Melbourne, Australia (13 December, 2019) –– Nissan Australia has sent its top-selling Navara ute to boot camp, turning an athletic performer into a honed and hardened commando.
Undergoing a wide range of performance and durability validations for Australian conditions, including cold / thermal performance, noise vibration harshness (NVH) and real-world testing in Northern Victoria, the Nissan Navara N-TREK Warrior has been tried and tested to tackle even the toughest terrain.
The Navara N-TREK Warrior goes on sale in Australia on 13 December 2019 and is priced from $62,990 drive-away* for the manual transmission, and $65,490 drive-away* for the automatic. It is available in three colour schemes: Cosmic Black, White Diamond and Slate Grey, and will become a permanent member of the Navara line-up.
“The Nissan Navara N-TREK Warrior has been designed, re-engineered and tested in Australia for Australian conditions and Australian drivers,” says Stephen Lester, managing director of Nissan Australia.
“We have created a hero Navara for 4x4 ute enthusiasts who want to explore well beyond the blacktop, safe in the knowledge that Nissan’s legendary engineering durability and reliability remains, and that driver safety and comfort has not been compromised.
“Nissan has partnered with experienced OEM product development and engineering consultancy, Premcar, to develop a fully-integrated package of local re-engineering and upgrades that deliver enhanced capability and functionality that is fully covered by Nissan’s five-year factory warranty,” he says.
“We wanted to produce an Australian-market specific, adventure-oriented vehicle that can cope
with our terrain, our climate and our driving expectations, for the booming premium dual-cab 4x4
ute market. This new top-end segment seeks higher specification, higher capability and higher
visibility and is expected to show significant growth in 2020 and beyond.
“By leveraging local engineering expertise, adding fully-homologated and durability-tested
components, customers can be assured that the N-TREK Warrior package will only enhance the
Navara driving experience,” Mr. Lester says.
“This is the most stylish and capable Navara ever, and is destined to be one of the most popular.”
The beauty of the Nissan Navara N-TREK Warrior is not just skin deep. It goes to the heart of the
ute’s ride and off-road handling, even in the most challenging conditions. Compared with the
Navara N-TREK on which it is based, N-TREK Warrior rides 40mm higher, has new, tougher
suspension components throughout, and rides on an outback-friendly 32.2-inch wheel and tyre
combination.
The off-road capable springs and dampers deliver a 15mm ride height lift, while the 32.2-inch
Cooper Discoverer AT3 All-Terrain tyres increase ride height by a further 25mm – for a total
40mm lift. Ground-clearance is an impressive 268mm, with an improved approach angle of
35-degrees and a widened track of 1600mm.
Nissan has opted for a softer primary spring for ride comfort and off-road articulation (6 percent
softer front, 8 percent softer rear), with a 10 percent higher but more progressive secondary
spring rate at the rear to maintain composure and performance – both in cornering, heavy duty
off-roading, when laden and when towing.
In addition, the increased spring length takes the larger wheel and tyre further away from the
body, providing ample clearance for the larger all terrain 275 /70 (32.2-inch) Cooper tyres. To
accommodate these, the inner front guards were modified in combination with the body-colour
hoopless steel bullbar to provide the appropriate clearance.
A comprehensive damper tuning program was carried out to improve performance across ride,
handling, steering response, cornering balance and body control, particularly in off-road and
rough road conditions.
The dampers were upgraded 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. The piston rod diameter has been increased to improve strength.
New front jounce bumpers are larger, taller and engage the chassis rail earlier in the suspension
travel, but at a more progressive rate. This controls wheel movement at maximum suspension
travel and achieves a more compliant and softer transfer of energy, significantly reducing the
harshness and noise transfer over rough road conditions.
The Nissan Navara N-TREK Warrior maintains Navara’s 3.5-tonne towing capacity.
Local testing maintains Nissan’s 5-year warranty
A critical part of the Nissan Navara N-TREK Warrior development was local testing to validate the
changes made to the vehicle in ensuring it meets the needs, and the intended usage, of the
Australian buyer profile, and maintains the warranty requirements.
Durability testing at both the vehicle and the component level were conducted, as was thermal
performance validation, Noise Vibration Harshness testing, homologation, towing, laden
condition, and ESC and braking vehicle safety testing.
