Nissan's 4×4 Budget Beater

Nissan’s Hardbody – or NP300 as it is nowadays known – has been around since 2002. Back in its heyday it was cutting edge. Since then it has continued to rake in strong monthly sales, offering a tough, well-proven workhorse option in the double cab market. Now Nissan has (finally) upped the ante with the introduction of the NP300 double cab 2.5dCi 4×4.

In 2002, Nissan’s Hardbody was hot stuff.Not only was it modern and luxurious, the three-litre turbodiesel model offered 20kW more power than the top-selling Toyota Hilux 3.0KZ-TE.

Nissan ruled the SA off-road championship in the Hardbody, too, with star drivers Hannes Grobler and Giniel de Villiers dominating the series.

In time, things changed. Nissan Motorsport swapped the Hardbody for the new Navara, the latter taking over the prime bakkie spot in Nissan dealerships, the Hardbody, becoming known as the NP300.

Still, the NP300 continued to sell in steady droves, covering the lower-end of the double cab market, offering a tough, well-proven package at an attractive price.

In more recent times there seemed to be a glaring omission in the Nissan NP300 line-up: there was no turbodiesel 4×4 double cab available in the line-up (even though one was on sale in Botswana, hailing from the factory in Rosslyn, near Pretoria). Buyers could have the NP300 2.5dCi 4×2 double cab. Or they could have the NP300 2.4i 4×4 double cab (that likes the drink a lot).

Now, finally, Nissan is offering the NP300 with the combination of the 2.5dCi engine and a 4WD drivetrain in the local market. And it sells for around R400 000, straight out the box.

THE DRIVETRAIN

The 2.5dCi 4×4 uses the same four-cylinder oil burner that’s been used in the NP300 for many years. It delivers 98kW of power and 304Nm of torque at 2 000r/min. Drive is transferred to the rear wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox.

It’s not fast. But the five-speed manual gearbox features one of the best shifts we’ve experienced in a while, it’s like an accurate switch. Keeping the engine on the boil above 2 000r/min is thankfully no hardship, it’s actually fun.