Product review: Narva Ultima 215 LED driving lights

Illumination on a massive scale – for truckies, Narva's flagship Ultima 215 LED driving lights take after-dark safety to a new level…

When it all boils down, lighting is a truck driver's first line of defence when it comes to staying safe after dark. A quality lighting setup means other drivers will know of your presence on the road long before you reach them, signalling them to stay alert as the vehicles pass and potentially pull to the side of the road in the case of off-road travel.

The flipside, of course, is that a good lighting system also allows a truck driver to pick up potential hazards in time to do something about them, while the ability to see far ahead at night ultimately takes a lot of the strain out of long-haul night driving, meaning less fatigue and sharper response times. And that's where Narva's new Ultima 215 LED driving lights come in…

Blistering beams

Narva released these little beauties in early 2017, and they've won universal acclaim in the months since from truck drivers, off-roaders, grey nomads and more. We've sampled the units for ourselves and were shocked (not literally) by the sheer power of these lights, and how they all but transform the experience of night-time driving.

In the engine room are 5-watt XP-G2 Cree LEDs said to produce 165 watts of pure white light, with 10,500 raw lumens of illumination (or 8500 effective lumens). Narva says the lights deliver a broad spread of light but also extreme long-range performance, making them ideal for the demanding road freight sector.

In fact, just two of these lights have been measured to produce one lux of illumination (or one lumen per square metre ) at a distance of 900 metres – at shorter distances they'll melt kamikaze 'roos mid-bound!

Tough customer

Of course, the performance amounts to little if the basic product soon falls apart, which is why Narva appears to have put just as much effort into the Ultima 215 LED's construction as it has its lighting power.

The 8.5-inch diameter (215mm) lights have a pressure die-cast aluminium housing with stainless steel bezels, tough polycarbonate lenses with lens protectors and a pressure die-cast mounting bracket. There's a polymer rubber mounting system to isolate the units from the worst of the road-induced vibration and shocks and each light also features a front position light pipe – kind of like a small LED daytime running light.

The lights are mounted via a three-bolt, stainless steel arrangement and vertical beam adjustment is a quick, tool-free affair via the adjustment knob. The units are sealed to prevent the ingress of water and dust to the IP67 and IP66 standards – in fact Narva says the Ultima 215 LEDs can handle being fully submerged if things do indeed get that dicey.

There's an Active Thermal Management System to keep things cool, says Narva, ensuring the lights can handle long hours of reliable operation, and the Ultima 215 LEDs can even be personalised, if that floats your truck, so to speak. The standard Satin Stainless bezel can be switched for Gloss Black or Chrome Plated one, and the standard blue inner trim can be swapped out for black, red or yellow.

See the light

Not that that matters a damn when you've got five trailers out back up on the Mt Isa / Darwin run, it's 4.00am and there's a white-knuckle-narrow bridge lurking over the next crest… That's when you need to punch a tower of illumination through the dead of night, and that's when these Narvas really live up to their claims.

We sampled a twin-light set-up and they lit up country roads like a series of flare guns had gone off, stretching off toward the horizon. The light is incredibly clean, bright and white, with excellent spread to the sides immediately before the rig but also with a shaft straight ahead that goes on for nigh on a kilometre.

The light's beam actually extends quite high, too, which helps when it comes to spotting dangerously low tree branches in time to do something about it.

They're truly impressive; nothing could beat sampling them for yourself but check out the video below for a rough idea.

Each Narva Ultima 215 LED Driving Light Kit comes with one hybrid beam LED driving light, a lens protector, a mounting kit, four interchangeable trim pieces and fitting instructions. Available from leading automotive outlets at a recommended retail price of $599 per light, Narva recommends you also purchase the associated wiring loom kit ($139), which has been developed specifically for the Ultima 215 LED driving light.

Summing up

If you're hunting for better driving lights, don't reach for your wallet before first checking out Narva's Ultima 215 LEDs. Super powerful, super tough, well-constructed and built to last, they give every impression they'll live up to their name – they are very possibly the ultimate in driving lights. Stick four of 'em on your bullbar and turn night into day.

For more information on Narva's Ultima 215 LED driving lights visit www.ultimaled.com.au.

Product review: Narva Ultima 215 LED driving lights

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