Nissan Navara 2.5DDTi Pro-4X 4X4 Auto D/C P/U (2026) Review

Introduction

Right, so, you're after a double-cab that actually behaves on tar and doesn't rattle your kidneys on broken roads? The Nissan Navara Pro-4X King Cab, in six-speed manual trim with the 2.3 dCi twin-turbo diesel with 140 kW and 450 Nm, is worth a look - if you accept it's neither the newest nor the quickest bakkie in the pack. Built in Rosslyn unit 2026, the Navara's coil-sprung rear is now rare in a segment obsessed with leaf springs and resale. On paper at least, that sets it apart from the usual suspects. What matters here is whether this package, quirks and all, still makes sense for South African buyers staring down balloon payments and sky-high diesel costs.

Key takeaway: The Pro-4X King Cab is a genuinely comfortable 4x4 if you value ride quality and a manual shifter over the latest gadgets or headline performance.

Design & Exterior

The Pro-4X look, decoded

Think of Pro-4X as a visual upgrade - a bit of attitude for an otherwise familiar bakkie. Lava-orange accents, blacked-out grille, chunky 17-inch alloys, and those “Pro-4X” badges on the tailgate. The King Cab, with its full doors and rear-hinged half-doors, has a stockier, more no-nonsense stance than the double cab. There’s a working bakkie honesty here, just with some extra jewellery for the weekend trailhead.

Stance and segment placement

Nissan’s 2019 facelift with C-shaped DRLs and a bold new grille has aged better than you’d predict. Park it next to a Hilux Legend or Ranger XLT - nothing screams “last-gen” unless you’re really hunting for it. Those orange tow hooks and all-terrain tyres do the trick, ticking boxes for buyers eyeing a Wildtrak or GR-Sport III but not convinced by the price premium.

Cabin & Practicality

Materials and ergonomics

Inside, the Navara’s age peeks through: old-school Nissan dash, physical climate dials and actual buttons for diff-lock, hill descent, and drive modes. No massive tablet here, just a modest infotainment screen and tactile controls. Personally, on a dusty gravel stretch, I’d rather jab a proper switch than try to swipe a laggy touchscreen with hands full of red sand. The Pro-4X stitching and headrests do enough to lift the vibe, even if it’s not plush.

King Cab practicality

Here’s the catch - the King Cab’s rear-hinged doors need the fronts open to access the back. The “bench” behind is occasional seating at best; more realistically, it’s secure, dry storage for laptops, tools, or a cooler box. If you pack smart, that space matters more than rear legroom ever could. Up front, the seats are broad and supportive - after four hours, I was less stiff than I usually am in a Ranger’s tighter buckets.

Nissan Navara boot space and load bed

Most people searching for “Nissan Navara boot space” actually want to know about the load bed. The King Cab’s load bay is longer than the double cab’s, which is why this body still survives. Add in the lockable rear-cab cubby, and you get real-world carrying flexibility that doesn’t show up in the brochure specs.

On the Road

The 2.3 dCi twin-stage diesel

This is the engine the Navara should have had from the start: 2.5 dCi, 140 kW, twin-turbo, and happy to haul from around 1 750 rpm. Best between 2 000 and 3 200 rpm, then it’s done - fair enough, it’s a diesel, not a screamer. With the manual, you get proper throttle control on slick or rocky ground - no hunting for gears, just steady torque.

Manual gearbox character

Long, positive throws on the shifter, and gates you can’t miss. Not sporty, but honest - first and second are short for crawling, sixth is a relaxed overdrive. Clutch action is forgiving, making it easy to ease over rocky outcrops without kangarooing. Anyone who learned to drive in a bakkie will feel at home here.

Ride and handling on SA surfaces

This is where the Navara earns its keep. The multi-link coil rear simply absorbs battered tar - think R59 between Vereeniging and Heidelberg - better than any leaf-sprung Hilux. Unladen, it stays composed; throw in 200 kg, and ride quality actually improves. We clocked the double-cab Pro-4X at over 13 seconds for 0–100 km/h; the lighter King Cab manual feels a touch perkier, but nobody’s buying it to win sprints.

Nissan Navara ground clearance and off-road

Ground clearance is 221 mm on this Pro-4X - enough for most farm tracks, gravel, and the lower bits of Sani before things get hairy. It’s not a Raptor, and isn’t trying to be. The rear diff-lock and shift-on-the-fly 4x4 do the work when it gets slippery. I once tackled a muddy section outside Standerton where the Hilux next to me needed a second shot - the Navara just walked through, calm as ever.

Data & Comparison

Spec callouts

• Engine: 2.5 dCi turbodiesel, 140 kW, 4WD
• Gearbox: 6-speed manual
• Body: Navara IV King Cab (facelift 2019), 4 doors
• Drive: All-wheel drive (4x4) with low range
• 5-year estimated TCO: approximately R230 000

How it stacks up

Ownership and segment trend

The double-cab demand isn’t slowing - interest scores went from 62.1 in June 2025 to 66.4 by October, then settled at 63.5. King Cab? Still niche. Its score barely budged from 1.49 to 1.55 over the same period. So the Nissan Navara price in South Africa equation for King Cab buyers is straightforward: there’s less competition on dealer floors, but also fewer used buyers down the line.

That R230 000 five-year TCO covers fuel, routine servicing, and tyres. Resale’s always been the Navara’s weak spot compared to Hilux, and that hasn’t changed - doublecab Pro-4X autos hold their value better simply because there are more takers. Check prices at CMH Nissan or Motus - you’ll see King Cab manuals are buyer’s bargains, but don’t expect a windfall at trade-in time.

Editorial Focus

The Pro-4X Bakkie Tested - Does the badge earn its keep?

After a week mixing Vaal gravel loops with city gridlock, my take is this: the Pro-4X King Cab works, but only if you know what you’re signing up for. Mechanically, it’s not beefed up above the vanilla SE 4x4 - same track width, same multi-link rear, same diff-lock. What you’re buying is the styling, those factory all-terrains, and the orange-black interior touches that say you’re not in a rental-spec Nissan. That’s the point if you’re after presence, not performance.

If you’re the buyer for a manual 2.5 dCi King Cab, your priorities are different. You pay less, get a longer bed, shift yourself, but keep the off-road kit. Those all-terrain tyres are a real asset on gravel near Graskop or when heading up the N4 - fitting them later isn’t cheap. And the double-cab auto’s “slow” rep doesn’t stick here: with a manual, you keep the engine in its sweet spot. That matters for this spec.

Verdict

Buy the Nissan Navara 2.5 dCi Pro-4X King Cab 4x4 manual if you want a bakkie that rides better than the competition, shifts its own gears, and doesn’t cost what the halo models do. Give it a miss if you chase gadgets, quick 0–100s, or bulletproof resale - Hilux and Ranger still rule those roosts. As a daily with real off-road chops, tested in 2025’s South African reality (think load-shedding, potholes, and fuel at R27/litre), it’s a credible 7.5 out of 10. Honest mechanicals, comfortable ride, segment-proper ability - marked down for old infotainment and weaker residuals, but still a proper contender…