What Van? Britain's biggest and best van buyers' guide

A few years ago, pick-up manufacturers thought they had struck gold. Their practice of producing double-cab 4x4 pick-ups groaning with extras (leather- trimmed seats, aircon and so on) and touting them as a tax-efficient alternative to the company car paid off handsomely as drivers, formerly wedded to their saloons and hatchbacks, switched to something completely different.

Fashion is a fickle mistress, however, and while some stuck with pick-ups, others reverted to what they had before, or tried something else instead: an SUV for example. Recession took its toll too, and some users discovered that pick-ups were not quite as tax-efficient as they hoped they would be.

As a result, while goodie-laden double-cabs certainly still sell, some manufacturers have decided to revisit the utilitarian end of the market, especially with the arrival of budget pick-ups such as the Great Wall Steed. To serve it they are producing vehicles that, though designed primarily as workhorses, boast at least some of the creature comforts all drivers expect to enjoy these days.

Nissan has decided to enter the workhorse sector with the Navara Visia 4x4 four-door five-seater double-cab pick-up, in effect a stripped-down version of some of the better-specified models in its well-established Navara range.

Cab

Though somewhat on the dull, grey, side, the cab is a sensible working environment with a decent amount of storage space for oddments.

Aside from the deep, lockable glove box, you get a lidded compartment between the front seats with a holder for small change for parking machines positioned just beneath the cover. Also between the seats are two cup-holders and a trinket tray. There’s another, larger, tray just ahead of the gear stick and one on top of the dashboard.

You will find bins in all four doors, each with a moulding to hold a can of drink or a bottle of water.

Offering plenty of legroom, the driver's seat can be altered for reach and rake, but not for height. The steering wheel is tilt- adjustable, though.

The foldable rear bench seat can be split 60/40 to carry loads in the rear of the cabin. While the seating position that has to be adopted by all three occupants can best be described as ‘sit up and beg’, it is fine for short, local journeys. If it gets rocky off-road then the front passenger can hang on to a grab-handle on the A-pillar while the outermost rear passengers have grab-handles on their B-pillars.
Unlike other models in the Navara line-up, the interior door handles are finished in black, not chrome, in a bid to save pennies. Externally, the front bumper is body-coloured rather than two-tone, the front grille struts are painted rather than chromed, and conventional rather than flat wiper blades are fitted.

Load area

Access to the cargo area is by means of a heftily constructed, lockable, drop-down tailgate with a centrally positioned release. The tailgate falls to a horizontal position and remains there: it cannot be lowered any further.

Maximum load length is 1511mm. Maximum width is 1560mm, or 1130mm between the rear wheel boxes while maximum sidewall height is 457mm. Rear loading height is a fairly steep 800mm, the consequence of the truck's relatively high ground clearance, which is invaluable when you are off-road, but perhaps not quite so welcome when loading and unloading heavy stuff.

In our vehicle the load area, which features four tie-down points, was protected by a handy, lockable, Roll-N-Lock cover for an extra £1265.99 (all prices quoted here exclude VAT). A long strap enables you to pull it shut easily if you have pushed it fully open.

Grossing at 3210kg, the Navara Visia can handle a 1250kg gross payload and can haul a braked trailer grossing at 2600kg. Pull something that heavy and you may need to have a tachograph fitted, which can be mounted in the lower dash or centre storage box.

Powertrain

Power comes courtesy of a 2.5-litre four-cylinder in-line turbocharged and intercooled common-rail dCi diesel generating 144hp at 3600rpm. Top torque of 350Nm kicks in at 1600rpm and the engine satisfies the Euro5 exhaust emission regulations. To help it achieve that goal exhaust gas recirculation is fitted along with a particulate filter.

Relying on a dry-plate clutch, a six-speed manual gearbox is installed, while a rotary knob on the dashboard is used to switch the vehicle to four-wheel drive. It can also be employed to engage a lower-ratio set of gears if required.

Anybody who feels that 144hp is insufficient can choose a 190hp version of the 2.5-litre or even a 231hp V6 3.0-litre diesel, though these are only available in higher trim levels rather than the budget Visia. An extended two-door cab is available, too, and there are five different specification levels.

Chassis and steering