CLEM 2111.2 ROADTEST: NISSAN DOUBLE-CAB PICKUP
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Inspired by US sales of well over a million vehicles a year, pickup manufacturers are pouring new models onto the UK market. Nissan is staking its claim with a large family of pickups named the Pickup. Fortunately the vehicle shows more imagination than its name...
Ideas are like viruses—il ley spread rapidly and inexplicably, and very little can stop them, no matter how bad they are. That's why the great revolutions of history have happened, why pop culture works and why twobillion women have decided that baby-faced squirt Leonardo di Caprio is A Good Thing. Its also why that last statement will seem very dated in a year's time.
One of these highly contagious ideas has gripped the motor industry recently: Britain Needs Pickups.
Five years ago you would have had a very limited choice of pickup trucks. Old stagers like the Peugeot 504 and the Ford P100 had disappeared, and would-be buyers were left with a few models such as the Toyota Hilux and the Fiat Fiorillo.
e, But manufacturers saw the colossal sales of E pickup trucks in the US. where more than a nmillion Ford F-Series pickups are built every 1 >. year—enough to make it the most popular i . ntour-wheeled vehicle on earth. The idea of 1 8 making pickup trucks fashionable over here 5 and generating a few more sales was simply i too good to ignore. At first the number of pickup models on offer grew gradually, but now there's a flood: the latest entrants are the new-generation Mitsubishi L200 and Thyota Hilux, the Mazda B-Series and the Vauxhall Brava, all of which are available in two or four-wheeldrive variants. They will soon be joined by Ford's Thai-built Ranger.
An offshoot of this trend has been the appearance of crewcabs and double cabs: vehicles with two sets of doors and two rows of seats. The extra accommodation is welcome, of course, but the extra tax is not—VAT cannot be reclaimed on these vehicles.
Nissan has decided to cover all the bases with its latest-generation pickup, known unimaginatively as the Pickup. It's available with two or four-wheel drive, diesel or turbodiesel power and a choice of three albs: the conventional two-seater, the double cab tested here and the King Cab—a halfway-house design with two doors and a stretched cab with extra internal storage space that (according to Nissan) esaipes the VAT net. So there are plenty of ideas out there, but are they worth spreading?
11 • PRODUCT PROFILE
Even when the pickup market was quiet, Nissan's design was a shrinking violet: the 1)21 pickup, introduced in 1985, was competent enough, but did not excel in any area. When we tested the 4x4 version in 1993 we said: it really needs a little more thought and a lot more sparkle if it is to compete with the class leaders' Time has moved on, and the class leaders have become even better—more powerful, more comfortable and easier to use on or off the mad—so Nissan's task has become even harder.
The new Pickup offers the most powerful engine in its class, the torquiest engine in its class, the most diverse range and fairly competitive prices. Each variant costs about the same as the equivalent Mitsubishi 1200, which is the current industry benchmark.
The Nissan Pickup range starts with the single-cab 4x2, fitted with a naturally aspirated 2.5-litre diesel putting out 82hp (61kW), Then there's the King Cab version of the same vehicle. Next up is the King Cab 4x4, with the 2.5-litre charge-cooled turbo-diesel producing 102hp (76kW); and finally there's the doublecab version tested here. Prices range from £10,725 (ex-VAT) for the single-cab 4x2 to
well over £17,000 for the Double Cab—still around £1,000 cheaper than the double-cab version of Toyota's Hilux. All versions share the same wheelbase.
The 4x4 Pickup's clriveline is now a "shift-on-the-fly" system, able to change from rear to four-wheel drive on the move, and the front freewheel hubs are now the type that locks automatically, saving the driver from unnecessary excursions into the mud. The shifting system is straightforward, with an extra gear lever that works without undue effort, incorporating a pushdown detent to prevent accidental selection of neutral (N) or low-range, four-wheel drive (41).
We were pleased to see that a limited-slip rear differential comes as standard. It should be invaluable in the slippery stuff—and after all, many drivers would not have the faintest idea of how to use a manually locking cliff.
