Premcar enhancements provide Nissan's Navara 4x4 ute with rugged styling and enhanced off-road capabilities.
It must be odd that for the major Japanese automakers that meet our insatiable need for a dual-cab 4x4 UTES, the first thing they do when they receive these shiny new machines is start ripping off something.
A recent survey by the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAAA) found that the four-wheel drive aftermarket is booming, with an estimated 2,100 businesses serving the industry and generating around $6 billion in revenue each year.
However, choosing which aftermarket brand is certainly a headache because there are so many options, not to mention the waste of time running to different vendors to install bullpens, suspension upgrades, and a variety of other aftermarket accessories.
Then there's the question of whether the selected parts will coalesce or look like something from a Mad Max movie.
Nissan Australia and its aftermarket engineering partner Premcar came up with a solution to this dilemma in the form of the Navara PRO-4X Warrior, enabling Navara ute buyers to drive a highly modified vehicle straight out of the showroom. The section and off-road capabilities are stronger.
Melbourne-based Premcar is familiar to Ford fans because it was previously associated with developing Blue Oval's FPV and XR performance models.
Recently, the product development and engineering consultancy was praised for its impressive makeover of the previous model, the Nissan Navara 4x4 ute, which was sold by Nissan as navara N-Trek Warrior in 2019-20.
The success of the program led Premcar to sign a new agreement to develop a similar upgrade for the updated 2021 Navara, called the Navara PRO-4X Warrior.
The company employs around 85 engineers and technicians who work in a state-of-the-art manufacturing and assembly plant in Epping, Victoria.
Bernie Quinn, engineering director at Premcar, said the extensive redesign of the model required a team of designers, engineers and manufacturing experts to complete in about 12 months.
"The concept of the PRO-4X Warrior is to take the Navara, which is a very powerful machine and superimpose the Australian feel on it. This includes the expectations of Australian consumers," he said.
"We all know what every 4x4 double-roof pickup truck owner is doing today: they'll go to ARB or Ironman and adjust the vehicle to their taste.
"So what we're doing is taking our understanding of australian consumer needs, meeting consumer needs and packing it into a car that fits the look that Australian consumers want."
"It also drives demand from Australian consumers – driving to a shop or construction site is as comfortable as going to a campground or off-road track."
"You can't do that remotely. Nissan struggles to do this outside of Australia.
"Using these Australian engineers who have worked at GM-H and Ford means that it was developed for Australian roads, Australian conditions, Australian drivers, and to their tastes."
Based on the current fifth-generation D23 Navara, the PRO-4X Warrior was updated in early 2021 with major styling upgrades, increased payloads, new driver assistance technology and a new sporty model class, the PRO-4X.
The latter is Nissan's top factory development model designed to make the automaker a competitor to models such as the Ford Ranger Wildtrack and Toyota HiLux Rugged X.
But with the Ford Ranger Raptor once again offering Blue Oval a step ahead of Wildtrack, Nissan made it clear that it also needed to provide a foil for the model, so it partnered with Premcar to develop the PRO-4X Warrior, which is now at the top of the spectrum for those seeking maximum Navarreality.
Prior to the launch of Premcar, the Navara PRO-4X was a good-looking ute thanks to a bolder exterior styling introduced in 2021.
These changes include a new front trim with an "interlocking" grille, a new four-LED projector, headlamps, and an embossed Navara model name on the top of the grille and the entire width of the redesigned tailgate.
At the rear, there are new LED taillights plus a step integrated in the bumper for easier access to the tub, which has been increased by 45 mm in height to increase loading.
The rear axle and brakes were also strengthened and the payload was increased to 1.2 tons. At the same time, the braking traction capacity is still a category competitive 3500 kg.
Other PRO-4X styling improvements include a beautiful black stainless steel double-tube boom with windsurfing boards, black wheel arch flares, roof rails, and blackouting of grilles, door handles, and pedals.
It ends with a small number of contrasting red trims and a striking set of 17-inch glossy black alloy wheels.
To turn the PRO-4X into a PRO-4X Warrior, Premcar added a Safari-style crash bar in a winch-compatible body color, integrated light bars and additional body underside protection, featuring a new Navara brand red bash plate and a 3mm steel secondary protection plate.
The new Warrior-specific fender flares feature more off-road-oriented 275/70R17 Cooper Discoverer All Terrain AT3 tires, replacing the standard Yokohama Geolander hoops.
According to Premcar, detail changes in the geometry of the new tires and suspension help widen the track by 30 mm to 1600 mm, resulting in better handling, cornering and stability, but also give the ute a tougher, wider stance.
The Warrior decal bag and Warrior interior headrest embroidery complete the styling variations.
Located beneath the PRO-4X, The Premcar does much of the magic, complementing wheel and tire changes and suspension enhancements designed to improve ground clearance, off-road capability, ride and handling.
The increase in travel altitude increases ground clearance by 40 mm to 260 mm, while the approach angle is increased from 32 degrees to 36 degrees.
The starting angle is slightly reduced compared to the standard PRO-4X (from 19.8 degrees to 19 degrees), but this is done with full-size spare alloy wheels under the pallet.
