By Derek Ogden, Marque Motoring
Question: does the Navara PRO-4X Warrior, a latecomer to the ranks, have enough to take on the army of talent in one of the most closely fought contests in the Aussie automobile market?
With fully armed dual cab pick-ups the likes of the Ford Ranger, Mitsubishi Triton, Toyota HiLux Rugged, Mazda BT50 Thunder, Isuzu’s D-Max and the US Ram holding the line, the Navara Warrior has its work cut out.
Not that Nissan isn’t out to giving things a shake, calling on input from local specialist engineer Premcar, to light the fuse. The result is the range topping Navara PRO-4X Warrior by Premcar, tipping the scales at $68,265, plus on-road costs.
Premcar has put in its bob’s worth with up-specced suspension, wider track and greater ground clearance, plus a 100kg addition to gross vehicle mass and aggressive new exterior. All were tested in Victoria to meet demands of real off-roading in varied bush, beach, desert and mountain terrain.
Premcar has also matched Nissan’s five-year warranty, the latter featuring capped price servicing at 12-month 20,000 kilometre intervals, whichever comes first.
STYLING
Tough guy trappings are not only for show. They are worn to take on the harshest driving conditions, featuring unique Warrior 17-inch alloy wheels wrapped in larger, wider Cooper Discoverer All Terrain tyres.
A redesigned towbar is built to carry a full-size spare, and a premium body coloured bulbar with integrated LED light bar, plus tub liner go beyond their good looks with premium practicality.
INTERIOR
With upgrades to chassis and suspension weighing in with ride comfort in the toughest going, it’s only natural to complement this with an eight-way power driver’s seat, with lumbar support, and heated front seats.
With space for five adults, premium leather accented PRO-4X seats sport Warrior stitching on the front headrests. Dual zone climate control incorporates rear air vents. The back seat base folds up to expose storage spaces underneath.
The Navara is well-equipped to carry loads up the back, with four robust tie-down loops low in each corner of the tub and adjustable Utili-Tracks running lengthways along the upper tray. A plastic tub liner completes the cargo carrying set-up.
INFOTAINMENT
The Navara PRO-4X Warrior by Premcar is equipped with an 8-inch colour touchscreen, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in situ for connectivity to a smartphone. Bluetooth hands free is on tap too via steering wheel controls.
AM/FM radio with AUX and USB connectivity is run through a six-speaker sound system.
There’s one USB-A in console tray, one USB-A and USB-C in the centre console, one USB-A in the rear of the centre console, which is charge Only, plus two 12V Outlets in the console tray and centre console.
A 7-inch instrument cluster display includes instant and average fuel economy, distance to empty and average speed.
ENGINES/TRANSMISSIONS
Under the bonnet of the PRO-4X Warrior is the 2.3-litre twin-turbo diesel engine found in all 4×4 models in the Navara range, producing 140 kW of power at 3750 rpm and 450 Nm of torque between 1500 and 2500 rpm.
The Renault common-rail motor is mated either with a six-speed manual transmission or a seven-speed automatic, driving through a part-time four-wheel drive system with low-range gearing and a locking rear differential. Our test was the latter.
SAFETY
There’s a full suite of Nissan Intelligent Mobility technology with off-road innovation creating a 360-degree ‘shield’ that detects, warns, and intervenes in potential danger in varied driving conditions.
Advanced safety systems include blind spot warning and Intelligent blind spot intervention, which alerts of any detected vehicles and actively guides the Navara back into its lane to help prevent a collision.
An all-round view monitor with moving object detection presents a 360-degree view of the vehicle when reversing and rear parking sensors pick up any problems in tight spots. Seven airbags – front side seat, curtain and driver’s knee – are fitted.
DRIVING
Remote keyless entry and practically placed grab handles make access to the cabin comfortable, while cruise control, high beam assist, rain sensing wipers and a UV and heat rejecting windscreen ease the stress of everyday driving.
Needless to say, the performance of the 2.3-litre, four-cylinder twin turbo-diesel motor mated with its seven-speed automatic transmission was more than able to carry the ute’s aggressive appearance, turning heads time and time again.
The maker’s fuel consumption claim is 8.1 litres per 100 kilometres in the combined urban/highway cycle. Over a week of non-stressed testing on the bitumen the PRO-4X Warrior averaged 10.6 litres per 100 kilometres.
It’s not the best in class, but it’s worth remembering the vehicle’s raised ride height and larger, heavier light truck tyres fitted to improve off-road performance, will be detrimental to fuel consumption.
A Drive Mode selector allows easy switching between four modes – normal, sport, off road and towing, while off road, hill descent control and hill start assist adjusts speed on steep inclines, the rear diff lock provides extra traction in challenging going.
The innovative Off-Road Monitor presents a clear view of each wheel when taking on tough terrain.
The Warrior turns in a towing capacity of 3500kg braked and 750kg unbraked. Off-road stats include 260mm ground clearance and a wading depth of 600mm.
SUMMARY
The Nissan Navara PRO-4X Warrior by Premcar puts me in mind of HSV and Tickford who raised the popular Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon, respectively, to iconic status. Say no more.
RATINGS
Looks: 8/10
Performance: 6/10
Safety: 8/10
Thirst: 5/10
Practicality: 8/10
Comfort: 7/10
Tech: 8/10
Value: 5/10
MODEL LINE-UP
Nissan Navara 2.3 SL $47,350
Nissan Navara 2.3 ST $52,455
Nissan Navara 2.3 ST-X $55,945
Nissan Navara SL Warrior $58,750
Nissan Navara PRO-4X $58,905
Nissan Navara PRO-4X Warrior $68,265
Note: These prices do not include government or dealer delivery charges. Contact your local Nissan dealer for drive-away prices.
