a similar wheelbase. What made it more difficult this time was the poor turning radius of the Navara. Shifting to reverse on the stick was a chore because I kept getting it into 6th gear. When we finally got the D40 to turn tail, thanks to a clearing in the path and more spotting – disaster struck! Our support vehicle, a 70 series Land Cruiser was dangerously teetering on its side as it was negotiating the same heavily rutted portion the Navara went through. It did not fall on its side but the wheels were wedged in a deep rut. And the rear differential was high-centered. The Cruiser was equipped with a winch and, fortunately, a huge Narra tree was nearby to act as an anchor.

On the way back we encountered steep and slippery ascents that stalled the Frontier momentarily. Easing off the gas pedal and steering slowly from side to side gave bite to the tires. We were back on track. I forgot to mention that we were running stock tires – 255 70 R 16 highway terrain Dunlops. Not the ideal type of tire tread for off roading. Again the LSD and low gearing did its work.

All in all, the new Frontier Navara is a marvelous pickup truck for all-around use. I know this truck will receive rave reviews for power, handling, and ride comfort. But from an off road standpoint, in stock form, this truck won’t cut it due to its poor angle of approach and ground clearance. Nonetheless, raising the D40′s body or suspension and fitting taller tires will remedy this handicap.

Nissan describes its treatment to it’s latest Navara as “refined ruggedness”. It is a catchy phrase filled with contradiction. The end result is a compromise that pleases the refined and disappoints the rugged.

Pros:

• The “torquiest” engine in it’s class
• Comfy suspension
• Simple and prompt 4WD system
• Nerf bars
• Fuel efficient

Cons:

• Poor approach angle
• Poor ground clearance
• Annoying D&PS seat adjustment lever
• Wide turning circle

Sizing up the Navara 4×4 versus the competition

Credits: Carl Steve Ong (photos), Niky Tamayo (photos), Carlo R. Sapera (photos), Atty. Romy Alcantara (recovery vehicle), Alfred Rasay (recovery vehicle), Tess Rasay (The Diva)

This happened unexpectedly and spontaneously on a wet August 4 morning in the innards of Tanay, Rizal. Along the foothills of the Sierra Madres, this person was co-conducting a basic off road driving clinic for the 4x4PH.com community. There it was, on top of a flatbed car carrier, clad in black clearcoat and gray polymer, the all new 2007 Jeep Wrangler JK Unlimited Rubicon. Unit number 2 in the Philippines. Unit number one was preordered and delivered just recently to a Mandaluyong resident. Initially, it was decided by Chrysler Philippines top brass that the Rubicon would stay on the flatbed all throughout the activity. It was on trailer queen duty that day, for all to gawk at and drool over. Well, someone with a tongue of velvet spoke honey coated words to the Chrysler officials and convinced them to roll the Jeep off the truck and swagger its pompous rear (bumper) along with the convoy. Naturally, a vehicle as special as this needed to be piloted by a special breed of off road driver, the kind that decided not to bring his 4×4 that day.

Someone thrusted the keys into this thunderstruck driver’s hands as I numbly marched towards the vehicle’s front door. I scraped and stomped my shoes on the ground to remove the mud and grime accumulated on the soles. I repeated the action unnecessarily a few more times. I was as hesitant to desecrate the pristine trailer queen with my muddy paws as I was to operate it. But I am never one to pass off an opportunity like this. To think only hours ago, while goofing off at work, I was ogling and fantasizing over this vehicle on the internet. Before entering the door, I took another gaze at the exterior and again was bowled over by the body design. The contemporaneous but subtle styling did not obscure the familiar form. At any angle it is still the Jeep we all know, only more pleasing to the eyes. The grill still resembles a skull, the flat fenders are still, er, flat, and the tub is still boxy. It was new yet very homey.

I started the engine and thought I unsuccessfully fired it up, another turn on the ignition made the starter motor whine sharply. The darn engine was already running! My passengers were amused at my faux pas, in my embarrassment I lamely praised the Jeep’s quiet engine and effective sound insulation. Whew! Driving the JK on the pavement reminded me more of the Cherokee XJ than any previous Wrangler I drove. Ride wasn’t choppy, we can probably credit this to the coil sprung multi-link suspension system and the 116 inch wheelbase (20 inches longer than its 2 door counterpart).

The Strength of Length

Wheelbase is what the Wrangler “Unlimited” is all about. It is called such because of its longer wheelbase and 4 side doors. An unprecedented feature in the Jeep line. The JK Unlimited owes its existence to the Egyptian military who had Jeep develop a long wheel based TJ, known internally as the TJL. It was delivered in 2003. Apparently there was a huge clamor from Jeep users to build such a creature even before the TJL was produced. When Chrysler decided to build, it took only a year and a half and production expenditures were kept to a minimum because the platform already existed and rigid testing had already been conducted in Egypt. Even before it’s debut, the Unlimited had a reservation list for 9,000 units.

The extended wheel base not only contributed positively to ride comfort, it also increased leg room and passenger capacity in the second row, tripled cargo space and improved towing capacity to 3,500 pounds. It is for this reason that this Jeep can be fitted with class III towing equipment.

Armed and Beautiful

This JK is a Rubicon, excuse me, is The Rubicon. The high-end trim of the Wrangler line that is factory equipped with nearly all the off road performance armaments money can buy. I guess you can now appreciate the kind of emotion I went thru after being chosen as the designated driver for this beauty.

