Yes, we all agree that pick up truck is inherently designed to be a basic workhorse. They’re tough, reliable, powerful, and built for those who want to play in muddy ruts on weekends. No doubt, they’ve belonged to the outback family. But nowadays we’ve seen technology makes drastic and radical improvements—much like a man’s transition from a testosterone-driven teen to a modern gentleman.

 

 

A good example here is the 2012 Nissan Navara TechXtreme. After sitting on the sidelines of the pickup craze for years, Universal Motors Corporation—the exclusive distributor of Nissan light commercial vehicles in the country—is now ramping up its offerings with their newest Navara TechXtreme series. A pick-up truck that offers an integrated system for WiFi connectivity! Looks like guys from Nissan had found the right formula on how they help the growing number of their tech-savvy customers.

 

 

 

When it comes to road presence, the Navara TechXtreme is a stand out truck—from its angled strut front chrome grille design and 16-inch alloy wheels down to its large integrated overfenders.

 

 

There’s a lot to make you smile when you climb inside the Navara TechXtreme. The newly designed instrument panel immediately gives the interior of the vehicle a strong and sophisticated appearance. Embedded in the dash panel is an optitron meter gauge with standard information display. Though, it looks tough outside, the Navara pampers both driver and passengers alike with SUV-like comforts. The audio system of the Navara features 2-DIN tuner/DVD/CD/MP3 with USB port, SD card slot, Bluetooth, AUX, ipod connection, built-in memory storage for 6-disc, and dual headrest-mounted monitors.

 

 

For those who have suffered years of ridicule when they pull up in the office parking lot in their rickety rides, the Navara techXtreme is like an instant redemption. The YD25DDTi 2.5-liter 4-cylinder in-line DOHC Commonrail Direct Injection turbo engine matted 6-speed manual transmission provides adequate power. On our test, Navara’s response and acceleration are quite good, and can do a 0-100km/h sprint just under 12 seconds.

 

 

Meanwhile, the suspension remains smooth on the highway and even on rough road—this is due to the Navara’s fully independent suspension and rigid axle leaf spring. Safety is not a problem with the Navara. Standard safety features include dual SRS airbags, anti-lock braking system (ABS), Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD), and Limited Slip Differential (for 4WD); plus, the rear view camera and reverse sensors—which provides a clear rear view image with distance guide lines and chime to forewarn users and avoid accidents.

 

 

All in all, the Nissan Navara TechXtreme series has everything you need in a modern day workhorse.

 

 

SPECIFICATIONS

 

CATEGORY                                       Pick-up

ENGINE                                              2.5-liter DOHC 16-valve Commonrail Direct Injection Turbo

MAX. OUTPUT                                   174 ps @ 4,000 rpm

MAX. TORQUE                                  403 Nm @ 2,000 rpm

LENGTH                                             5230 mm

Height                                                1850 mm

Width                                                  1780 mm

Wheelbase                                         3200 mm

Transmission                                   6-speed MT

WHEELS & TIRES                           255 / 70 R16

SUSPENSION                                    (F) Independent (R) Rigid-Axle

Price as tested                                  P 1.438 million