Nissan in Australia has taken the wraps off the Navara N-Trek Warrior, positioning the newcomer as an off-roading flagship designed to take the fight to the likes of the Ford Ranger Raptor.
Interestingly, the N-Trek Warrior – which the firm bills as the “most capable Navara ever” thanks to a range of “engineering enhancements” – has been created specifically for Australia with help from automotive product development and engineering experts, Premcar. That, unfortunately, suggests we won’t see this specific model offered here in South Africa.
Using the 4×4 double-cab variant as a base, Premcar upgraded the suspension to include “off-road capable” springs and dampers, resulting in a 15 mm lift to the vehicle. Adding 32,2-inch Cooper All-Terrain tyres (275/70) increased ride height by a further 25 mm (for a total of 40 mm).
Nissan claims the suspension upgrades do not result in “any reduction in vehicle attributes such as durability, safety and comfort”. For the N-Trek Warrior, the firm opted for a softer primary spring for ride comfort and off-road articulation, with a higher but more progressive secondary rate to “maintain composure and performance” in cornering and during heavy duty off-roading.
The dampers were upgraded from the Nissan original equipment part to provide “added compression damping on top of the piston for quicker response”. The outer tube diameter is larger with greater oil volume to improve cooling and rough-road capability, while the piston rod diameter has also been increased to improve strength.
Meanwhile, the new front jounce bumpers are larger, taller and engage the chassis rail earlier in the suspension travel, but at what Nissan describes as “a more progressive rate”.
To accommodate the upsized tyre package, Premcar modified the inner front fenders in combination with the body-coloured hoopless steel bullbar to provide appropriate clearance. In addition, a speedometer recalibration was performed to ensure the 56,3 mm increased overall tyre diameter reflects an accurate speed reading.
In addition to the suspension lift and tyre change, the flagship also gains 3 mm stainless-steel front underbody protection, an integrated 470 mm LED bar, model-specific 17-inch black alloy wheels, a matching full-size spare wheel, a unique towbar cross member, orange-accented foglamp bezels, a “Navara” tailgate decal, an “N-Trek Warrior” decal package, branding for the front headrests and orange-accented floor mats.
No changes have been made under the bonnet, where the twin-turbodiesel 2,3-litre four-cylinder still develops 140 kW and 450 N.m. The Warrior will be available in Australia in six-speed manual or seven-speed automatic guise.
