Every few years a new dual-cab launches and the automotive press asks the same question: is this finally the one that topples the HiLux? Most are not. But the new Nissan Navara, tested back-to-back against the HiLux SR5 by 4X4 Australia in July 2026, is a more serious answer than anything Nissan has fielded in a long time. At somewhere between $66,000 and $68,000 drive-away, the two utes are separated by almost nothing on the price sheet, and not a great deal more on the spec sheet either. That is genuinely new territory for this segment.
What makes this comparison interesting to the broader 4x4 community, and not just to tradies deciding between dealerships, is what it reveals about the working ute market in 2026 and where the LandCruiser 70 Series sits above it. The 70 is not a HiLux and it is not a Navara, but for tens of thousands of Australian owners it is the reference point against which every capable dual-cab gets measured. Understanding what the new Navara can and cannot do tells you something useful about why that reference point has held for four decades.
At a Glance
- Both the HiLux SR5 and Navara ST-X sit at around $66,000 to $68,000 drive-away and share a 3500kg tow rating with around a tonne of payload.
- The HiLux runs a 2.8-litre turbo-diesel with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system producing 500Nm; the Navara counters with a 2.4-litre bi-turbo diesel producing 470Nm.
- GVM and GCM figures are close but the HiLux retains a small payload advantage when towing at the legal combined limit.
- The new Navara was developed by Premcar on a platform shared with the Mitsubishi Triton, and it backs that with full-time four-wheel drive and a 10-year warranty.
- The LandCruiser 70 Series remains the benchmark for long-haul capability, aftermarket depth and platform longevity in the Australian 4x4 market.
What Nissan Has Actually Built
The new Navara is not simply a rebadged Triton. Nissan handed the shared Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance platform to Premcar, the Australian engineering firm that previously tuned the D23 Navara Pro-4X Warrior into one of the most well-regarded factory-enhanced 4x4s in the segment. The brief was to give the new model its own character, and by most accounts it has worked. The Navara drives like a Navara, not like a Triton with different sheetmetal.
The ST-X grade that sits just below the flagship Pro-4X is the one worth watching for the working-ute buyer. It arrives with leather-accented trim, a power-adjustable driver's seat and a tub liner included, equipment that Toyota reserves for higher grades or the options list on the equivalent HiLux SR5. The Navara also comes with full-time four-wheel drive and a 10-year warranty with longer service intervals, both of which are genuine selling points for fleet operators and small business owners weighing up whole-of-life costs.
The Numbers: Close, But Not Equal
Both utes produce 150kW. The HiLux's 2.8-litre turbo-diesel, now assisted by a 48-volt mild-hybrid system, develops 500Nm available from 1600rpm through to 2800rpm. The Navara's 2.4-litre bi-turbo diesel delivers 470Nm. Both rate a 3500kg braked tow capacity and carry around a tonne of payload. On those headline figures, you could flip a coin.
The detail that matters is in the GVM and GCM. The HiLux SR5 is rated to 3120kg GVM with a 6300kg GCM. The Navara ST-X comes in at 3190kg GVM but a slightly lower 6250kg GCM. When you run the maths on towing a 3500kg trailer, the HiLux retains around 645kg of combined payload headroom while the Navara holds around 579kg. For someone who regularly works at the legal limit of combined mass, that gap is not trivial.
Where the 70 Series Conversation Starts
None of this is a criticism of either dual-cab. Both are genuinely impressive working vehicles in 2026, and either will serve a tradie or weekend traveller very well. But the moment the conversation turns to what you can actually do to these platforms over the life of ownership, the LandCruiser 70 Series enters the room and changes the argument.
The 70 Series body-on-frame platform has been in continuous Australian production and continuous aftermarket development for over forty years. What that means in practice is a modification ecosystem that no other 4x4 sold here can match for depth or geographic reach. A four-inch suspension lift on 35-inch tyres with a GVM upgrade is a well-documented, ADR-compliant process with multiple engineering certificate pathways available nationally. Long-range fuel tanks from several Australian manufacturers bolt straight in. Dual-battery systems, canopies, custom trays, snorkels and full interior rebuilds have been done thousands of times, with fitment knowledge spread across every rural town and metropolitan workshop in the country.
The Navara and the HiLux can both be modified. Both have growing aftermarket support and suspension options are already available for the new Navara given its shared Triton underpinnings. But the 70 Series aftermarket is not a question of what is available: it is a question of what has been refined over three decades of real-world use in Australian conditions, with parts available at a rural Repco, not just on order from a metro fitment specialist.
The V8 That Is Gone and the 2.8 That Replaced It
One thread that runs underneath this whole comparison is the engine question. The 4.5-litre V8 turbo-diesel that powered the 70 Series for years is now out of production, replaced by the 2.8-litre four-cylinder with AdBlue in current models. That transition still generates debate among 70 Series owners, and comparisons like this one tend to reopen it. The 2.8 with AdBlue brings the 70 Series into line with emissions standards but changes the character of the platform in ways that long-term owners still argue about.
Neither the HiLux nor the Navara has that conversation to have. Both are modern, efficient four-cylinder diesels designed from the ground up for current standards. The HiLux's mild-hybrid assistance makes it smoother at low revs and more fuel-efficient on the highway than earlier versions. The Navara's bi-turbo setup is designed for strong low-end response. For a city-to-country commuter or a fleet manager watching a fuel bill, both have a real argument over the 70 Series's running costs.
So Has Nissan Finally Done It?
The honest answer is: closer than before, but probably not yet. The HiLux's sales dominance in Australia is built on something that does not appear on a spec sheet, which is thirty-plus years of fleet operator confidence, parts availability, resale value certainty and the knowledge that the vehicle sitting next to yours on a remote track is probably also a HiLux. The Navara's 10-year warranty and Premcar suspension tuning are meaningful, but trust is built over model cycles, not press launches.
For 70 Series owners, the more interesting version of this argument is not HiLux versus Navara at all. It is whether either of these utes, at around $66,000 to $68,000 drive-away, represents better value than a 70 Series for someone who genuinely works and travels hard in the Australian bush. The dual-cabs win on comfort, technology, fuel economy and commuting manners. The 70 Series wins on platform depth, modification headroom, parts longevity and the kind of mechanical simplicity that matters when the nearest town is four hours away and you need to fix it yourself.
That is not a question with one right answer. But it is exactly the kind of argument worth having, and the new Navara has made it more interesting than it has been in years. Drop your position in the comments below.
PVS Automotive stocks steering wheel kits, head units and interior trim for the N70 HiLux platform if you are already in the Toyota family.
