Upgraded Nissan Navara Warrior ute coming

Nissan Australia and its local engineering partner Premcar are preparing to release an upgraded version of the Nissan Navara N-TREK Warrior, based on the Japanese brand’s facelifted dual-cab 4x4 ute range due on sale by the end of this year.

Despite a horror debut year for Nissan’s top-shelf tough truck, which saw the locally-modified mud-slinger’s production numbers drop amid COVID-19 lockdowns, the Navara Warrior flagship will continue to be offered as part of the refreshed 2021 Navara line-up.

Although nothing has been officially confirmed yet, carsales understands the major mid-life update for the third-generation D23 Nissan Navara ute range first launched in 2014 – likely to be known as the MY21 Navara Series 5 – will be topped by an upgraded Warrior bush-basher.

As we’ve seen from a shadowy official preview in May, the new-look 2021 Navara will bring a fresh front-end design with redesigned headlights and a reworked front bumper, plus more safety and tech features. However, no major mechanical changes are expected, which means the 140kW/450Nm 2.3-litre twin-turbo four-cylinder diesel will carry over.

As we also reported when the Renault Nissan Mitsubishi Alliance announced its mid-term business restructure earlier this year, the next-generation Navara will be based on the new Triton (which was due next year before COVID-19 hit), but now won’t appear until the end of the Nissan NEXT plan in early 2024.

So the current NP300 ute will soldier on in facelifted form until then and the jacked-up Nissan Navara N-TREK Warrior will continue to be assembled at Premcar’s facility in Epping, north of Melbourne.

It’s not yet known which, if any, Warrior parts will require re-engineering for the facelifted Navara, but likely to be carried over is the current tough truck’s upgraded suspension (15mm lift, Monroe shockers, softer primary spring rates and more progressive bump stops) and 17-inch Rosta alloy wheels shod with chunky 32-inch Cooper AT3 all-terrain tyres, delivering an extra 40mm of ride height and 268mm of ground clearance.

The Navara’s existing Warrior treatment, which Nissan and Premcar had also planned to apply to the Patrol before the pandemic, also includes flared wheel-arches, a 3mm stainless steel bash plate and a unique towbar assembly.

The major visual upgrade is the hoopless, body-coloured EGR bullbar with integrated bark busters and Hella LED light bar, and there are a few interior upgrades too.

Nissan Australia managing director Stephen Lester said the beefed-up Navara N-TREK Warrior has been a “…real success story for both Nissan Australia and our partners Premcar throughout 2020” but he conceded this year has been challenging.

“As we all know too well, after launching the car earlier this year, we’ve been required to overcome a number of COVID-related circumstances that have influenced both our retail capability and Premcar’s re-manufacturing processes in Victoria,” added Lester.

The Premcar facility that produces the Warrior pick-up was closed during the first nationwide lockdown in Australia in late March, but resumed operations after obtaining exemptions to work under a COVID-safe arrangement.

The lockdowns saw deliveries of Nissan’s locally-modified and factory-backed hero model slow significantly, even as demand for high-end $65,000-plus off-road renegades and full-size utes continues to grow.

Lester said that customer response to the top-spec Navara “…has been exceptional nationwide and we look forward to continuing to fulfil strong demand from Australian ute buyers throughout the rest of this year.”

The second half of 2020 has been a hectic time for new ute releases, including all-new models such as the Isuzu D-MAX, Mazda BT-50 and upcoming GWM Ute, plus updates to the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger market leaders.

Stand by for the global reveal of the facelifted Nissan Navara, followed by the new-look Warrior version.