THE ULTIMATE ALL-TERRAIN RESCUE PICK-UP

4x4magazine | 22/09/2016 | 0 Comments

The Nissan Navara EnGuard Concept, unveiled at the 2016 Hannover Motor Show is a durable and tough all-terrain pick-up, designed to operate as a life-saving rescue platform in some of the world’s most harsh and extreme environments.

Based on a Double Cab Tekna version of the Nissan Navara it features many bespoke design elements and performance upgrades. It is also packed with vital equipment suitable for emergency and disaster recovery work, including an advanced drone to provide vital intelligence about what dangers rescue crews might face.

It also marks the world debut of a prototype portable battery pack, designed to provide an efficient alternative to a petrol generator. Each is a 2 kW unit and uses seven Nissan EV battery modules already available on the road in the fully electric Nissan LEAF and e-NV200. When docked in place the battery packs are constantly in ‘charge’ mode, using power generated by the vehicle’s 2.3-litre 190 PS twin-turbo diesel engine. Two input (charge) sockets and five output (discharge) sockets are integrated into each battery pack, additional power sockets are integrated into each side of the pick-up’s load bed.

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 with an operating ceiling of 6,000 metres. Weighing just 1,380 gramms, it 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.

Mechanically, the vehicle has also been enhanced. Like all Navaras, it’s built around a rugged ladderframe chassis, but features a new fully adjustable performance suspension system with uprated nylon bushes to further improve off-road capability. Compared to the standard Nissan Navara, the overall ride height of the EnGuard Concept has been raised by 50mm, creating extra ground clearance.

The Navara EnGuard Concept comes with many standard features which would be useful in a rescue situation. These include the NissanConnect sat-nav system for finding the fastest route, plus dual-zone climate control and heated seats for occupant comfort. Most useful would be Nissan’s pioneering Around View Monitor, a 360-degree camera system which displays an unobstructed bird’s eye image of the vehicle and its environment on the dashboard screen. It’s an ideal tool for rescue workers, allowing them to navigate difficult off-road terrain without causing delays by having to get out of the vehicle.