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— Liam Murphy
It’s hard to put it gently: Nissan, both globally and in Australia, is in dire straits. The company has faced financial hardship in recent years, and each subsequent model launch feels a little more critical than the one before.
Despite this, and amid the axing of recognisable nameplates, the local arm of the Japanese outfit is pushing forward with updates to its more popular models. The first of these? The all-new, fifth generation ‘D27’ 2026 Nissan Navara Ute.
For context, Nissan and Renault created a development and platform-sharing alliance in 1999, with Mitsubishi joining in 2016 to make it a trio. As part of this, for the first time, the Navara will lean heavily on an alliance chassis and not a Nissan-developed one, using almost all the same underpinnings that the Mitsubishi Triton has ridden on for two years.
So, has the wait been worth it? And does the new Navara do enough to help steer Nissan from troubled waters?
The 2026 Nissan Navara offering comprises a four-trim spread, with the brand claiming there is a variant to suit all buyers, from trade to lifestyle.
Further honing in on the most popular configuration of the previous Navara, Nissan Australia only offers the 2026 Nissan Navara in a dual-cab 4x4 – at least for now.
The trade-focused SL and ST kick off the range from $53,348 and $56,765 respectively. The move to ST-X lands buyers between work and lifestyle for $63,117, with the lifestyle-aimed Pro-4X closing the line-up at $68,418. All prices are before on-road costs and represent a hike of about $2000-4000 over equivalent Mitsubishi Triton variants.
A more hardcore off-road Warrior version, built by Melbourne’s Premcar, will join the range sometime in 2026, although pricing and timing for this variant remain under wraps.
A flat-price, five-year service pack can be had for $499, and – as with all new models sold by the brand – Nissan Australia warrants the vehicle for 300,000km/10 years, with a conditional 10 years of roadside assistance included if servicing remains within Nissan’s network.
There really isn’t much by way of aesthetic diversion between the new 2026 Nissan Navara and its Triton donor.
Limited in their scope (due to the Navara retaining all the Triton’s metal body panels) Nissan designers have had to get creative. Front and rear bumper and light designs have been updated, with the Navara attempting to pay some homage to its traditional V-shaped front grille and three-slit design cues dating back to the D21 generation.
The bare-bones SL rides on steel wheels, with all grades above moving between 17- and 18-inch alloy wheel designs specific to the Navara which, admittedly, look great in the metal. The move to Pro-4X adds chunkier wheel arch trimmings and grows overall width from 1865mm to 1930mm.
On the subject of dimensions, the bed is now 46mm longer and 1mm wider between the wheel arches but loses 15mm of width elsewhere. Despite this, it can still fit a Euro pallet.
Inside, the Navara makes even less of an effort to hide its Triton origins. All switchgear and componentry – even most surfaces – are shared directly with its Mitsubishi twin. Distinction is a little more pronounced in the Pro-4X and Warrior grades, with bespoke branding and colour accents throughout.
Sharing cabin DNA with the Triton is not a bad thing, though, and the new Navara adopts its strong ergonomic fundamentals, including a good balance between physical control equipment and on-screen adjustments. Cloth trim is swapped for synthetic leather as grades ascend, with real leather accenting on steering wheels for ST and up, with a leather shift boot on ST-X and up.
Nissan Navara ST-X model shown
Seats front and rear are wider compared to the previous Navara. Leg room for rear-seated passengers is also up 42mm, and it feels every bit of it, remaining spacious even with the front seats slid far back. Adjustment for front-seated passengers remains a manual affair across all trims, with drivers only picking up eight-way electric adjustment from ST-X and up.
The nine-inch centre touchscreen standard in all models runs wireless Apple CarPlay but still requires a cable connection for Android Auto. The infotainment software is shared among Nissan’s alliance partners and has been in operation in other models for some time. While that brings a certain degree of familiarity, the software and menu structure is feeling its age and seems outdated in what is billed as a new-generation Navara.
The seven-inch driver display is a stronger proposition, with a better interface and arrangement of information.
Warranting some of its price leap from the Triton, the 2026 Nissan Navara comes with a strong offering of standard kit from its entry-level trim.
