The latest round of amendments definitely improve this model’s standing.

Price: $67,490

Powertrain and economy: 2.3-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder, 140kW/450Nm, seven-speed automatic, 4WD, combined economy 7.9L/100km, CO2 206g/km.

Vital statistics: 5255mm long, 1850mm wide, 1830mm high, 3150mm wheelbase, 18-inch alloy wheels.

We like: Across-the-board improvements, Navara’s fans will be impressed.

We don't like: Front seat design could be better, some in-cabin ergonomics remain messy, some rivals have more usable grunt.

AS overhauls go, this might at first glance seem a five-minute freshen - just the usuals and nothing beyond.

So wrong. Intense appraisal of the 2021 Nissan Navara dispels thought this model, at least in this ST-X form, has been merely delivered a ‘new grille, different lights and a bit of a redo within the cabin’ for its 2021 and onwards duty.

Comparing old and new by wheel time will be worthwhile; it reveals much more than tyre-kicking might. It’s incredible how different the model, as it now presents, is to its immediate forebear. Which, in turn, was a step up from the original NP300. Did I mention what we get now is the fifth raft of change effected over a six-year model life?

What we get now is testimony to the maker’s assertion that it gave the previous format vehicle a thorough and especially honest re-appraisal, to make it more acceptable for however many years’ service it has left. Probably two to three, given that Mitsubishi has signalled that their next Triton, which will share so much with a future Navara, is going to be with us in 2023.

As it presents now, the Navara has not only become an objectively sharper-looking ute, thanks to it being meted a more contemporary and bluff appearance, but also a better driving one; not just in terms of absolute roadholding and ride demeanour but also in more subtle ways.

For instance, the drivetrain is exactly as before, so a 2.3 litre four-cylinder twin turbo diesel married to a seven-speed automatic, and outputs and ratios have not altered. Yet it sounds quieter, feels smoother and the cog-to-cog transition is slicker and sweeter.  

Improvement to its safety credentials and introduction, at last, a host of mod cons that would have been brilliant to have from day one – starting with a digital speedo readout that shows actual ‘as it happens’ road speed rather than an average - are plus points, but it goes further than this. 

As much as Nissan has stopped short of making any really big singular changes, they’ve implemented so many small but hugely beneficial revisions – one example being that the steering wheel rim is now just slightly thicker, for much better feel - that the end result is that it’s both familiar and, yet, strangely not so much.  

At this point you might say that is to be expected, given that the version of test is a top-tier edition and those models always get the best treatment. And that’s true, save for one point. The ST-X, while likely to be one of the highest volume models in the automatic doublecab format here, is no longer the ultimate kingpin.

Another change for 2021 is the introduction of a new kingpin, called PRO-4X. An Australasian concoct in response to the likes of the Ford Ranger Raptor and Toyota’s Hilux Mako, the ‘Pro’ is a bold and out-there model inspired by Nissan’s super-sized Titan flagship pick-up truck that restricts to North America. It adds black alloys, all-terrain tyres, a unique sports bar and – when meted further and ultimate Warrior modifications by a brand-accredited off-roading specialist, Premcar in Melbourne – achieves additional beyond-seal toughness.

Doubtless when fully mucking in, the Pro model will be more adept than the version tried here; for one, because it is foremost set to be cast in a broader driving role, with plenty of tarmac driving, the ST-X is put onto a tyre whose design puts seal ahead of sludge in terms of its design and adhesion favourability.  

In saying that, though, the tester was untroubled by the farm course that we’ve used as a barometer for all four-cy-fours for the past couple of years.

Ours met rain-slick grass, mud and ruts … typical Spring conditions. Sure, there was some slipping and sliding, and some challenges reminded how this powertrain lacks the overall punch you get from some others.

Yet the clever off-road modes, further finessed in this format to include a specific dirt conditioning, decent ground clearance and suspension with good travel and engaging suppleness, a benefit of having coil rear suspension, make it an amenable and trustworthy companion.

A nod, also, to the activation pattern for the part-time 4x4 system and low-range transfer case. There’s no complexity to how they intervene, but these, and a locking rear differential and the traction control being tailored to integrate with that, are elements that support thought that this is a ute designed for ‘proper’ off-roading, not just occasional recreational forays. One particular plus is the good interaction on steep and rutted climbs. This helps cement it as being more of a ‘proper’ 4x4 regardless that it runs most of the time in rear-drive, at least in daily on-seal driving. 

