The Nissan Navara is a nameplate used for Nissan pickups with the model codes D21, D22, D40, D23 and D27. It has been sold in Australia, New Zealand, Central and South America, Asia, Europe and South Africa, and in the Americas and some other markets the same trucks are the Nissan Frontier or NP300. The name comes from the Navarre region of northern Spain, and the European version was built at the Nissan Motor Ibérica factory in Barcelona.
Nissan Navara at a glance
| Model codes | D21, D22, D40, D23, D27 |
|---|---|
| Name origin | Navarre, northern Spain |
| European plant | Nissan Motor Ibérica, Barcelona |
| Other names | Nissan Frontier, Nissan NP300, Nissan Pickup |
| D21 successor | Datsun 720 |
| D21 bodies | Japanese single and dual cab, American King Cab |
| D22 production | from 1997 |
| D40 | larger, taller and longer mid-size pickup |
| D23 | from 2014, outside the US and Canada |
based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Nissan Navara.
History of the Nissan Navara
D21 (1985)
The D21 was the successor to the Datsun 720 and was sold as the Nissan Datsun Truck in Japan, with the Navara name used in markets such as Australia and New Zealand. Unlike earlier generations it was available worldwide in two body styles: the “A” body designed in Japan as single or dual cab, and the “S” body King Cab designed in the United States at Nissan’s San Diego styling studios. Each had its own front styling, the American version with a different bonnet and wider flared front guards. In a few countries, Australia among them, both were sold, and in Greece the truck was assembled locally as the Nissan Pickup and King Cab.
D22 (1997)
After more than ten years with the D21, Nissan unveiled the similar-sized D22, planned to follow it as a Nissan Design International project in La Jolla but designed in Japan during 1994–1995 because NDI was busy with the Quest, Altima and Maxima. An updated D22 was eventually given to NDI in 1998. Production of the Frontier at Smyrna, Tennessee began in 1997 with regular cab and King Cab bodies, and a four-door Crew Cab followed in April 1999 for the 2000 model year. Engines were the petrol KA24DE and, for export, the TD27 diesel with a five-speed manual. A Desert Runner model of 1999, for the 2000 model year, was a rear-wheel-drive King Cab on the four-wheel-drive frame, giving more ride height and larger tyres, and for 2001 it gained a supercharged V6.
Later generations
The D22 was replaced by the bigger, taller and longer D40 mid-size pickup. In 2014 Nissan released the D23 for international markets other than the United States and Canada, and in those markets the D41 Frontier replaced the D40 in 2021.
Design and features
- Two D21 bodies: a Japanese design and an American-designed King Cab.
- Alliance production: European Navaras were built in Barcelona.
- Desert Runner: a rear-drive King Cab on the four-wheel-drive frame.
- Many names: also sold as the Frontier, NP300 and Pickup.
Nissan Navara versions
- Navara D21 (1985–1997): the first truck to use the name in some markets.
- Navara D22 (1997–): also built as the Frontier in Tennessee.
- Navara D40: the larger mid-size generation.
- Navara D23 (2014–): the international market generation.
- Navara D27: the latest model code.
The Navara took over from the Datsun truck and is sold in America as the Frontier, while the 1400 carried the small pickup role in South Africa. More cars are in the Nissan collection.
Video: Nissan Navara Motorvision testet den japanischen Pickup
Video by YouTube on YouTube.
Sources
- Nissan Navara, English Wikipedia: model codes, name origin, D21 and D22 details, later generations
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