Read more
As with the Hilux GR Sport III, the Navara Pro-4X Warrior has not been envisioned as a rival for the Ford Ranger Raptor.
Devised Down Under, the Navara Pro-4X Warrior is Nissan's attempt at taking on the Toyota Hilux GR Sport III and Ford Ranger Wildtrak X. Images: Charl Bosch
The Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior has been a long time coming for South Africa ever since rumours of its arrival first emerged four years ago.
Engineered into a working model by Australian firm, Premcar, the original debuted as the N-Trek Warrior in 2019 and proved a runaway success as the initial batch of 1 300 units disappeared from showroom floors in record time.
ALSO READ: ‘Ready to fight’ Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior priced in South Africa
Succeeded by the Pro-4X Warrior four years ago and modelled on the facelift Navara, the step-up from the regular Pro-4X also rates as the likely farewell to the current D23 Navara that has been on-sale since 2014.
This after official confirmation earlier this week that Australia would be one of the first markets to receive the all-new model based on the Mitsubishi Triton in early 2026.
For South Africa, though, the partnership between Nissan and Premcar is slightly different.
Whereas Aussie models are sourced from Thailand and then converted at Premcar’s premises in Melbourne, local models are still made at the Rosslyn plant outside Pretoria and then uprated with locally-sourced parts confining to the requirements set out by Premcar.
At the same time, the 2.5-litre YD25DDTI turbodiesel engine with 140kW/450Nm provides propulsion, unlike the newer 2.3-litre twin-turbo YS23 that develops the same outputs, but dropped by Nissan in 2021 as part of the facelift that saw production commence at Rosslyn for both South Africa and Sub-Saharan African markets.
“Based on the success of the Warrior in Australia, there has been a desire to expand the Warrior brand to different regions. And South Africa is the most obvious one as the bakkie customer is extremely similar in profile to the ute customer in Australia,” says Premcar CEO Bernard Quinn.
“This is not a product made overseas. It has been designed for South Africa with South African consumers in mind and manufactured in South Africa alongside the rest of the Navara range”.
For the moment the sole Premcar-tuned Nissan to be offered as the equally smash-hit Patrol remains off limits – but not completely ruled-out according to Quinn – the Warrior’s launch took on a different touch as it involved a largely gravel based excursion from Upington to Kakamas, and then the Augrabies Waterfall National Park before returning to the latter.
In searing hot and dry typical Northern Cape fashion, Nissan’s rival for the Toyota Hilux GR Sport III and to some extent, the Ford Ranger Wildtrak X, proved a likeable old-school throwback, but ultimately a mixed bag despite being the most affordable and arguably also the most imposing aesthetically.
Similar to the Hilux, the Warrior has not been benchmarked or aimed as an alternative to the Ford Ranger Raptor.
Instead, it has been designed as an off-road focused step-up from the normal Pro-4X, not meant to be viewed in the same light or with the same abilities as the offering from the Blue Oval.
As much, the Warrior’s worked over aesthetics consists of a redesigned front bumper with a steel bashplate located underneath, red accents on the side-steps and the former itself, “riveted” wheel arch cladding, a black grille with a red Nissan badge, black mirror caps and Pro-4X Warrior decals on the side of the loadbin.
Finally, black 17-inch alloy wheels wrapped in Maxxis Razr all-terrain tyres, a black sports bars and a choice of three colours round the exterior off.
For its newfound off-the-beaten track usage, Premcar has widened the front and rear tracks and additionally fitted uprated dampers and springs, as well as revised coil springs for the rear suspension tuned specifically for local market conditions.
The latter forming part of a lift-kit, ground clearance increases from the standard Pro-4X’s 221 mm, to 232 mm, with drive once again going to the rear or all four wheels via the part-time four-wheel-drive system.
Opening the door reveals the smallest of changes, namely red Warrior embroidery work on the headrests of the front seats
Specification, is therefore, unchanged from the normal Pro-4X by including a seven-inch digital instrument cluster, the eight-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, an electric driver’s seat, dual-zone climate control, rain sense wipers, cruise control, push-button start and keyless entry
Safety and driver assistance comes by way of traction and stability control, Blind Spot Monitoring, Auto High Beam Assist LED headlights, Hill Start Assist, rear parking sensors, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Departure Warning, Hill Descent Control and a surround-view camera system.
For the first leg of the journey, the surprisingly well–maintained roads in and on the outskirts of Upington showed the benefits of the coil spring rear suspension.
While still controversial, it made for a soft and absorbing ride, though unable to offset the engine’s noise, most likely due to a lack of sound deadening materials around the firewall.
Once onto gravel and flicked into high range four-wheel-drive (4H), matters changed as the combination of the suspension and badly corrugated sections in places resulted in a jarring and shaky ride that made the Pro-4X Warrior unnerving and bouncy – admittedly no load was placed in the bin.
Upping the speed to above 80 km/h made all the difference, however, regardless of the road being smooth or rutted, the suspension smoothened the ruts and ribbed sections out, making the low-speed unpleasantness redundant.
An aspect that blights the Pro-4X Warrior somewhat, an admittedly contributing factor could have been the pressure of the Maxxis tyres as a probable means of wanting to avoid damage on the loose surface.
Besides the noise intrusion, the Navara’s cabin gives its 11-year age away, as does the biggest gripe, a driver’s seat unable to drop low enough to avoid the same sitting-on-top-of-the-steering-wheel-rather-than-behind-it feel as a forward control truck.
As much as the eight-inch infotainment system shows its age, cabin ergonomics remain a plus, as does the chunky switchgear and now novel availability of an electrically sliding rear window activated by a toggle switch to the right of the driver’s knee on the lower dashboard section.
Compared to the normal Pro-4X, the Pro-4X Warrior has a reduced payload of 892 kg versus 1 003 kg, but retains it the 3 500 kg tow rating, locking rear differential and low range transfer case to go with its increased ride.
In addition, the seven-speed automatic gearbox from the Pro-4X has been carried over as the sole transmission option.
Devoid of paddle shifters similar to the Wildtrak X, the torque converter ‘box proved somewhat slow on downshifting, yet would shift relatively well going up.
As a result of its front bumper redesign, the Pro-4X Warrior has an approach angle of 35° versus the normal Pro-4X’s 32.6°, with its breakover angle amounting to 24.3° compared to 23.3° and its departure to 27° as opposed to 26.5°.
As much as Nissan and Premcar have expressed higher hopes, the Navara Pro-4X Warrior is likely to remain a left-field option unlikely to drive its sales figures past that of the Mahindra Pik Up or even close the Isuzu D-Max.
A still impressive on-road act, and by the far the cheapest at R924 000, it isn’t without its flaws and although likely to appease buyers wanting something different from the Hilux and Ranger norm, should have offered a little bit more to fully warrant its standing as the most muscled-up D23 Navara available today
NOW READ: SA bound? New Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior revealed Down Under
Download our app
