Cordovan, Argentina - The Mercedes-Benz X-Class might be dying this year but some of the unique genes that it had are set to live on in the facelifted Navara, which is expected to surface in 2021.
While the X-Class did share a platform, structure and its four-cylinder turbodiesel engines with the current Nissan Navara, some of the chassis enhancements that Mercedes made exclusively for the X-Class will be adopted in the new Navara, according to the Autoblog Argentina website.
Autoblog.ar reported that the refreshed Navara will adopt structural reinforcements in the chassis that were originally developed for the Mercedes X-Class. This includes the cross members that form part of the ladder frame.
This was reportedly confirmed by sources close to the project, in the Argentinian plant that will produce the new Navara.
An updated Navara model is also set to be produced in South Africa’s own Rosslyn plant north of Pretoria, according to an announcement made last year, and production is expected to commence in 2021. This forms part of a R3 billion investment in the local plant.
It’s not clear how identical our Navara will be the South American and North American models, with the latter having been teased in the shadowed image you see above.
The updated Navara will likely carry over the current 2.3-litre twin-turbo diesel engine, although it’s more than likely that lesser-powered variants will also be offered.
Nissan is promising a “full” line-up of Navara models for the local market, as opposed to today’s upmarket double cab variants, so you can expect a wide range that includes lower-spec double cab and single cab models.
IOL Motoring