Zero Hero: Nissan Np300 Hardbody 2.5d 4x4 Dc High

It’s a case of ‘back to the nineties’ with the NP300, and that’s both a good and a bad thing depending on where this workhorse will be used…

- Angus Boswell

The big talk at the moment is that the Nissan NP300 “Hardbody” scored Zero stars – that’s right, a fat zero – for passenger safety in a recent re-test commissioned by a philanthropic organisation styled as #SaferCarsForAfrica, and conducted by the Automobile Association and the Global NCAP organisation.

In an effort to ensure that vehicles which are exported to various countries make the cut in safety terms, this is quite laudable. The NP300 is apparently exported to about 35 sub-Saharan countries, and to places like the UAE, Russia, the Ukraine and Lebanon. It’s been an export success, and over the years, a great staple as a fleet vehicle in South Africa – the police service and military must have thousands on their books. That has to be a particularly rough and tough testing ground for any vehicle.

What the zero rating means, however, is that the NP300 is probably now destined for the history books. Gone. Finished. Disgraced. One cannot in all good conscience sell a car that might put its passengers at risk in a major shunt. But is it as bad as all that? It certainly can be no worse than its peers from the nineties. Fact is, there are many NP300s plying our roads right now, along with many thousands of its age mates.

We recently had one on test, and it was interesting to say the least to drive a vehicle that has remained virtually unchanged since its last major technology upgrade in 2002. It has been produced locally at Rosslyn since 1988, was updated in 1999, received that facelift in 2002 which brought it to the current look, and received a name change to NP300 Hardbody in 2007. That makes a production run of 30 years: an incredible model marathon by any standard.