Local 4×4 enthusiasts have long looked to bakkies for both power and off-road capability, and luckily for them, South Africa has a locally-built option developed especially for local conditions.
Introduced in South Africa a year ago, the Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior by Premcar has become a popular choice for buyers looking for a specialist off-road vehicle.
The high-performance bakkie is developed and built in partnership with Premcar – an Australian firm specialising in the design, engineering, development, and manufacturing of niche-model cars.
According to Nissan South Africa, demand for the Navara Pro-4X Warrior has reached a point where local conversion operations have had to move to single-shift capacity.
The Japanese brand said that this reflects a strong appetite among South African motorists for an off-road vehicle that combines reliability with extreme engineering.
This is because the Navara Warrior has proven its capabilities on local soil more than once, with two daring expeditions in two years.
In 2024, the Navara managed to complete an 8,000km trek from Nissan’s Rosslyn plant in Pretoria all the way up the length of Africa to Cairo in Egypt.
Following this, five Navara Warriors were put to the test immediately after their local introduction, embarking on a 1,000km adventure through some of the Northern Cape’s most unforgiving terrain.
Their route, which started from the Augrabies Falls along the Gariep River to the Atlantic Ocean, was an attempt to establish a world record for the world’s longest off-road trail.
Engineered specially for South Africa
As a Nissan-approved conversion of the Pro-4X, the Warrior represents the toughest and most capable Navara ever produced, featuring key performance enhancements to underline its off-road status.
The biggest upgrade is 232mm ground clearance – 40mm more than the standard Navara Pro-4X – thanks to uprated off-road shock absorbers and coils.
Its track width has also been increased by 30mm to 1,600mm to improve its off-road capability and stability under heavy load.
Added to this is a set of special 17-inch MAXXIS RAZR tyres that aim to round off the Warrior’s technical off-road capability.
Under the hood, the Navara Warrior is powered by Nissan’s 2.5-litre DDTi diesel motor, which delivers 140kW and a whopping 450Nm. This power is sent to all four wheels via a 7-speed automatic transmission
Aside from its technical upgrades, the Warrior features updated looks, including a blacked-out grille and widened front bumper with a more aggressive profile.
Alongside these is a sports bar mounted in its rubberised load bin, and exclusive Warrior-only accents on some of its specialised components.
On the inside, the Navara Warrior features flagship-level luxuries, including an 8-inch touchscreen with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, as well as Nissan’s Intelligent Mobility suite.
This includes an all-around view monitor with a specialised off-road modes that offer a bird’s-eye view of the vehicle for easier manoeuvring over rough terrains.
For driver convenience and comfort, the Navara Warrior has been fitted with a multi-function steering wheel with voice commands, leather seats, automatic climate control, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror.
It also features an Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS), which includes lane departure warnings, forward collision warning, and blind spot monitoring.
Specialised off-road performance does not come cheap, which is why the Navara Pro-4X Warrior is the most expensive offering in the Nissan stable, with a price tag of R924,000.
Included in this price is Nissan’s 6-year/150,000km warranty, which is matched by Premcar on all modified components, as well as a 6-year or 90,000km service plan.
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