The ultimate all-terrain rescue pickup - Nissan Navara Enguard Concept

Based on a Double Cab Tekna version of the Nissan Navara, the current holder of the International Pickup Award, the Navara EnGuard Concept 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.

The concept marks the world debut of a prototype portable battery pack, designed and developed by Nissan. It utilises the brand's tried and tested Electric Vehicle (EV) battery technology, already available on the road in the all-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 187bhp twin-turbo diesel engine to ensure they're ready for emergency use when required. Each is a 2kW unit and utilises seven Nissan EV battery modules inside a weatherproof machined aluminium housing.

Key to the car's rescue role is a drone, a DJI Phantom 4 with an operating ceiling of 6km. Weighing just 1,380g, it can fly at speeds of up to 20m/s for almost 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.

Being based on the top-spec Tekna trim grade means the Navara EnGuard Concept comes with many standard features, which would be useful in a rescue situation. These include the NissanConnect satellite navigation system for finding the fastest route and Nissan's pioneering Around View Monitor - a 360-degree camera system, which displays an unobstructed bird's eye view of the vehicle and its environment on the dashboard screen.

Mechanically, the vehicle has also been enhanced. Like all Navaras, it's built around a rugged ladder frame chassis, but features a new fully adjustable performance suspension system with uprated nylon bushes to further improve off-road capability.