Nissan has unveiled a cool new concept vehicle at the 2016 Hannover Motor Show. The Nissan Navara EnGuard Concept is an all-terrain bakkie, designed to operate as a life-saving rescue platform in some of the world’s most harsh and extreme environments.
It is based on a Double Cab Tekna version of the Navara and features performance upgrades and unique design elements. Because it is a rescue vehicle, it is fitted with equipment that can aid in emergency and disaster recovery work, including a DJ Phantom 4 drone that can fly ahead of rescue crews relaying footage to the car on what sort of dangers rescue crews might face.
The ride height of the Navara EnGuard Concept has been raised by 50mm for extra ground clearance and the wheel arches are fitted with overfenders, with new moulded side steps between them. Like all Navaras, it’s built around a ladderframe chassis, but the EnGaurd features a new fully adjustable performance suspension system with uprated nylon bushes to further improve off-road capability.
It’s fitted with a prototype portable battery packs, which when docked in place are constantly in ‘charge’ mode, using power generated by the vehicle’s 2.3-litre 140KW twin-turbo diesel engine. Each battery pack is a 2kW unit.
Occupying the rest of the space in the load bed are two pull-out fibreglass trays. The shallow upper tray contains lightweight items such as two-way radios, ropes and an axe. The lower tray is deeper and narrower, storing larger items such as an oxygen tank and resuscitation kit, life jackets and buoyancy aids.
Key to the car’s rescue role is a drone, a DJI Phantom 4 that can fly at speeds of up to 20 metres per second for close to 30 minutes and can relay images back to the concept car. These are viewed on a pop-up HD screen hidden in the load bed wall.
The interior roof line is 136mm higher than on the standard Navara. Inside you’ll also find the NissanConnect sat-nav, dual-zone climate control and heated seats as well as Nissan’s a 360-degree camera system (Around View Monitor).
LED lights and emergency blue strobe lights are fitted to the four corners making them visible from any angle. Matching strobes are integrated into the top of all four overfenders, plus in the redesigned front fog lamps and redesigned rear light clusters