4x4, News

Nissan Navara Wins The 2016 Rainforest Challenge Malaysia

04 RFC contesting vehicle (1 unit) & official support vehicles (2 units)...

After an incredible 10 days odyssey that pushed both man and machine to the limits, the Rainforest Challenge Malaysia (RFC) 2016 held in Pahang has recently finished with another great success with the Nissan Navara clinching the Product Pickup Category title challenge.

The Nissan Navara was awarded the Best Product Pickup Category as the vehicle who took on the RFC challenge was kept as standard as possible with only required outfit equipment for contest, such as bull bars, halogen spot lights, winch, protection bars, recovery kit, extreme tyres, suspension and snorkel.

06 RFC 2016_Navara_Off-Road

Rated among the Top 10 Toughest Motor Races in the World says a lot about the capabilities of the Nissan Navara when ETCM took “the bulls by the horns” and threw in 3 units of the new Nissan Navara. Geared up with some basic off-road 4×4 accessories to take on the challenges of RFC 2016, the Nissan Navara had been tested and proven under real conditions of the extreme 4×4 race, which ended on 6 December in Cameron Highlands.

“On behalf of ETCM, I would like to congratulate Fabiana and Julieth on their superb performance in completing the RFC 2016 Grand Final. The event is known to be one of the world’s toughest motor races; and we are proud that the Nissan Navara has successfully completed the RFC 2016, proven to be the tougher and smarter truck”, said Mr Tan Keng Meng, Executive Director of ETCM.

01 Fabiana & Julieth with the Nissan Navara in RFC 2016

2 units were used as official cars in supporting the overall RFC operational and transportation management while the 3rd unit of Nissan Navara was used in the race by 2 Brazilian “Ladies of Steel” (picture above) – Ms Fabiana Martins (the driver) and Julieth Zanelato (navigator/co-driver) – that faced the similar gruelling Special Stages (SS) as the male counterparts.

This year’s race flagged off from Dataran Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur, where RFC was first launched 19 years ago. The full action took place on 27 November in Kuantan at the Bukit Galing Camp of Brigade Tenggara HQ (The General Operations Force of the Royal Malaysian Police). Participants from 30 countries then battled it out through Malaysia’s harshest terrains passing through Gambang, Raub, Kuala Lipis and finally ending its course at Tanah Rata (Cameron Highlands).

07 RFC 2016_Navara_Off-Road

The drivers and participants dream of taking on the jungle adventure with all its hardship, endurance and extremities allows them to discover or re-discover their sense of being. In the jungle, the tracks can change from easy to extreme hardcore within hours of heavy rain resulting in landslides, erosion and floods. Conquering and completing the entire journey is an achievement for all RFC adventurers.

At the end of this RFC edition, Luis J.A.Wee, the Founder of the Rainforest Challenge commented, “The Nissan Navara is already a 4×4 machine of calibre, but with this proven win in RFC 2016, it is indeed “The Ultimate Pickup’”.

For customers who would like to experience the Nissan Navara may do so at the company’s CNY Carnival, which also offers a line-up of Nissan models for test drive and special Lion Dance performances.

Date and locations of carnival are as follows:

Date Time Region Venue
14 – 15 January 10am – 8pm Central ETCM Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Northern ETCM Ipoh, Perak
Eastern ETCM Kuantan, Pahang
Southern ETCM Semabok, Melaka
Sabah ETCM Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
Sarawak ETCM Miri, Sarawak

Members of the public are also invited to visit Nissan CNY Roadshows as below dates and locations.

Date Venue
6 – 15 January Alamanda Putrajaya, Selangor
8 – 14 January Tesco Kota Bharu, Kelantan
10 – 15 January AEON Klebang, Ipoh
17 – 23 January Boulevard, Kuching

For more information, visit www.nissan.com.my.