Nissan Australia worked with automotive product development and engineering experts, Premcar, to develop, engineer, manufacture and validate a halo grade Navara.
“The market has shifted considerably in the last two years with ute sales leading the way, but ute buyers are looking for a higher level of specification that deliver both capable and functional improvements, while making their vehicle stand out,” said Nissan Australia managing director Stephen Lester.
Based off the Nissan Navara N-TREK Dual Cab Pickup 4WD Premcar enhanced the suspension, including off-road capable springs and dampers, resulting in a 15mm lift to the vehicle. Adding 32.2-inch Cooper All-Terrain tyres increases ride height by a further 25mm, for a total 40mm lift.
Premcar sourced a range of parts from top tier OEM level suppliers, including a hoopless body colour steel bullbar with integrated 470mm LED light bar, to toughen up the look of the exterior.
Nissan’s planned from the start to ensure that the suspension upgrades did not result in any reduction in vehicle attributes such as durability, safety and comfort.
For the N-TREK Warrior, Nissan 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 – both in cornering, heavy duty off-roading, when laden and when towing.
The Nissan Navara N-TREK Warrior maintains Navara’s 3.5 tonne towing capacity.
Premcar conducted testing in Australia over several months on the varied road surfaces at the Australian Automotive Research Centre (AARC) for handling, on and 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 showed that Premcar was able achieve improvement or parity versus the standard Navara condition across all attributes without compromising durability and comfort.
This extensive validation program has given Nissan the confidence to maintain the factory five year warranty.
