PRO-4X is Nissan’s answer to the Ford Ranger Raptor which seems to have found a
ready market among cashed up tradies, despite its hefty $80,000 price tag.
The makeover isn’t quite as extreme as the Raptor, with the same drivetrain as its less
pretentious siblings.
But it’s got ‘the look’ and has plenty to offer, and it’s $10,000 cheaper — you’ve gotta like
that!
STYLING
The latest Warrior looks fantastic with its black, three-panel radiator grille, integrated
winch-compatible bull bar, built-in light bar, elaborate sports bar and embossed tailgate.
There are also red accents for the bash plate and springs, black wheels and some serious
fender flares — not to mention great looking decals.
Inside there’s two-zone climate air, red stitched leather trim, fancy chrome transmission
surround, rear air outlets, and of course that odd little sliding rear window that has been a
part of the Navara experience for so long.
The instrument cluster features old style analogue dials left and right, separated by a
centre digital driver information screen with digital speedo.
The seats are reasonably comfortable, but the steering wheel lacks reach adjustment and
the driver could do with a grab handle to make getting in a little easier.
The front seats lack any form of venting or heating which one might expect in an upmarket
mode. Adaptive cruise control should be a given too. The back seats are large enough to
accommodate adults, with the usual reservations about long distance travel.
Prices start at $67,490 for the manual or $69,990 for the auto, both figures before on-
roads.
Nissan PRO-4X Warrior replaces the PRO-4X released July, 2021 ($61,290), which in turn
replaced the N-Trek Warrior from December, 2019 ($63,490) — at least that’s the way we
think it goes.
Premcar fettled the original N-Trek as well as the latest PRO-4X Warrior, but there’s no
mention of any involvement in bringing the PRO-4X to market.
The Melbourne based outfit got the gig we’re told because it had the capability to develop
a hero version of the ute that met local demands and had the experience to undertake a
local development, testing and tuning program.
INFOTAINMENT
Infotainment consists of an 8.0-inch touchscreen with six-speaker audio, Bluetooth,
satellite navigation, DAB+ digital radio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.
There’s 1 x USB-Type A socket in the front console, another Type A and Type C socket in
the centre console and a charge only Type A at the rear of the centre console.
ENGINES / TRANSMISSIONS
The twin turbo, 2.3-litre four-cylinder diesel puts out 140kW of power and 450Nm of
torque, with a choice of 6-speed manual or 7-speed auto transmissions.
There’s no gear change paddles but the automatic transmission includes Navara’s Drive
Mode Selector, with Sport, Off-Road, Tow and Normal modes.
SAFETY
Safety extends to seven airbags, including a driver’s knee bag, Intelligent Forward
Collision Warning, Intelligent Emergency Braking, Intelligent Driver Alertness, Intelligent
Lane Intervention, and an Intelligent Around View Monitor (including an off-road monitor,
and Rear Cross Traffic Alert).
Lane Departure Warning and Blind Spot Warning are also included, but apparently not so
intelligent?
Autonomous emergency braking (City and Interurban) across the range … but does not
detect cyclists or pedestrians.
DRIVING
My wife professes a liking for the Warrior and reckons it’s easy to drive. Although she is
quick to add that at 5.3 metres in length, it can be a bit tricky to park sometimes.
Premcar has built on the PRO-4X, enhancing its performance and capability with wheel,
tyre and suspension enhancements to deliver improved ground clearance and a wider
stance, together with improved ride and handling.
Ground clearance, a big determinate of off-road ability, has been something of a moving
target, originally 300mm with N-Trek, dropping to 224mm for PRO-4X and now 260mm for
the latest Warrior.
Wading depth is 600mm.
All three versions can tow a 3500kg braked load.
In terms of carrying capacity, N-Trek could carry 730kg (manual) or 724kg (auto), Pro-4X
was up for 1013kg (manual) or 1004kg (auto) while the Pro-4X Warrior offers 961kg
(manual) or 952kg (auto).
There’s a full-size spare, rear diff lock, 3mm steel underbody protection and a new towbar
that provides better clearance in off road situations.
