Nissan Navara Adds VL Plus Variant – 7 Airbags And 360-degree Camera For Just RM6k More

Edaran Tan Chong Motor has beefed up its Navara model line-up with the addition of a new range topping 2.5-litre Double VL Plus A/T variant. Priced at RM 119,869, it’s about RM 6,000 more expensive than the VL variant but the additional money bumps up the airbag count from three to seven, and buys you a 360-degree parking camera.

The 360-degree coverage Intelligent Around View Monitor (I-AVM) uses four cameras to provide a live video feed to the display screen, giving the driver a bird’s-eye view of the vehicle’s surrounding. It’s especially useful on a big vehicle like the Navara.

This makes the Navara the third local Nissan model to be offered with I-AVM, after the X-Trail and Serena S-Hybrid.

Inside, the VL Plus variant also gets an upgraded instrument panel, whose multi-info Advanced Driver Assist Display housed between the tachometer and speedometer now provides vehicle speed readings on top of the usual fuel economy and trip distance. 

The VL only had three airbags - driver, front passenger, and driver's knee. The VL Plus variant adds curtain and side airbags.

The Navara VL Plus is also available with the Black Series accessories package, which bumps up the price by about RM 3,700 to RM 123,642. It adds:

• Matte black front grille
• Front bumper
• Front and rear overfenders
• Headlamp eyelid covers
• Matte black fog lamp covers
• Side mirror covers
• Cargo bed sport bar
• Black partial leather seats

Mechanically, the Navara VL Plus is identical to the VL variant. It’s powered by a 2.5-litre turbocharged and intercooled diesel engine that makes 190 PS and 450 Nm, drive is transferred to either the rear or all four wheels via a 7-speed torque converter automatic transmission paired to selectable Part-time 4WD transfer case.

It continues to ride on the multi-link rear suspension, still the only one of its kind in the segment while the cabin boasts of air-conditioning vents for rear occupants, a unique feature offered only by the Navara.