Nissan’s NP300 pick-up has been around for almost two decades. It was an extremely good-looking pick-up when it was first introduced, and around about that time, off-road hero Giniel de Villiers raced one in the Paris-Dakar off-road event to great effect.
Since then the NP300 Hardbody garnered less favourable publicity when it scored poorly in an NCAP crash test. But while the results made headlines, it should be noted that crash test results for bakkies are extremely difficult to find, and we suspect more than a few of them would also perform badly, based as they are on old-fashioned utility vehicles, rather than on passenger-carrying priorities.
On the plus side for Nissan, a friend who runs a 2006 version of the Hardbody had a motorcyclist on a Harley Davidson pull up next to him in the traffic a week ago, and the biker made a point of imploring my friend never to sell his Nissan. That kind of loyalty has been built on the NP300’s reputation for excellent longevity and reliability.
The model we had for test is the Nissan NP300 Hardbody Double Cab Hi-Rider 4X4 2.5 TDi, which means it runs the Nissan 2 488 cc Nisan turbo-diesel engine. A petrol 2,4-litre version in the same trim is also available.
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Styling
Retro. Old-school. Old fashioned? Well yes. But decked out as our test vehicle was with a comprehensive accessory kit comprising wrap-around bull bar, snorkel and more, the NP300 attracted more attention than many of the “generic” pick-ups we have tested recently.
What’s immediately noticeable is that the NP300 is smaller than today’s giant-sized pick-ups, especially in the nose department. It makes the older Nissan look prettier by comparison to the brutal grilles and light treatment of newer competitors. Those old-fashioned wheel arch “blisters” which are add-on items, rather than being pressed into the original metal sections of the fenders, give the NP300 a sporty, characterful “competition” look.
Space and Comfort
Hmm, retro may be fine, but there is normally a down-side, and in Double Cab form, one realises how cramped old double cabs were back in the days when they were just starting to replace conventional sedans as the family chariot of choice.
Rear leg room is very limited and head room is not great either. I actually liked the driving position, as with that low nose this bakkie is actually easier to park than more modern Rangers, Hiluxes and the like.
Further along the comfort trail, I enjoyed the feel of the retro-looking upholstery, but did miss a lack of storage space in the console area. This is because the console area is taken up largely by an old-school manual gear lever for selecting low range and four-wheel-drive on this venerable pick-up. There are smallish cup-holders in the door pockets.
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Accessory Pack offers a reverse camera and Navigation
As part of the Accessory pack with its off-road orientation, Nissan also included an infotainment system with Navigation and a reverse camera, which is handy on any large vehicle like this.
Other than this handy feature, bringing the NP300 into the modern age, the accessory pack included the aforementioned bull-bar and snorkel, a roll bar, a tow bar with electrical connectivity, extra driving lights and a tonneau cover for the load bay. The load area is also somewhat smaller than those on more modern double cabs.
The Drive
The 2,5-litre diesel cranks into life with a refinement level that is somewhat surprising. It’s not the quietest diesel on the block but there is none of the rattling at start up that afflicts some of these engines.
Thhe gear shift is in fact a pleasure to use, this model being equipped with a five-speed manual gearbox. The lever throw is positive but quite slick. And pulling away, there is very little turbo lag.
The Nissan NP300 is equipped with a re-circulating ball steering mechanism, rather than a rack-and-pinion system, and this makes the steering on the so-called Hardbody a little vague. It’s quite pleasant at slower speeds around the suburbs, but on the open road or at highway speeds you need to make some tiny corrections to keep things in a straight line. The brakes are not the sharpest anchors on the island, but they do the job.
Generally the NP300 Hardbody is a mellow ride, unfussed, with enough power and torque to keep pace with the traffic.
Related: Shop here for a new or used Nissan NP300 Hardbody
Off road capability
Off-road ability is quite strong on this bakkie, and we actually enjoyed the manual selection of low range and 4X4 mode via the secondary gear lever. A rear limited slip diff, rather than a diff lock, ensures that power to both rear wheels is maintained when one of them is un-loaded in difficult terrain. Despite a lack of electronic aids, this Nissan performs well off road thanks to a good basic design.
Ride and handling
As for ride quality, the Nissan is fairly comfortable by bakkie standards, but still on the firm side when compared to the car-like quality of, say, the (much more expensive) benchmark bakkies like the Volkswagen Amarok. On rough dirt roads, and in more challenging off-road trail conditions, that indirect steering comes into its own, as you don’t get the kick-back through the steering wheel that more direct steering systems offer.
Performance
We’ve already mentioned the fact that there is little in the way of turbo lag. However, the Nissan with its 2,5-litre TDi engine only produces 98 kW and 304 Nm of torque, some way off the power-torque ratings of many modern double cab bakkies. Where you feel this lack of urge is in overtaking on the highway, where things are quite leisurely, sometimes frustratingly so..
Nissan don’t supply official acceleration figures for the Hi-Rdier 4X4 TDi, but we estimate that 0-100 km/h at the Reef would take about 14,5 seconds, with top speed rated at 160 km/h.
Fuel consumption
Fuel consumption average is rated at 8,9 litres/100 km, although there is no trip computer on the NP300 to verify this. We estimated our average consumption in the region of 10,5 litres/100 km, which is about average for a 4X4 of this size.
Safety
We’ve already touched on the fact that the Nissan NP300 Hardbody performed poorly in crash tests conducted by the NCAP organisation. On the plus side, the NP300 is fitted with dual airbags, for the driver and front passenger. And ABS braking is also fitted. However, no other driver-assistance electronics are fitted, so there is no traction control, corner-assistance, or cruise control. Retro pretty much means going back to basics with this bakkie.
Verdict
There’s more than a small amount of charm attached to this Nissan NP300 Hardbody 4X4. A lot of that is probably down to the addition of the off-road-orientated accessory pack ( it was offered at an additional cost of R25 000, but according to one dealer we contacted, the accessory pack is no longer available, although the individual items are).
I also really enjoyed the smaller dimensions of the NP300 Double Cab, reminding me of what we lost since Toyota with its bull-nosed Hilux first started the trend towards huge Double Cabs over a decade ago.
Priced at R454 500, the Nissan NP300 Hardbody 4X4 2,5 TDI Hi-Rider offers fair value for money, and the no-frills aspect of the cockpit is quite refreshing as items like the ventilation system are so much easier to operate than they are on more modern cars and bakkies.
Those safety issues remain a concern. There again, if it’s a strong reputation for logging hundreds of thousands of km trouble-free, you might still reckon this old-school bakkie is for you! In addition, you get Nissan’s excellent 6-year/150 000 km warranty. However, a service plan is an optional extra.
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