The off road arsenal this beauty carries begins with on-demand rear and FRONT locking differentials. I am told that these babies default to limited slip diffs when the locking diffs are disengaged. It is also interesting to note that in addition to these mechanical traction aids, the vehicle also has electronic traction control on normal and four wheel drive high range mode. Another essential off road weapon is the in-dash sway bar disconnect function. Traditionally, these were aftermarket add-ons that had to be engaged or disengaged manually with hand or simple tools and involved the untidy task of getting on your knees and working your arms under the fenders. Disconnecting the anti-sway (a.k.a. as the stabilizer) bar when off pavement allows the front suspension to fully articulate on uneven surfaces. This ensures traction by keeping all 4 tires on contact with the ground. All these delightful weaponry is easily operated by rocker switches found underneath the climate controls of the dash. Other goodies include a 4:1 low range t-case and 32” x 17” x 10” mud terrain tires. Curiously this unit was equipped with all-terrain tires.

After the fairly level dirt roads of Daraitan , which was easily managed on normal 2WD mode, it was time to hang a left to Manggahan. This time I was overwrought with anticipation, this was Miller time – the time to shift to 4WD!

Secret of the Skipping Shifter

I put the vehicle in full stop, set the tranny to N and began to shift the transfer case lever to 4L. To say it was a stiff lever would have been an understatement. I noticed that there was only one indicator light that lit on the dash for both 4WD high and 4WD low; which I thought was pretty unsophisticated for a 4×4 of this caliber. While on the rutted washboard road to Manggahan the lever jumped to the Neutral position. I was worried because a skipping t-case shifter can put one in a precarious situation, especially when descending a steep slippery hill when one relies heavily on low range engine compression. Not long after it happened again. I frowned and asked my companions if there was an operators manual somewhere in the vehicle. No dice. I needed to know if I have been doing something wrong. All the while I was shifting drive modes in the Wrangler the same way I would with a late model Ford Expedition or Explorer.

The next day I had to get my hands on an operators manual. I was able to download one from Jeep’s portal and immediately saw the difference of their drive mode shifting protocol from the other makes. They highly recommend a running shift from 4H to 4L (and vice-versa) while the tranny is on N and the vehicle is rolling at a speed between 3 to 5 kph (surely this hardly counts as speed). Shifting to and fro from a standstill is allowed but may be difficult as the teeth of the gears may not align properly. Aha! Case solved! But, personally I prefer a system thatallows me to shift to 4L while the vehicle is passive. I cannot imagine rolling the vehicle at so slow a speed and shifting to 4L. By the time I shift the lever the vehicle may have come to a full stop.

Vaunted Weapons

On difficult terrain such as steep inclines, heavily rutted paths, and rocks. I got to employ the Rubicon’s vaunted weapons- the diff locks (Jeep uses the term “axle lock”) and the sway bar disconnect.

- The axle lock function locks either the rear differentials or front and rear differentials. This device eliminates the differentiating action that makes vehicles corner efficiently by making the wheel closer to the turn slow down and the opposite wheel turn faster – this differentiating action does not suit well in an off road situation. I’m sure you’ve witnessed a vehicle rendered immobile by mud – the wheel on the muddy surface spins uselessly while the opposite wheel on the dry surface just doesn’t move at all. The diff lock or axle lock evenly distributes drive to both the left and rear wheels.

The sway bar disconnect function disengages the front stabilizer that minimizes vehicle roll during high speed cornering. The stabilizer bar restricts suspension movement which again is an undesirable characteristic for offroad use. -

Although it took time to engage these after flipping the switches. I dare say they were truly awesome. The JK articulated its suspension more and the wheels just kept on biting into the terrain without slipping. The Jeep was truly in its element, like a sure footed mountain goat.

The 3.8 liter V6 gasoline fed powerplant (202 horses and 237 foot pounds of torque) was more than adequate, on road and more so off road when working in tandem with the 4:1 low range gearing. The power train truly gives power-on-demand performance. Believe me when I claim I never needed to stomp on the JK’s accelerator. All it needed was a little pressure from my big toe to propel the Rubicon out of all the obstacles I put before it. As for kilometers per liter, let’s not dwell on that and ruin the fun.

The Price of Fun

Like all Wranglers, the Unlimited is all about fun except with a little more passengers and cargo. The JK I drove had the “Freedom Top” on it – it is a removable 3 piece hardtop that is fast and easy to remove as it is to put back on. The top can be configured to conform to weather or whim, giving it several cool looks. One day its’ an open top, the next it’s fully enclosed, the next its bare back. The only drawbacks I see with the freedom top is it will surely leak when it rains, and you will probably hear every raindrop that lands on it because of the absence of sound insulation. Without insulation, I can also guess that the top will not do to well in keeping the sun’s heat out.

The Wrangler has a fully padded roll bar that also serves as speaker mounts for its Infinity audio system. Somewhere in the rear lies it’s subwoofer. Altogether they create one of the better audio sensations by a factory stereo system. Seriously!

The interior is constructed mostly in plastic and synthetic so expect a little rattling when on the move. This was probably designed this way to allow a hose down during clean ups. Obviously the Jeep was designed for drivers and passengers who do not mind being soiled by the outdoors. Even at its lofty price range, chrome, wood, and leather are not an option for this trim. So, if you are a motorist of the pimp and bling persuasion, this SUV ain’t for you. Even with a sticker price of PHP 2.38M this 4WD was not intended to take you to the lap of luxury. It was built to take you to the bosom of fun and adventure. That’s If you allow it to.