LED head and tail lights with DRLs are fitted across the board (unlike its Triton counterpart), with ST and up also gaining LED fog lights and side-mirror-mounted turn signals.
As mentioned, nine-inch infotainment and seven-inch digital driver displays feature as standard, with wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto, DAB+ radio and inbuilt satellite navigation. A type A and C USB ports feature up front in all, with another set added for rear passengers in ST and up.
The ST-X and Pro-4X gain dual-zone climate, keyless start, wireless charging, a six-speaker (rather than four) sound system, and a tub liner.
The 2026 Nissan Navara adopts the same five-star ANCAP score as the Mitsubishi Triton.
A comprehensive safety suite comes as standard, including emergency lane assistance, traffic sign recognition, lane departure warning and assistance, blind spot warning and lane change assistance, front and rear cross-traffic alerts, a driver monitoring system, and adaptive cruise control.
Nissan Navara ST-X model shown
A (new for the Navara) 2.4-litre bi-turbo diesel four-cylinder powers the 2026 Nissan Navara. It’s the same engine found in the Mitsubishi Triton.
Outputs of 150kW and 470Nm represent jumps of 10kW and 20Nm over the outgoing Navara, with a 0.2L/100km reduction in fuel consumption also achieved, down to 7.7L/100km. A move to Euro 6 emissions for the new powerplant does necessitate the use of AdBlue.
A 3500kg braked towing rating is retained for the Navara, although payload is down slightly (950kg-1047kg versus 1004kg-1117kg). A 750kg unbraked towing rating also remains. Drive gears have been reduced from seven to six, and, as mentioned above, are only available in an automatic transmission.
Thanks to bespoke – and quite rigorous – suspension tuning led by Melbourne-based engineering firm Premcar, most eyes will be on how the 2026 Nissan Navara rides, so let’s start there.
It’s important to note Premcar’s tuning extends only to front and rear dampers and electronic steering, meaning the vast majority of the Navara’s hardware is still shared with the Triton.
A total of three different ride and handling packages enhance the Navara, with a single, four-leaf rear setup fitted to the SL and ST, while the ST-X and Pro-4X each receive a specific tune for their three-leaf configuration (to compensate for differing tyre sidewall height as the models move from 18-inch back down to 17-inch wheels).
The result is a comprehensively accomplished and, dare we say, somewhat sporting package. Roll and compliance are dialled in, with the Navara regaining composure over a raft of surface imperfections swiftly, making for both a comfortable and confidence-inspiring drive.
Nissan Navara Pro-4X model shown
Steering provides quickness not often seen in the segment, requiring very little rotation of the wheel to navigate just about any country back road or urban obstacle, but weight does err on the side of excessive. If we have any criticism of the suspension and steering package, it’s that it sometimes tends towards ‘sporty’ a little too much, with some minor undulations on suburban roads seeming to upset the Navara more than major ones at speed on winding roads do.
With the Navara’s ride and handling nudged towards segment benchmark, its engine is the next component to come under scrutiny. The 2.4-litre turbo-diesel and six-speed transmission pairing is a good thing around town (notwithstanding a few jarring, aggressive shifts from time to time), and it returned a respectable economy figure of 8.8L/100km – albeit higher than Nissan’s 7.7L/100km claim.
It provides smooth acceleration, although it does need to build some revs to find its sweet spot. Not an issue unladen, but this was emphasised while towing a ~2800kg caravan, with the Navara’s gearing optimised to get moving from a standstill, but not able to fully negate for reality of physics and only 2.4 litres of engine capacity at higher road speed and gears. We’d be curious to see how it handles towing at the limit of its 3500kg rating.
The nameplate has always been a dependable performer, and the new-generation 2026 Nissan Navara is no different despite shared DNA.
It may not set a segment benchmark in any one area, but nor does the D27 Navara fall on its face by any measure.
Considering the standard kit buyers get from its entry-level trim – for much less money than a comparable Ford Ranger or Toyota HiLux – the 2026 Nissan Navara might prove to be a silent killer in the segment moving forward.
