Nissan doesn't want to share Warrior with Mitsubishi

Nissan Australia doesn’t want to share its homegrown Warrior program with Mitsubishi, despite the new-generation Navara being a clone of the established Triton.

Speaking to carsales ahead of the 2026 Nissan Navara’s launch next month, the brand’s Oceanic communications boss Steve Coughlan said the Warrior program was “very much aligned with Nissan’s brand DNA and the expectations of Navara customers”.

“While Nissan and Mitsubishi continue to collaborate across the alliance where it makes sense, sharing the Warrior program isn’t something we’re currently exploring,” he said.

This revelation is at complete odds with intel garnered by carsales mid-last year that pointed to Mitsubishi and Premcar collaborating on a triple-diamond-badged halo ute aimed squarely at not only the next-gen Warrior, but also the Isuzu D-MAX Blade, Toyota HiLux Rugged X and Ford Ranger Tremor.

According to the July report, Mitsubishi and Premcar were at least having discussions about the project, though a physical prototype wasn’t understood to exist.

The tie-up would certainly make sense for the two brands seeing as Premcar was responsible for the local tuning of the new-generation Navara’s suspension, meaning it already has a wealth of experience with the current Triton platform.

The existence of the 2026 Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior concept is an even bigger step in the right direction for the same reason.

Mitsubishi Australia declined to comment directly on the matter, instead telling carsales it was simply focused on the Triton’s next six months or so, which will include two new special editions and the prospect of a not insignificant 2026 model year update.

A source close to the brand however said it would make sense for some sort of homegrown Triton hero to emerge in the current generation, seeing as the local operation previously engaged Walkinshaw to create the limited-run Triton Xtreme.

As for Nissan, more information on the second-generation Navara Warrior will be announced “later this year”.

When asked if consumers could have faith in Nissan and its future Down Under, Coughlan said the brand wasn’t going anywhere despite its recent international turmoils.

“Nissan is here to stay in Australia,” he said.

“We have a long history in this market, a strong dealer network, and clear backing from our global organisation.

“With Navara and a pipeline of new and refreshed models on the way, we’re investing in the future of the brand here.”

The new-generation Navara will launch next month.

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