Premcar were contracted by Nissan Australia to deliver the engineering solution for the N-TREK
Warrior. This included testing in Australia over several months on the varied road surfaces at the
Australian Automotive Research Centre (AARC) for handling, on-road, off-road and rough-road
development. Outback testing at Big Desert was conducted on the sandy desert tracks, gravel
and rough terrain between Ouyen, in Victoria, and Pinnaroo, on the Victorian/South Australian
border. It also undertook thermal testing at Melbourne University’s Advanced Centre for
Automotive Research and Testing (ACART) facility.
The results were improvement or parity versus the standard Navara condition across all
attributes without compromising durability and comfort. This extensive validation program gave
Nissan the confidence to maintain the factory 5-year warranty on the Navara N-TREK Warrior.
Navara N-TREK Warrior | Features
The Nissan Navara N-TREK Warrior is fitted with a range of features which improve both
functionality and capability over and above the N-TREK model, including:
- Hoopless, body-coloured steel bullbar
- 3mm Stainless Steel Front Underbody Protection
- Total 40mm increase in ride height thanks to off-road capable springs and dampers
(delivering 15mm increase) coupled with Cooper Discoverer AT3 All-Terrain tyres
(increased by a further 25mm)
- Ground clearance 268mm, with improved approach angle of 35-degrees and widened
track of 1600mm
- Integrated 470mm LED light bar
- Unique 17-inch black alloy wheels (downsized from N-TREK 18-inch alloy wheels to
accommodate larger, off-road tyres)
- Unique Towbar cross member (The towbar has been re-engineered to fit the full-size spare
wheel and accommodate increased ride height)
- Matching full size spare wheel and tyre (with underbody accommodations to aid spare
wheel fitment)
- Dark orange accented fog lamp bezel with integrated “bark buster”
- “Navara” tailgate decal
- N-TREK Warrior decal package
- N-TREK Warrior embroidered front headrest
- Dark orange accented floor mats
- Unique plastic components specific to N-TREK Warrior
As carry over from the N-TREK model, the following accessories are also standard on the N-TREK
Warrior:
- Black fender flares
- Black alloy sports bar
- Black LED headlamp bezels
- Black side steps w/ dark orange accent
- Black rear vision mirror caps w/ dark orange accent
- Black rear bumper
- Black front grille
- Black door handles
- Black roof rails
- Partial leather accented seats with dark orange fabric seat inserts
- Heated front seats
- Dark orange accent stitching throughout seats, centre console, front door armrests and
steering wheel.
Nissan Intelligent Mobility (NIM)
Nissan is committed to making driving safer, smarter, and more enjoyable. Nissan Intelligent
Mobility is the roadmap — a vision for the future of driving. The Nissan Navara offers a suite of
intelligent technologies designed to look ahead, behind, and all around the driver, instilling
confidence at every turn.
A strong range of safety and smart technologies have been integrated into the Nissan Navara.
As you would expect on a vehicle of this type, the Nissan Navara range features seven airbags,
including two front, two side seat, two side curtain and a driver knee airbag.
There are three-point Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) belts on all seats, plus driver and front
passenger seatbelts with load limiters and pre-tensioners, height adjustment and seatbelt
warnings, second row seatbelt alert and two pairs of ISOFix child restraint anchorage points on
Dual Cab models.
Making driving safer after dusk, Nissan Navara includes automatic on/off headlights, there are
hazard warning lights and an LED high-mounted stop light. Daytime running lights are standard,
with LED signature daytime running lights on select grades.
Featuring a collapsible steering column and an energy absorbing bonnet, the latter of which is
designed to minimise pedestrian injury, the Navara also has door side intrusion bars, child safety
locks on the rear doors and a ‘door ajar’ warning light on all doors.
A reversing camera is available as standard on all Pickup grades, either positioned within the
5-inch or 7-inch infotainment system or within the rearview mirror. Reversing sensors are also
standard on ST-X.
Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) with Brake Limited Slip Differential (BLSD) improves dynamic
performance and safety. Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution
(EBD), Traction Control System (TCS) and Brake Assist (BA) also appear on all grades.
