The Navara, according to Nissan is one tough mother-trucker and thanks to the most powerful engine in its class, the reputation really stuck.

The only problem is that the four wheel drive system is just dead weight most of the time for owners who live their life in the Klang Valley, not to mention the fact that they incur additional drag on the driveline.

A simple solution is to remove the all-wheel drive system and leave the Navara as a rear-wheel drive pick-up truck.

While some companies offer their two-wheel drive pick-up as a lowered and more anaemic version of the full-blown load lugger, the Navara retains all the muscle bulges of the rock climber and that is a major part of the attraction.

The two-wheel drive configuration also explains why the Navara Calibre test vehicle came with road tyres that are not suitable for slippery off-road conditions.

We learnt the hard way that the Navara Caliber cannot tackle slippery fields when we got it completely stuck in a mildly sloping grassy field in Bukit Tunku while trying to position it for the photos you see here.

Leaving a side the comedic offroading ability, the Navara Calibre is something that an average driver can live with every day.

The Navara is refined, thanks to a strong and willing engine that never grunts too loudly or run out breath too quickly. The Navara has also been blessed with generous sound and vibration insulation to make the cabin a calm and quiet place that is nearly comparable to a car.

Under the bonnet is the YD25DDTi, part of Nissan's modern range of common rail direct injection dieselengines. This 2.5-Litre turbo-charged four-cylinder engine incorporates a Variable Nozzle Turbocharger (VNT) and intercooler for  strong response at low RPM to deliver a class-leading 144ps and a maximum torque of 356Nm.

The balancer shaft contributes significantly to vibration and harshness reduction from this engine.

The transmission is an electronically controlled five-speed automatic transmission that is ideal for urban crawls. Fitted with low range transfer case, it is even good for creeping up rocks and other off-road obstacles.

The cabin is large and roomy, even with a full-size adult sitting in front, the Navara still has enough room in the back seat for another adult. The rear seats are set high enough to prevent passengers' knees coming up too close to their chest.

This improves the overall comfort level for all occupants.

The Navara is a big truck, capable of towing three tonnes and lugging half a tonne on the truck bed but the robust leaf springs suspension at the rear does not try to bounce occupants of their seats at every speed-bump or pothole.

On the highway, the Navara cruises quietly with the engine barely ticking over the 2,000 rpm mark and the driver was disciplined enough to staybelow the legal limit. The Navara will return the better part of 700 kilometres with every  tankful.

We clocked around 550 kilometres on a single tank of diesel and this is a respectable real-world figure considering that a test car is usually gunned hard.

The Navara is also rather well specified in terms of safety. Apart from the Zone body concept which compartmentalise the cabin into a rigid safety shell, it also comes with anti-lock brake system (ABS) and electric brake force distribution (EBD) on all four independent wheels to ensure proper brake force in accordance with load on each wheel.

"We are confident that the new Navara Calibre 4X2 will receive good response as this new introduction is perfect for those who want a macho pick-up truck with a more affordable price coupled with an even better fuel consumption," said Datuk Dr Ang Bon Beng, executive director of Edaran Tan Chong Motor Sdn Bhd.

"We also believe that this new variant will attract car buyers who are looking for a good value alternative to a passenger car," he added.

The Navara Calibre 4X2 is fully imported as a completely builtup unit from Nissan Motor Thailand. It is available in a special Desert Gold colour alongside Supreme Black, Tungsten Silver and Twilight Gray.

The Navara Calibre 4x2 is priced at RM89,900 (OTR without insurance) for Peninsular Malaysia and comes with a three-year or 100,000km (whichever comes first) warranty.

We can strongly recommend it, as long as you don't plan to take it off-road.  

Awarded for comfort and affordability

The mother-trucker has scored another award, this time the Nissan Navara was chosen by Asian Auto-Vehicle Certification Agency as their "Best Value For Money Pickup Truck" for 2010.

This award was presented to Aven Yong, general manager of Marketing Communications at the awards presentation ceremony recently.

The Navara Calibre 4x2 is a compelling combination of strong performance, bold styling and outstanding features, with a powerful yet fuel-efficient two-wheel drive able to take on all obstacles whether in town or in the outskirts. It is highly rated for its toughness, offroad capabilities and comfort across the world. Since its November 2008 launch in Malaysia, the Navara has garnered several awards such as Autocar Asean Pickup Truck of the Year and last year's Asian  Auto - VCA Best Value Pickup.