Inspired by the story behind a model that is produced in Asia, for Asia, the latest addition to Nissan’s Steel to Wheels video series features the Navara and emphasizes on the intricacies and passion that goes into making each vehicle.

Tough, versatile, and powerful, the Navara is a pickup with strong links to Nissan Asia and Oceania’s (A&O) regional headquarters in Thailand. Thailand, also A&O’s production hub, is home to the first Nissan Navara plant that employs 1,400 local employees. These employees oversee the entire manufacturing process, from stamping to checks and tests, and are responsible for the toughness, durability and quality of each vehicle.

Output from the Nissan Navara plant accounts for 57.6 percent of exports from Thailand, contributing to Nissan’s growing regional manufacturing footprint of an estimated 113,644 units per year. The Thai plant exports to 105 destinations around the world, including the United States and the United Kingdom. Closer to home, Nissan’s Navara has proven to be a favorite among customers in A&O. Having experienced an 82 percent increase in sales since its third generation launch in 2014, it is now Nissan’s best-selling model in Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, and Australia.

Navara boasts “go anywhere” capabilities and is a smart vehicle with functions not found in other pickups. It has a full-boxed ladder frame design with the ability to withstand rigorous work and daily use, and high-tensile strength steel in strategic areas that enables it to handle roads with a lateral tilt of 32 degrees. With more than 40,000 tests and 1,000,000 kilometers of real-world road experience, Navara has a proven record of being a reliable vehicle.

Navara is the vehicle that Nissan used to deliver its first Intelligent Mobility technology solutions to the A&O region. The strategy is designed to demonstrate Nissan’s commitment to a Zero Fatality, Zero Emission future. The Around View Monitor and Forward Emergency Braking are Intelligent Drive features that are designed to reduce human error, while the Navara EnGuard concept allows Navara to be powered by recycled batteries from Nissan’s Electronic Vehicles.

The boost from Navara sales is an indicator of the growing importance of the light commercial vehicle (LCV) segment to Nissan’s business. Nissan has one of the broadest LCV ranges in the market, with LCV vehicles accounting for one out of every six vehicles sold globally and nearly a quarter of sales in Thailand, Australia and Indonesia. Combining the most advanced technology with superior design for comfort and quality, the range is an example of Nissan’s successful investment in research and development that meets the evolving needs of customers.

Steel to Wheels is a global initiative that highlights the people and processes behind Nissan’s key products and plants.