Welcome features include a driver's-side airbag, though the centre rear passenger has to make do with just a lap strap. • PRODUCTIVITY Fuel consumption is not the first thing you look for in a 4x4 but the Nissan does its bit, returning a respectable 27.5mpg round our Kent test mute with a full load. However, heavy traffic limited motorway speeds to nearer 60 than 70mph, and you can expect much worse results if you go faster: on another highspeed run we returned less than 20mpg.
Traffic also meant that our average speed was nothing special—but look at the Pickup's hill-climb time: it's the fastest in its class. Its acceleration is superb too, both from a standing start and through the gears. The only caveat is that you have to keep the engine spinning: below 2,000rpm the torque drops off very steeply.
Four-wheel drive limits payload, of course, and the magic figure here is 865kgnot quite a tonne, but still useful. The double cab has more effect by restricting the size of the loadbed; it's 840mm shorter than that of the single cab. For some reason it's also narrower, and it lacks the single-cab loadbed's outside tonneau hooks, though there are hooks concealed inside—this seems to be a cosmetic change as much as anything. The axles are rated fairly generously, as you would hope in a vehicle that is likely to have a strong rearward load bias.
Other features include some tough-looking wheelarch guards and a decent load restraint bar behind the cab.
The Pickup comes with an excellent threeyear/60,000-mile warranty, with servicing intervals set at 6,000 miles. While the Mitsubishi L200 offers a 100,000-mile warranty, it needs servicing every 4,500 miles.
• ON AND OFF THE ROAD On the road in two-wheel-drive mode tl Nissan behaves much like its peers: it N.w lows, rolls and pitches much more than a co ventional car or van. Once you've got used it this behaviour isn't too bad, but you alwa! have to be aware of the limited grip from tl dual-purpose tyres and the Pickup's exaggi ated rear-wheel-drive handling—too mu( throttle and the back end can come sweepir round. Still, it's predictable, and the quit steering makes corrections quite simple.
Ride quality is OK (particularly with son load on board) and the Pickup is impressive stable at motorway speeds. But throw it at series of zig-zag bends and you'll end up let ing seasick and queasy...all that suspensit travel has to go somewhere.
When you first engage four-wheel drii and try to turn a corner it almost feels like ti front tyres have gone flat. Steering effort much higher than in two-wheel drive, ar much of the steering "feel" disappears.
But this isn't a problem on the rough stu where the Nissan seems much more at horn Ride quality here is excellent and the powerf driveline makes short work of hills. In fact ti handbrake is likely to be more of a limitatio it held on our one-in-three test hill, but on just, and it needed a fair old heave. At least ii a "proper" handbrake lever, not the dreadf umbrella-type design that used to be populi in Japanese-designed 4x4s.
The engine is impressively powerful. Urn Ford's Ranger arrives next year with a 1141 • (85kW) turbo-diesel the Nissan is king of the class, but it's peaky, and it is all too easy to spin the wheels. On the other hand, there's hardly any power at all below 1,800rpm, so low-rev lugging is not an option. The slightly less powerful Mitsubishi seems to be more driveable, but it will take a head-to-head comparison to be sure. We complained about the 021's flat power delivery, but this time Nissan has gone too far the other way.
• CAB COMFORT Double cabs are often known as crewcabs, and the whole point of a crewcab is that it can accommodate a crew of four or five grown adults in their working gear. It's here that the Nissan falls down. The front seats are commodious enough, hut (as you can see from the picture on page 38) the rear seats are seriously short of legroom. Passengers would be most uncomfortable on anything other than a very short journey; only children and jockeys need apply.
Perhaps this reflects the leisure bias of the crewcab market and the limited dimensions of a UK-spec pickup: none of its direct competitors offers more useful room. But it certainly compromises the Nissan's ability, and makes the double-cab's VAT liability look even worse value. Soon we'll be looking at the King Cab to find out if that could be a better option.
Whatever you think about the rear seat, accommodation for the driver is good. This is a modern cab with good visibility and excellent controls. The seat is not bad, though you can suffer from the flat-floored, legs-straightout driving position that is typical of an offwader. The cab is very quiet—according to OUT readings, the quietest in its class—so motorway trips are quite practical.
