Nissan has revealed a rough and tumble, off-road version of the Navara pickup built and designed specifically for Australia: The Navara Pro-4X Warrior. Designed with the help of Australian engineering firm Premcar, the Navara Pro-4X Warrior adds more capability, rugged off-road design cues, and continues the Warrior brand.
The modifications begin with the suspension, naturally. Premcar revised the setup giving the Navara an extra 40 mm of ground clearance to bring the total up to 260 mm. The modifications have also improved the approach angle (from 32 to 36 degrees) but the departure angle has shrunk slightly (from 19.8 degrees to 19 degrees) as a result of a full-sized spare tire. To make the ride better, high-speed rebound and compression rates at the front were also increased by around 50 percent and 100 percent respectively, in order to give drivers more control and help prevent the truck from bottoming (or topping) over big impacts. The jounce bumper is larger now, too. It engages the chassis rail earlier in the suspension’s travel and has a more progressive rate to better control wheel movement at maximum suspension travel.
But Premcar didn’t just want to improve off-road capability at the expense of on-road comfort. It increased low-speed control at the rear dampers to reduce float when towing or carrying loads. Rebound and compression damping, meanwhile, have been increased to improve handling stability. Nissan claims that the ride is now softer, more compliant, and more controllable, thanks to the revisions.
Big 275/70/R17 Cooper Discover All Terrain AT3 tires help highlight the Navara Pro-4X Warrior’s tougher character as does its 30mm wider track width. A “Navara” branded red bash plate and a body-colored Safari-style bulbar with an integrated light bar are also functional additions that add to the truck’s overall aggressive look. Power remains unchanged from the standard Navara Pro-4X. That means a 2.3-liter four-cylinder, twin-turbo diesel with 187 hp and 450 Nm of torque. All in, Premcar has added 100kg to the gross mass, which can carry 961 kg of payload with the manual transmission (952 kg with the automatic) and a towing capacity of 3.5 tonnes braked.
Of course, the Navara’s standard 7.0-inch instrument cluster and its 8-inch infotainment screen are also standard on the Warrior, as are Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as its safety tech. Pricing has not been revealed yet, but Nissan promises that it will be competitively priced. The standard Pro-4X starts at AU$ 61,290 (US$ 45,884).
