Production of the new Nissan Patrol Warrior by Premcar has officially commenced and the first examples are due in Nissan showrooms and customer hands next month.
Pre-sales of the Australian-developed Patrol Warrior opened when Nissan announced full details and hosted pre-production drives on June 15, attracting a significant number of orders – despite the lack of pricing details.
Since then Nissan Australia hiked prices of the 2023 Nissan Patrol by up to $2740 in July and then in August reduced the price of the base Ti (on which the Warrior is based) by $1000, with the Ti now priced at $84,900 plus on-road costs and the Ti-L flagship continuing at $97,600 plus ORCs.
That means the Warrior – which will be the new flagship of the Y62 Patrol range, at least until it’s replaced be the seventh-generation Y63 Patrol with V6 power by around mid-2025 – will undoubtedly cost more than $100,000 plus ORCs.
With the Patrol Warrior’s COVID-delayed two-year development program now complete, Premcar engineering director Bernie Quinn said it was a relief for full secondary new-vehicle production of Premcar’s second Warror model after the Navara to commence at a second, all-new manufacturing facility in Epping outside Melbourne, following the completion of final local tuning and manufacturing readiness programs.
“It was a proud moment watching the first Nissan Patrol Warrior by Premcar models progress along our new assembly line,” said Quinn.
“To create this amazing off-road SUV the Premcar team has broadened the award-winning Nissan Patrol’s already impressive abilities across a range of road surfaces, from smooth tarmac to rough terrain and everything in between.
“From October, Australian customers will get to enjoy this eagerly awaited new Warrior model series and we can’t wait to see them in Nissan showrooms.”
Each Patrol Warrior will take an average of a day to produce, alongside the 60-plus Navara Warrior PRO-4X and SL vehicles that Premcar is currently producing daily – up from an initial 30 a day.
As we’ve reported, the locally-developed but factory-backed Patrol Warrior will bring a carryover 298kW/560Nm 5.6-litre petrol V8 backed by a 2.0-inch suspension lift, Monroe springs (progressive at the rear), retuned Hydraulic Body Motion Control (HBMC) damping system, bigger 34.4-inch Yokohama Geolandar 15 A/T rubber, Premcar-designed 18-inch black alloy wheels and a bimodal exhaust system with twin outlets tucked under the side steps on the driver’s side.
Completing the mechanical upgrades is a red front bash plate, two rear 3500kg recovery points and a redesigned tow bar to accommodate the larger full-size spare tyre. Braked towing capacity remains 3500kg, but GVM increases by 130kg to 3630kg and payload rises by 58kg to 843kg.
In terms of design, there’s a gloss-black grille and mirror caps, OEM-standard injection-moulded black wheel-arch flares with mud flaps, a Warrior-branded front lower bumper assembly and a rear Warrior badge.
Inside, there’s a full black interior featuring Alcantara trim inserts on the doors and upper dash – with Warrior badging – and glossy piano-black instead of woodgrain trim on the centre stack and console.
The Patrol Warrior will be available in four exterior colours – white, black, silver and grey.