The Sunday News
Lovert Mafukure
ON this new series called fatal attraction, we are going to be looking at some of the most unsafe cars of our times. These are cars that have scored low marks on the New Car Assessment Programme which results in high probability of life-threatening injuries in the event of an accident.
Remember the Nissan Hardbody Wolf? The car my generation grew up thinking it’s the toughest just because they called it just that. It was the car of our dreams. Big tyres, bulging wheel aches, grey nudge bars and roll bars to complement the masculinity factor, it was “the” car and it still is. It’s like it doesn’t age, it’s timeless.
It’s the beast of the 2000s, it’s one of the cars that redefined luxury when it came out. It was for bosses and executives and every boss in a big company just wanted one. From the earlier boxy generation of the Hardbody, the New Hardbody was a game changer.
In Zimbabwe the Hardbody Wolf came as a single cab or double cab truck. You could also choose a king if you fancied something in between. It had quite a number of engines to choose from. First on the line-up was a KA24 DE engine, a 2,4l petrol motor that really pushed the test of time and even today a lot of them are still running on the streets. A 3,0l diesel Zd30 engine was available for all the diesel heads. This was a turbo-charged inline 4-cylinder engine that could take you where you needed to go without any hassles.
On top of the line, the was a VG33 beast model. This came boasting of a 3,3l V6 engine which had a grunt for days. Forget the fuel consumption, this was the definition of big boy toy. A big V6 engine delivering some cool 130kw and an exhaust note to match, what more would anyone want?
In recent years, similar models badged as Navaras have come as Grey imports from the UK. These did not really have the same engines as the local ones, most of them came with the infamous YD25 engine. I will not personally fault this engine but I will pass the blame to lack of knowledge, machinery and parts.
The first Hardbody was introduced in 1988, this was the Hardbody D21, the boxy one. It ran its mile up until the new millennium when the new D22 was introduced. The D22, which is the topic today has stood the test of time, they said its tough as nails, like its name says. We would be driven to believe the fact because it’s now 25 years since it was first produced and you can still get it brand new, it’s still rolling off the production line 25 years later.
Of course, it has had some facelifts and modifications along the way. The first modification was the name, it changed from Hardbody to Np300 in 2007, a name it carries even today. The diesel power plant was also upgraded to common rail just to move with the times.
Now, it turns out that the Np300 “Hardbody” had serious design flaws that put occupants at risk in case of a head on collision. It’s not as “hard” a body as Nissan would have people believe. In 2018, the Global New Car Assessment programme tested the Np300 and it scored zero on safety of occupants, leading many to believe it must have been misnamed. During the test the structure of the truck collapsed and it was rated as unstable.
There are campaigns now for #safercarsforAfrica as it would seem like Nissan knew their design flaws and pushed such a poorly designed car to Africa because well, in Africa you would rather be in an unsafe Np300 than be in a 1972 AVM 50c Zupco bus packed up like sardines.
It is surprising that Nissan would sell a car for so long with such design flaws. Their response to the results was less than consoling saying their cars meet safety requirements. This truck is one of southern Africa’s best-selling trucks and it was designed at the turn of the new millennium, it’s almost a quarter of a century old. It wouldn’t be surprising if it’s found to be sub-standard and not meet current safety tests.
I am tempted to conclude that the car we grew wishing to have was not all that but my introvert side really wants to appreciate the car that it is . . . Perhaps a hard heart with a soft body. Till next time . . . #drivesafely
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