The new Nissan NP300 Navara pick-up goes on sale this month (price and spec details here), making it the newest entrant in this very popular segment. It’s a good-looking truck and the driving experience is significantly better than the old model, especially on road.

New Nissan NP300 Navara with hardtop

The only problem with pick-ups is that if we’re honest, the pick-up load space is often a very poor substitute for a boot or a van’s load compartment. Pick-up load beds are exposed to the weather, items tend to slide around uncontrollably, and are hard to reach without climbing in. Plus, of course, the open load bed of a pick-up is completely insecure!

These problems are common to all pick-ups, mainly when they are being used as private vehicles rather than workhorses, as is increasingly common. Tonneau covers and hardtops have always been available but Nissan has upped its game with the new NP300 and is offering its widest-ever range of load bed accessories, some of which it says are sector firsts:

• A sliding load tray that makes loading and unloading the new NP300 Navara much easier:

• A foldaway rear step that improves access to the truck bed
• Tailgate assist – a system that lowers the vehicle’s tailgate smoothly at the touch of a button
• A load carrier that allows vehicle users to make use of the space on top of the load space cover

There’s also a choice of three different tonneau covers — a soft cover, a roller shutter type design and a lift-up lid which operates like a car bonnet.

This roller design is one of three tonneau cover options.

Buyers can also opt for one of two hard-top designs, the more expensive of which includes opening windows, interior trim and lighting, a stop lamp and central locking.

Naturally, Nissan has also produced a range of styling accessories, including chrome bars for the front, side and bed of the vehicle and high impact lamps that can be fitted onto the bars. Also available are decal stickers, exhaust finishers, a shark antenna and alloy wheels.

Mike Thompson, After Sales Director at Nissan Motor (GB) Ltd, said:

“In the past it’s often been the case that new pick-ups have come to market and customers have then had to wait for third-party, aftermarket accessories to personalise and adapt their vehicles.

“In developing the new NP300 Navara, Nissan had accessories in mind from the very outset and so we have been able to ensure that even those customers taking delivery of the first vehicles this month have the full range of options and accessories available to them.”

For more details of the full range of accessories available for NP300 Navara and for pricing, click here.

Nissan has released details of UK pricing and specification levels for the new NP300 Navara pick-up, which will replace the current Navara when it goes on sale in January 2016.

Prices for the NP300 Navara will start from £18,376 +VAT and there will be five trim levels, Visia, Acenta, Acenta+, N-Connecta and Tekna. All models will get a 5-year warranty as standard.

Visia and Acenta models will be available with a choice of King Cab or Double Cab, but from the Acenta+ trim level upwards, only double cabs will be available.

Two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive variants are available, as is a choice of six-speed manual or seven-speed automatic gearboxes with the more powerful 190PS engine — although the automatic is a £1,700 option.

Here’s a summary of what each specification level will have to offer.

Visia (from £18,376 +VAT)

The entry-level Visia is most likely to be specified as a corporate or agricultural workhorse, rather than a personal vehicle. As a result, it features plenty of black plastic rather than chrome and painted trim.

However, Nissan hasn’t skimped on safety and the majority of the NP300’s new safety features are standard across the range, including on the Visia. These include Forward Emergency Braking on all double cab models; driver, passenger, side, knee and curtain airbags; electronic Limited Slip Differential (eLSD); Hill Start Assist and Hill Descent Control (on 4WD models).

Power is provided by the 160PS single-turbe version of Nissan’s new 2.3-litre dCi engine.

Acenta (from £19,834 +VAT)

Opting for the Acenta provides customers with 16″ alloy wheels, some chrome trim and a 5″ colour screen with which to manage the onboard entertainment. Buyers also get an engine start button but the engine it controls is still the lower-powered 160PS model.

Acenta+ (from £22,084 +VAT)

Drivers looking for more oomph may want to opt for the Acenta+, which comes with the twin-turbo 190PS version of the 2.3-litre dCi. This offers a chunky 450Nm of torque, compared to 403Nm for the 160PS model.

The Acenta+ also includes 18″ alloys, automatic air conditioning with dual zone climate control, a reversing camera, side steps, electric folding heated door mirrors and rear privacy glass.

N-Connecta (from £22,793 +VAT)

The N-Connecta trim level is all about enterainment. The onboard system is built around the NissanConnect 2.0 7” touchscreen satellite navigation and entertainment system. This incorporates features including DAB digital radio, a rear colour reversing camera, Bluetooth audio streaming, app integration and live traffic updates.

Tekna (from £24,293 +VAT)

Prices for the range-topping Tekna model start at £24,293 +VAT. For this, you get a leather interior, heated front seats, LED headlights and Nissan’s Around View Monitor, which uses cameras to give the drive a bird’s eye view of the car.

Nissan has unveiled the new NP300 Navara pick-up, which will make its European debut at the Frankfurt Motorshow on 15 September.

The new truck features an updated interior and exterior, along with a new 2.3-litre dCi engine and an attractive five year or 100,000 mile warranty. Ride and handling are also improved, while the load bed and towing capacity remain amongst the best-in-class.

Here are the main highlights, plus some pictures.

Engine: New 2.3-litre dCi diesel offered with a choice of 160PS or 190PS power outputs. Nissan says the new engine is up to 24% more efficient than the unit it repalces. The 190PS version uses twin-turbo technology, for the first time in the pick-up sector.

The new model will launch with the choice of two or four-wheel drive and the option of a standard six-speed manual or a seven-speed automatic gearbox.

Ride and handling: Nissan was targeting a ride experience more like that of a Crossover (SUV/car) and has introduced a new five-link rear suspension for double cab models which the firm says provides significantly improved ride plus weighs 20kg less.

The new NP300 Navara should offer improved ride and handling, according to Nissan.

Safety: A range of new safety systems are available, including Forward Emergency Braking and Nissan’s Around View Monitor. Hill Descent Control, Cruise Control and Hill Start Assist are also on offer, along with parking sensors and a rear-view camera.

Payload & towing: The NP300 Navara has a towing capacity of 3,500kg and payload ratings of at least 1,000kg across the range.

The load bed has also got slightly larger and is 67mm longer than the outgoing model. Nissan claims that this provides a sector-best load length of 1,578mm for the double cab model.

Interior & styling: On the outside, changes include a new grill and boomerang-shaped LED daytime running lights, with the goal being a “rugged yet sporty overall style”. In other words, this is aimed at leisure buyers as well as those in need of a workhorse.

Inside the new Nissan NP300 Navara

Similar changes are evident inside, where the redesigned dashboard increases cabin space. Front seats offer improved back support and Nissan says have been engineered using “technology inspried by NASA”.

Additional features include dual-zone digital climate control, as well as a new rear cab ventilation and seat design, to provide a more comfortable travelling environment for passengers.

The NP300 Navara will make its European debut at the Frankfurt Motorshow on 15 September, with details of trim levels, prices and country launches to follow.