The Navara also includes a range of other active safety technologies, including:
AROUND VIEW® MONITOR
The Around View® Monitor, on ST-X grades, is a support technology that assists drivers to park
with greater ease by better understanding the vehicle’s surroundings through a virtual bird’s-eye
view from above the vehicle. The Around View® Monitor helps the driver visually confirm the
vehicle’s position relative to the lines around parking spaces and adjacent objects, allowing the
driver to manoeuvre into parking spots with more ease.
BRAKE ASSIST (BA)
The laser radar sensor detects the distance to a preceding vehicle and the relative velocity. If
necessary, the system activates the brakes of the vehicle. The vehicle assists the driver’s braking
action according to the situation. HILL START ASSIST (HSA) when a driver changes pedals from
the brake to the accelerator in order to start the car on a slope, the system maintains the brake
pressure for a maximum of two seconds after the driver’s foot has left the brake pedal. By
keeping the car at a standstill, even when not pressing down on the brake, the system helps to
prevent rolling backwards when starting off on a slope.
HILL DESCENT CONTROL (HDC)
On the ST-X four-wheel drive, the hill descent control system can help reduce driver workload
when going down steep hills by applying the vehicle brakes to help control the vehicle.
ACTIVE BRAKE LIMITED SLIP (ABLS)
The Active Brake Limited Slip (ABLS) system senses wheel spin, then automatically applies the
brakes to the spinning wheel(s) and directs power to the wheel(s) with the best traction. Navara
4X4’s offer 4-wheel ABLS.
There is also:
- Electronic rear diff lock on SL, ST and ST-X 4X4 models
- Nissan Anti-Theft System (NATS) vehicle immobiliser
- Vehicle Security System (VSS) alarm (excludes DX)
Inside the car, the steering wheel controls and dashboard displays provide simple functionality. In
select grades, the Advanced Drive Assist Display (ADAD) provides multiple screen options in the
centre of the dashboard, between the tachometer and speedometer dials, meaning drivers can
view information at a simple glance.
The ADAD consists of fuel economy, distance to empty, audio information and navigation
direction. Satellite Navigation is fitted as standard equipment on Navara ST and ST-X.
Bluetooth phone and audio streaming is on all model grades.
A Rear View Camera is now standard on all Pickup models, while RX grades have the camera fitted
in the rear view mirror. Reversing sensors and a 360 degree Around View® Monitor are also
included on ST-X.
Premcar
Premcar is a highly skilled product development and engineering consultancy with a proven track
record of product delivery and performance. Premcar is also a highly regarded low volume vehicle
manufacturer that meets or exceeds the toughest OEM standards.
Established by Prodrive UK in 1996, the current owners took over in 2012 changing the company
name to Premcar. The owners have been with the company through all of its history of
engineering excellence.
Recently, German-based engineering powerhouse RLE International acquired a stake in the
Premcar business. This collaboration will result in growth for both RLE International and Premcar,
and will bring a new level of service and expertise to the market.
Premcar was chosen by Nissan as it was able to develop a unique vehicle package that was
specific to Australian market usage profile and had the experience to undertake local
re-engineering, testing and tuning program suited to Australian conditions.
Premcar’s dedicated Nissan facilities
Such is the magnitude of the Nissan Navara N-TREK Warrior program, Premcar has expanded its
operations and opened a 6,300 square metre production facility in Epping – Melbourne’s northern
suburbs – with a production line dedicated to the manufacture of the N-TREK Warrior.
This will be supported by 40 new staff who have been employed to work exclusively on the
N-TREK Warrior program. The new staff have extensive manufacturer experience and, in some
cases, have re-entered the automotive industry following the closure of widespread local
automotive manufacturing several years ago.
Nissan Navara NTREK Warrior Suppliers
Nissan’s commitment to working with local suppliers who understand Australian customers and
conditions is further demonstrated through its partnerships on the Nissan Navara NTREK Warrior
development project:
- Dampers (Tenneco)
- Springs (Monroe)
- Frontal protection (EGR)
- Tyres (Cooper)
- Light Bar (Hella)
- Bullbar painting (Bellmont)
- plastic components (RP Group)
- Decals (3M)
- Wheels (Rosta)
* Manufacturer suggested retail prices (MSRP) are provided for media purposes only