More about that. Utes are never like cars, but some are better than others and, in that respect, the Navara has improved. You could say it now speaks with a German accent.

Back to that suspension. Being one of the few four-wheel-drive utes with a coil-sprung rear end helps differentiate the Navara from the leaf-spring brigade, but the original tune didn’t make it a superior option.

 I wouldn’t say that now. Whether loaded or unladen, the 2021 edition feels less edgy, more settled and fluent. It’s been that way previously, but behind another badge: The Mercedes three-pointed star. Germany’s version of this vehicle didn’t work out, but Mercedes’ engineers definitely did a better job of sorting out this chassis. Could it be that, when they exited the scene, their recipe went to Japan? Nissan has tacitly admitted the progressive-rate coil springs used now are ‘X-Class inspired’. That’s a great change for good.

Better still, there’s no cost to payload. Quite the contrary. A stronger rear differential is another achievement with positive outcome. The rear axle load capacity has increased to 1850kg; a 100-150kg increase over the previous model, spec dependent. The front axle load has also been increased from 1320kg to 1490kg. This allows the GVM to creep up from 2910kg to 3150kg.  

End result, though, is that the effective payload now is 1004kg, against increases from 932kg previously. In other words, it now can be properly called a one-tonne ute. The deck itself is a little deeper now, too. Additions to this test example included a tray liner, which I’d always recommend.

When the missus ordained that the vehicle be used to tote several loads of decorative stone for the garden, I took no chances, lining the tray with a tarp and also taking out the easily removed side rail-mounted cast aluminium eyelets Nissan provides as tiedown pints (least they were snagged by the garden centre’s tipper tractor). The ute squatted slightly under load, but had no issue hefting the load. Same story when I took a load of waste material to the metal recyclers.

The best thing Mercedes did for their version was to install a beautiful 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel, with a Mercedes transmission and full-time all-wheel-drive. That hugely transformational largesse doesn’t occur with the Navara, which keeps on with its 2.3-litre diesel and seven-speed automatic. The powertrain is decent, if not at the same level as the four-cylinder engines provisioned in the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux, but it does okay, and ongoing work to make to it smoother seems evident; it still gets breathless at the top end but you get less ‘edge’ to its note when it’s pushed. On the other hand, torque is amply available early in the rev range thanks to the sequential nature of the turbocharging and it is not overly thirsty. There are better around, but it’ll do and falls into the ‘better now than before’ framework.

 The updated look is more square and bluff, with a definite American flavour now. Implementation, on ST and upward, of new projector LED headlight assembly makes for a strong visual signature, but the real benefit is in how much improved illumination becomes. High beam in particular has a strong and wide beam pattern; anyone driving this regularly on dark country roads will be delighted. There are also new distinctive LED daytime running lights, as well as tail-lights combining LED and incandescent globes.

As has been previously explored, the key safety updates are important and will be welcomed. Forward collision warning, autonomous emergency braking – which works on a stationary car up to 80kmh - and driver-attention assist are implemented. Seven interior airbags include full-length curtain and driver's knee airbags. There is also driver-attention alert and lane-departure warning, but no lane-keep assist (perhaps because, unlike others, it hasn’t gone to electric power steering, instead retaining hydraulic assist).

It has a 360-degree camera system that delivers good coverage but suffers from poor clarity. The main screen also enables Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, native navigation and digital radio.

The ute sector is well-populated, hard-fought and heading into interesting times; the impending CO2 tax, interestingly, is potentially set to be less harsh on Navara’s engine than on others, due to its relatively clean results.

Ranger is the giant in this sector, followed by Hilux. The first has set the sales pace since year two of its lifespan – yes, way back in 2012 – and will be replaced within the year. You would be foolhardy to imagine the new won’t be designed with mind to let the reins slip. Hilux is due change by 2024.

How much the ute sector will change in that time seems anyone’s guess. Can Government will to reduce Kiwi reliance on vehicles known for their poor emissions counts really make impact?

Navara hasn’t altered massively. But every revision has made it better than it was. And, given the terrain that lays ahead, that might be no bad thing.