NISSAN D21 4x4 Price as tested: £10,195 (ex-VAT). Engine: 2.5 litres diesel, 55kW (75hp). GVW: 2,740kg.
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Payload: 1,090kg.
Fuel Consumption (laden):10.51it/100km (26.9mpg). MODEL Nissan D21 4x4 ENGINE Nissan four-cylinder, indirectinjection diesel.
Capacity: 2,494cc. Maximum net power: 55kW (75hp) at 4,300rpm. Maximum net torque: 160Nm (1181bf-t) at 2,200rprn.
TRANSMISSION Five-speed manual with synchromesh.
Transfer box: High range (two and four-wheel drive) and low range (four-wheel drive only).Manually locking front freewheel hubs.
LOAD CAPACITY Load space area: 3.27m' (less wheel arch intrusion: 2.95m2). Axle design weights: Front, 1,160kg; rear, 1,800kg. GPM 4,740k9.
RIVAL TESTS Mitsubishi 1200 4x4 petrol and diesel (naturally aspirated): CM 23-29 June 1988. Toyota Hilux 4x2 petrol and 4x4 diesel: CM 6-12 July 1989 Bedford (now Vauxhall) Brava 4x2 diesel: CM 26 Jan1 Feb 1989. Want to carry a tonne across a field? Get a tractor. Want to take it into town? Get a van. Want to do both? Get a 4x4 pickup.
This concept has caused the off-road vehicle market to boom over the past few years while the pickup market has nose-dived. At the same time intense competition (especially among Japanese manufacturers) has refined technical features and created vehicles for every niche of this market.
The D21 has been around for a long while. Following the wrangle over Nissan's UK distribution it went off the market for a time, but now it's back, in facelifted form with petrol or diesel power and two or four-wheel-drive.
We have been testing the 4x4 diesel version both on road and off, to see if it's as capable as it looks.
The D21 4x4 is a steel-bodied pickup with a double-skinned load bed, a separate chassis, selectable two or four-wheel drive and a payload of around a tonne.
At £10,195 the diesel version as tested costs £900 more than the 2.4-litre petrol 4x4, and £2,200 more than the diesel 4x2. The 2.0-litre petrol 4x2 will set you back just £6,950.
Productivity The Nissan has a great deal of ground clearance, as befits a 4x4, so anybody expecting a low load space will be disappointed. The load bed is above hip height so heavy loads could lead to a hernia, but this complaint applies equally to every other vehicle in this class.
The D21's 1,090kg payload matches any of its rivals— trouncing the Hilux's 750kgand its load bed is a healthy 2.235m long, with an area of 3.27m2. There is a fairly sturdy load restraining frame, and the tailgate can be taken off its chains to drop down vertically. But the D21 has no tonneau cover, despite the hooks around the loadspace walls.
The Nissan's fuel consumption was a respectable 10.51it/100km (26.9mpg) in two-wheel-drive over our Kent test route. This is comparable to the Toyota Hata 4x4 but cannot match the Brava 4x2's 9.341it/100km (30.2mpg).
On the road Driving the D21 on the road is distinctly uninspiring: the engine, steering and chassis are reasonably competent but terribly dull.
The Nissan's engine is rattly when cold; things get better when it has warmed up but the unit is hardly refined at any speed. It doesn't feel too torquey either, needing 2,000rpm before it produces appreciable power. But torque levels off after that and it's not worth revving beyond 4,00Orpm.
The five-speed transmission is pretty low-geared so first gear is unnecessary unless the truck is loaded, but acceleration is hardly vivid. Eventually the D21 will get to the legal limit on the motorway, where things aren't too bad: Nissan seems to have engineered a period at 70mph where engine, wind and road noise are not too intrusive. In fact tyre noise is quite well modulated at all speeds, emphasising the coarseness of the engine.
On-road handling is adequate. There is body roll on cornering, and the usual pitching that results from mismatched front and rear spring rates, but ride and grip are quite good and the Nissan behaves predictably enough.
The gear change can't be faulted; it may not feel very precise, but rapid changes take little effort. The clutch bites miles from the floor, however.
The D21's power steering needs a dollop more feel, and with such a long wheelbase it's not the most manoeuvrable of vehicles.
The load bed hides vehicles close behind, so care is needed when parking. Otherwise visibility is good, with truck-sized mirrors and a good view from the high cab.
The Nissan's brakes (discs at the front, drums to the rear) are effective but lack feel, while the handbrake is a daft umbrellahandle affair poking from beneath the dash. Even after a week's driving our tester found himself scrabbling for the handle every time.
The handbrake is bad enough, but possibly the single worst feature of the D21 is its single bench seat. This archaic arrangement has no advantage that we can see, as the transmission tunnel means there's no room for a second passenger.
With no centre console either, storage space is lacking: there's a lockable glove compartment, but the door pockets are uselessly tiny. Also, the dashboard slopes too much to use as a shelf, and there's certainly no room for a drink.
Narrow items could go behind the folding seat back, alongside the jack and wheelbrace, but this is hardly convenient.
Heating and ventilation are up to the usual high Japanese standards, but the smell of diesel comes ,through after a while. Overall, the D21's interior loses out to its more established competition. Off the road Taking the D21 off road is straightforward: simply put the transfer box into high or lowrange 4WD and lock the front hubs. But here the driver is likely to get rather muddy, as the hubs need to be locked manually with a half-turn.
Gear ratios are low enough that the Nissan had little trouble climbing the slopes of the Bagshot test track in high range with a full load. Low range is pos itively subterranean and provided plenty of engine braking on steep descents.
Lack of grip is more of a limitation than lack of power when driving the D21 off road. Although there is plenty of ground clearance, the stiff rear suspension limits wheel travel.
The compromise on/off-road tyres tend to clog with mud, and there are no differential locks to help regain traction if a wheel starts to slip. The Nissan's lifeless controls are an advantage off road: the lack of torque at low revs makes wheel spin less likely, and the dead steering reduces kick back. In fact, on loose surfaces the laden truck was well balanced, and it was quite easy to induce controllable oversteer with the throttle.
SUIMIlary The Nissan tested here competes against the more aggressive-looking Toyota Hilux and Mitsubishi L200, as well as the Isuzu-built Vauxhall Brava. There's little to choose between them, but the Nissan's excellent payload, large load bed and 3year/60,000-mile warranty may swing it for some operators.
However, Mitsubishi is about to up the ante by selling its newly turbocharged L200 at the same price as the old model—it loses out to the D21 only in loadbed size, and offers a mammoth threeyear/100,000-mile warranty The Nissan D21 is a thoroughly competent vehicle, which makes more sense off the road than on, but it really needs a little more thought and a lot more sparkle if it is to compete with the class leaders.
by Toby Clark