The tray in our test vehicle was lined, but offered no form of protection for loads – where’s
the lockable roller tonneau?
Part of the brief was to ensure PRO-4X Warrior performs as well on road as it does off the
bitumen.
That’s important because as nice and shiny as the beast might be, it will spend the vast
majority of its time just being a car and probably a family runaround at that.
As such no one needs or wants a car that sits so high off the road that it requires a ladder
to get in and out, which might explain the slightly lower ride height this time around.
Remember every additional millimetre of lift contributes to body roll — it’s not rocket
science.
As part of the improvements made to the vehicle, its track has also been increased, from
1570mm to 1600mm.
As well as giving the new Warrior a wider, tougher-looking stance, it also delivers better
stability, handling and cornering capability.
The rear dampers’ low-speed control has been increased to reduce float in the rear when
towing or carrying a load.
Rebound damping has also been increased by more than 50 per cent to improve handling
stability, while compression damping has also been improved.
The Warrior’s new bump stops are also larger and taller, designed to engage the chassis
rails earlier in suspension travel, while delivering a more progressive rate, controlling the
wheel movement at maximum suspension travel.
The outcome is a more compliant and softer transfer of energy into the chassis, controlling
the wheel and suspension more effectively, and significantly improving the harshness and
noise transfer into the chassis and cabin over rough road conditions.
Chunkier Cooper all-terrain tyres offer increased tread depth and an off-road focused tread
pattern. They target 70 per cent road and sand, 30 per cent dirt and mud, and are
designed with a scalloped shoulder, high-tensile steel, and whisper groove shields that
further reduce road noise.
It pulls strongly just off idle, with a ride quality that is surprisingly supple.
While the steering is still a bit vague for our liking, it goes where you point it without
complaint.
Of course, it’s still got rear drum brakes, like just about every other ute on the market — but
the on-road experience is generally pretty good.
Off road? The increase in ride height, better approach and departure angles and the
redesigned towbar all bode well for adventure, with some decent rubber to give the tyres a
bit of bite.
Interestingly, the traction system remains operative, at least for the front wheels, even in
low with the diff lock activated.
Warrior will take you as far as you are probably prepared to go without damaging your
vehicle and that’s as far as it needs to go.
But as always, take care you don’t put a dent in the side steps which are easily damaged
off road.
Fuel consumption is a claimed 8.1L/100km from the 80-litre tank. We were getting
9.5L/100km after 540km.
SUMMING UP
Nissan has had its ups and downs with Navara over the years. With the PRO-4X Warrior,
it seems to finally be on the right track. It’s got the looks and performance that buyers want
and at the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about.
RATINGS:
Looks: 8/10
Performance: 7.5/10
Safety: 7.5/10
Thirst: 7/10
Practicality: 7/10
Comfort: 7/10
Tech: 7.5/10
Value: 7.5/10
Overall: 7.4/10
AT A GLANCE
MODEL RANGE
Nissan Navara PRO-4X Warrior manual $67,490
Nissan Navara PRO-4X Warrior automatic $69,990
Note: These prices do not include government or dealer delivery charges. Contact your
local Nissan dealer for drive-away prices.
SPECIFICATION:
Nissan N-Trek Warrior 2.3-litre intercooled twin-turbo diesel, common-rail direct injection,
seven-speed automatic, four-door dual cab
ENGINE:
Capacity: 2.3 litres
Configuration: Four cylinders
Maximum Power: 140 kW @ 3750 rpm
Maximum Torque: 450 Nm @ 1500-2500 rpm
Fuel Type: Diesel
Combined Fuel Cycle (ADR 81/02): 8.1 L/100km
CO2 Emissions: 186 g/km
DRIVELINE:
Seven-speed automatic, dual range 4×4 with electronic 4WD selection
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 5385 mm
Wheelbase: 3150 mm
Width: 1920 mm
Height: 1895 mm
Turning Circle: 12.7 metres
Kerb Mass: 2186 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 80 litres
BRAKES:
Front: Ventilated disc
Rear: Drum
STANDARD WARRANTY:
Five years / unlimited kilometres
