The all-Aussie Navara to take on the Ranger Raptor

Friday, 11 October 2019

Nissan Australia has developed its own Ford Ranger Raptor challenger - the Navara N-Trek Warrior.

High-spec utes with extra lifestyle abilities (that is to say gruntier suspension for smashing over things) are where we are in that segment today, with the likes of the Ford Ranger Raptor and HSV SportsCat proving popular with buyers (well, the Raptor is, at least).

And now Nissan Australia is after a piece of that sweet premium-priced ute action, revealing an Australian-developed new model of the Navara - the N-Trek Warrior.

Not to be confused with the sticker-pack special Warrior offered by some dealers in New Zealand, the Aussie N-Trek Warrior has been developed by engineering firm Premcar (formerly known as Prodrive Australia) - the company responsible for building the car Ford was too scared to make - and features significant suspension upgrades, including beefed-up '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.

The N-Trek Warrior sits on 32-inch off-road tyres and is 40mm higher than a standard Navara.

The Warrior gets 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.

**READ MORE:

Nissan's aim with the N-Trek Warrior was to improve its off-road capabilities, but no affect its driveability or warranty.

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Australian engineering company Premcar (formerly Prodrive Australia) did a lot of work on the Navara's suspension.

* Changes to Nissan Navara will carry it through 2018**

The dampers were upgraded from the Nissan original equipment part to provide added compression damping on top of the piston for quicker response. The outer tube diameter is larger with greater oil volume to improve cooling and rough road capability, while the piston rod diameter has been increased to improve strength.

High-spec, super-capable utes are the thing to have in the segment these days.

Both the front and rear dampers have a unique internal valve code tuned by Premcar to match the springs and tyres, while new front jounce bumpers are larger, taller and engage the chassis rail earlier in the suspension travel, but at a more progressive rate.

Nissan says the initial focus was on lifting the front and rear suspension and including the larger diameter tyres to 'enhance the Navara's off-road capabilities and better negotiate rougher terrain.'

The N-Trek Warrior also gets some serious stainless steel underbody protection.

To maintain the Navara's warranty Nissan says that the suspension changes were 'designed, implemented and tested to ensure that no excessive additional loads were passed into the vehicle's chassis, and all ball joint, tie rod and drive shaft angles did not exceed the design limits.'

To accommodate the upsized tyres, Premcar modified the inner front fenders and speedometer recalibration was performed to ensure the 56.3mm increased overall tyre diameter reflected an accurate speed reading.

Much like the HSV SportsCat, Premcar has solely focussed on suspension mods, with the Navara's 140kW/450Nm 2.3-litre twin-turbo diesel engine remaining unchanged.

In a none-too-subtle dig at the Ranger Raptor's lower towing capacity, Nissan quietly adds that 'the Warrior maintains Navara's 3.5 tonne towing capacity.'

Nissan says that Premcar also sourced a range of parts from top tier OEM level suppliers, including the hoopless body colour steel bullbar with integrated 470mm LED light bar, stainless steel front underbody protection, unique 17-inch black alloy wheels and a unique towbar cross member. The towbar has been re-engineered to fit the full size spare wheel and accommodate increased ride height.

The Warrior also includes everything from the recently announced Navara series four updates, including the new 8-inch infotainment system featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

'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.

'The Nissan Navara N-Trek Warrior is locally designed and engineered for Australian conditions. We expect this to be a popular variant.'

Nissan Australia says the N-Trek Warrior will go on sale in early December with pricing to be announced soon.

And as to whether or not we will see it in New Zealand?

Nissan New Zealand's managing director, John Manley, told Stuff Motoring: 'We are very interested in the Navara N-Trek Warrior as we believe it would be a great addition to our line up here in NZ.'

'However as this is a Nissan Australia initiative we have yet to confirm availability and the parameters around the supply of the vehicle.'