The double wishbone front suspension and coil spring rear suspension have been completely redesigned with new Monero dampers and improved springs, which Premcar says are designed to reduce body roll, improve compliance and reduce float when towing or carrying loads.
Warrior's GVM has also been added by 100kg to 3250kg, which means that additional Warrior components have minimal impact on payload, reducing it by 52kg compared to the PRO-4X, 961kg for the manual gearbox and 952kg for the automatic transmission.
In terms of safety, the Navara PRO-4X's standard safety equipment kit follows warrior, which means seven airbags and a range of advanced driver assistance technologies, including intelligent forward collision warning, intelligent emergency braking, intelligent driver alert, lane departure warning, intelligent lane intervention, blind spot warning, intelligent surround
View monitors and rear crossing traffic alerts. Trailer swing control also helps maintain stability when towing.
A convenient addition to hanging on a tractor or maneuvering in tight locations, the surround view monitor includes moving object detection with four mounted cameras to help see who is around the vehicle and the car.
It also includes an off-road monitor that can be used to observe surrounding obstacles at low speeds while driving in 4x4 mode.
Unfortunately, the updated Navara is still worse than the Isuzu D-Max, Mazda BT-50, and Toyota HiLux due to the lack of an additional front central airbag that sits between the front seats to avoid head collisions in an accident. But thanks to more silencers in the 2021 update, the interior is now quieter, and the rear seat cushions and backrest shapes have also been upgraded for added comfort.
There's no change under the hood, meaning the Warrior is powered by Navara's proven 2.3-liter intercooled twin-turbo diesel engine with a power output of 140kW/450Nm.
The twin-turbo engine is a brave and responsive unit that matches a smoothly shifting seven-speed automatic transmission, and the drive mode switch can select modes including motion and traction.
The leather-clad three-spoke multifunction steering system is attractive and comfortable to hold, with all major instruments clearly visible on the redesigned dashboard and a 7.0-inch high-resolution TFT screen.
Unfortunately, the steering can be adjusted in height but not achieved, which limits the range of adjustments that can be used to achieve the ideal driving position.
Elsewhere, the PRO-4X Warrior looks and feels very upscale, with keyless entry and start-up, dual-zone climate control, seats with logo-embossed leather trims, and eight-way electric driver's seat adjustment.
The new infotainment system, upgraded in 2021, features an 8.0-inch navigation screen with Bluetooth streaming audio, voice recognition, and satellite navigation.
You sit high in the cabin overlooking the road, and the extra lift of the Warrior suspension means that the type of vertical challenge will appreciate the standard side steps as you get in and out.
On the way, it became clear that Premcar had done a great job in setting up the suspension. The Navara, with its coil spring rear, is already one of the better dual-cabs on the market, but these changes further improve the situation – provided you don't mind the extra float that comes with higher driving heights.
Warrior certainly feels longer legs than the regular Navara 4x4, and the extra suspension travel allows it to more subtly eliminate humps and bumps from the back road.
You'll realize that extra driving height is added when entering corners, but the polished setup provides a smooth transition from one corner to the next, and body roll is still well controlled, so you'll soon be confident that a high ride UTE can keep yourself confident in corners.
The steering is light, but it's very accurate and responsive, so you have a good idea of where the front wheels are pointing when cornering.
With such a high center of gravity, the Warrior will never turn like a passenger car, but neither does its competitors, and the main benefit of the change is its enhanced off-road capabilities.
We spent the day slipping on a rain-soaked bush track in the heart of Coffs Harbour, where the Warrior proved to be a very capable and comfortable off-road companion.
The high-low 4x4 selection is made through a rotating dial on the dashboard, and when things get tricky, there's also a motorized lock-on rear differential, and the standard Hill Start Assist.
The extra ride height, improved approach angle and reinforced underbody inspire confidence that you won't hang on to obstacles or, worse, not damage what's underneath the vehicle, and the thick Cooper Discoverer tires prove their worth in greasy conditions.
With its background in OEM manufacturing, Premcar knows exactly how to deliver polished and professionally resolved models that are exactly what Warrior looks like and feels like.
The company is clearly confident in the quality of its process, matching Nissan's five-year factory warranty on all manufacturer parts to a five-year warranty on Premcar retrofits.
The structure of the warranty agreement allows customers to go directly through their Nissan Australia distributor without the need to go through Premcar.
A spokesperson said customers only need to go to the dealer at the time of repair, or if they have warranty questions, Nissan's service team will take care of the rest.
All in all, it's a beautiful-looking ute with good driving performance, a robust set of safety features, and meaningful improvements to the off-road capabilities of the standard Navara without sacrificing on-road driving performance.
Key data
Engine: 2.3-liter intercooled twin-turbo four-cylinder diesel engine (140kW/450Nm)
ANCAP Crash Rating: 5 stars ANCAP (2015)
油耗:7.9L/100km (209g/km CO2)
Pros: Perfect integration and stylish modifications, factory warranty for Premcar add-ons, enhanced off-road capability.
Disadvantages: price, lack of steering range adjustment, impaired driving position, slightly reduced payload.