There are plenty of pockets and cubbyholes (though no cup-holders), with a lockable gloyebox, good windscreen wipers, twin tripmeters (count 'cm!) and an excellent heater setup offering quick demisting, plenty of heat and a recirculation setting.
The headlights are reasonably powerful but there's no beam adjustment for the driver so a full load generally leads to plenty of angry looks from oncoming motorists.
• SUMMARY Weil, it certainly looks the part. The Pickup's aggressive chromed front bumper and the muscle-car scoop on the bonnet should guarantee some sales to imageconscious drivers; they may even like its peaky power delivery. But who will buy the Nissan as a serious workhorse?
Nissan reckons that one of the main markets for the double cab will be the selfemployed owner-driver who is likely to use it for leisure as well as business. In this context it starts to make sense. As occasional trans port for a family with short-legged children the double cab is pretty practical, seasickness apart. The other predicted market is for construction companies and utilities. For these the tool-carrying abilities of the King Cab might be just as useful, and the VAT saving would be decisive.
By most criteria the Nissan is a good choice. It performs well on the road and very capably in the rough: build quality is high and productivity is fine. It's certainly closer to the top of its class than before, and it's not bad in any sense. Whether the current obsession with pickups is a good idea or not, this contender has certainly improved the breed.
E by Toby Clark Price as tested: E17,619 (inc-VAT).
Engine: 2.5-litre charge-cooled turbo-diesel, 102hp (76kW). 2,740kg. Payload: 865kg. Fuel consumption (laden): 27.5mpg (10.31it/100km). Average speed: 63.9km/h.
SPECIFICATION
Nissan Double Cab 4x4 2.510 Pickup. Design GVW: 2,740kg.
Importer Nissan Motor (08}, The Rivers Office Park, Denham Way, Maple Crass, P4mansworth, Herts WD3 110DE 1
11=31 Nissan TD25T1 liquid-cooled ID charge-coded OHV turbo .diesel with exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) Cylinders: Four, in•line. Bor./stroke: 92.9x92.0rnm Capacity: 2.5 litres.
Compression ratio: 22.3:1.
Maximum net power: 102hp (76kW) at 4,000rpm. Maximum net torque: 245Nm 11811610ot 2,000rprn.
OZTE=1 'ilissan five-speed synchro manual box
wIth 'urge I, ruler box and switchable rear-wheel/four
wheel-drive system. Limited-slip rear axle is standard.
Ratios: 3.58, 2.08, 1.36, 1.00 and 0.81:1; reverse, 3.64:1. Final drive: 4,87:1.
Transfer box ratios: 1,00:1 and 2.02:1. Clutch: Single .dry-plate hydraulic type.
=HUM wal-circuit hydraulic with servo US% :,tunce, rentdcred hunt discs and rear drums. Four-channel electronic ABS is optional.
IRIMM Hydraulic power-assisted recirculating-boll syvem, 4 1 !urns lock to lock RIMMI Steel ladder-type chassis with pressed-steel body assembly Suspension: Front, independent double wishbones with torsion bar springs, ant-roll bar and telescopic dampers, rear, rigid axle with leaf springs arid telescopic dampers. Axle design weights: Front, 1,300kg; rear, 1,800kg Maximum braked trailer weight: 2,300k5 Maximum unbralurd trailer weight: 500kg. Wheels and tyres: Pressed-steel 61x16in wheels with Dunlop Grandtrek 2058 16C tyres
Fuel tank;
ITIM:2=27111 12V, negative ecuth
TERMS OF WARRANTY Three -year/60,000-mile mechanical warranty with six-year anti-perforation body venrrrir,y DEALERS AND SERVICE POINTS. Nissan has 300 dealers ir the UK.
OPERATIONAL TRIAL RESULTS Kent test route: 140.6km (65.5km motorway/75.1km A-road). Average speed (laden): 63.9km/h. Average fuel consumption (laden): 27.5mpg I10.31it/100km). BRAKE PERFORMANCE Dynamic test could not be performed because of rain on the test track. Park brake held on 33% 11-in-3) gradient facing up and downhill (see text).
HILL PERFORMANCE
Hill min sec
M20 2 42 A20 baulked Restart possible on 33% (1-in-3) gradient (see text).