2021 Nissan Navara multi-angle off-road experience

• Multi-angle video
• The 2021 Nissan Navara ST
• Hill Start Assist and Hill Descent Control
• Basic water crossing
• Rear differential lock
• More images

Multi-angle video

Our brand new and never before seen multi-angle video will take you through three key functions of the Navara, that will help keep you safe when adventuring off-road.

To do this, we’ve shot four different angles of the same scene at the same time, allowing you to choose what you want to watch at any time during the clip.

To change the view at any time, simply click on one of the smaller previews below the main video. You can even watch the whole clip again from a different angle every time.

Because of the way we’ve done this, you will see our rig, you will see our team, but we really do hope this gives you a new insight into how some of these off-road technology works and the way we go about filming it.

The 2021 Nissan Navara ST

Heading off-road in a car like the Nissan Navara has never been easier or safer. With modern traction control and vehicle management systems, it could be argued that the car itself is perhaps better prepared, and maybe even smarter and more capable, than the driver.

But while some of these systems can be activated with the simple push of a button or turn of a dial, how do they work to keep you safe in all manner of terrain? We’ll show you.

Our car for this video is a 2021 Nissan Navara ST 4X4 automatic. It’s powered by a 140kW/450Nm 2.3-litre four-cylinder twin-turbo diesel. Power is sent to the wheels via a seven-speed automatic transmission, but a six-speed manual is also available.

While the LED headlamps, sports bar, side steps and powered rear sliding window are all standard on this model, our car also features a number of Nissan genuine accessories including a bonnet protector, weather shields, a tub liner and a soft tonneau cover. It also has an off-road hoopless bullbar with a winch and LED light bar, plus a snorkel and a tow bar, which supports the Navarro’s 3500kg braked towing capacity.

Hill Start Assist and Hill Descent Control

One of the first obstacles you are likely to encounter in an adventure off-road is a steep hill, and one of the things that a modern four-wheel drive like the Navara has fitted is a hill start assist function.

This means if you stop on a steep part of a hill, whether you want to check surroundings or just see what’s going on, the worry is you’ve got to move your feet from the brake to the throttle to stop the car from rolling backwards. But the Hill Start Assist does that for you, and as you can see in the video, I can lift off the brake, move to the throttle and the car doesn’t move at all.

Heading back down in our example, which is greater than 30 degrees, and you can use hill descent control. This is activated by a switch on the dash, and makes the descent down the hill is a very sedate and managed manoeuvre.

There’s no need to touch the brake or throttle during this process, and once the car returns to a more level surface, you can simply switch it off and continue on your way.

Basic water crossing

One of the most daunting and perhaps challenging things to attempt when driving off-road is a water crossing or water fording

The most important thing to do before you even attempt a water crossing is to check the depth and the speed of whatever it is that you’re crossing. It’s often easiest to get out of the car and measure it yourself, usually with a stick, but if the water looks fast or deep, it probably is.

Never attempt a crossing you aren’t confident about, and make sure the depth is below the car’s quoted wading depth, even if you have a snorkel.

In our example, we know that we’re crossing between 300 and 400mm worth of water on a very stable rock base with no obstacles.

One of the key things to remember when driving through water is to maintain constant momentum. You don’t want to go too fast so that you’re splashing water everywhere, nor too slow that if you lose a bit of traction, you lose all that crucial momentum.

Keep the car in low range and try to be as direct and efficient with your crossing as possible.

Rear differential lock

A rear differential lock could very well become your best friend when negotiating undulating surfaces off-road.

As long as you have both left and right side wheels in contact with the ground, the car will maintain drive, but if the opposite front and rear wheels lose traction, then you’ll need to lock the rear differential. Without the differential lock in place, power will be sent to the wheel with least resistance, which is the one in the air.

To engage the lock, you need to put the car into neutral, engage low-range, and push the differential lock switch on the dash. This is a mechanical process so can take a few moments for the car to configure itself properly.

Once engaged, this forces power to both the left and right wheels so that the car can push through the obstacle.

It’s best to turn it off again as soon as you are clear, as the car is difficult to turn with the lock in place, as both the inside and outside wheel will want to turn at different speeds.

Note that the rear differential lock is only available on 4X4 Navara variants.

These are three typical challenges that you may encounter when travelling off-road, and we hope this better explains the engineering and technology systems that will help get you through them easily and safely.

More images

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