Nissan Navara 2023 review: SL Warrior - off-road test

The Nissan Navara SL Warrior is intended as an entry-level option for those keen on owning a Premcar-engineered Nissan ute but whose budget may not stretch to $70,000 to cover the cost of a top-shelf Pro-4X Warrior.

The thing is, you’re not missing out on much if you go the cheaper choice because the SL Warrior has been tested and purpose-built by the experts at Premcar to tackle hard-core off-roading and still be reasonable on road.

Also, it has a greater payload than a Pro-4X Warrior (74kg in the auto version), and the same towing capacity, off-road suspension and measurements as its more expensive stablemate.

But does the SL Warrior sacrifice too much?

Read on.

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Does it represent good value for the price? What features does it come with?

The Navara SL Warrior is based on the SL Navara and is only available as a dual-cab ute with either a six-speed manual gear-box ($58,000 before on-road costs) or seven-speed automatic transmission ($60,500 before on-road costs). 

Our vehicle, an auto, also had metallic paint (White Diamond) at a cost of $650, so its price as tested ends up being $61,150 before on-road costs.

Standard features include 8.0-inch multimedia touch-screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, AEB, lane-keeping assist, around-view monitor, and a rear diff-lock. 

Standard features include 8.0-inch multimedia touch-screen. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

Premcar, the Melbourne-based vehicle-engineering mob responsible for making a real fist of Nissan’s Warrior program, has added more than a claimed $11,000 worth of goodies to the SL Warrior including a black bash plate (with Navara branding) at the front, an off-road coated bullbar with hoops and integrated LED light bar, fender flares, suspension lift, Warrior wheels and all-terrain tyres (Cooper Discoverer AT3s, LT (Light Truck) 275/70R17), a tubliner, and a towbar.

Exterior paint choices include Black Star (standard), or White Diamond, Twilight Grey, and Brilliant Silver – all of which are premium paints and cost $650.

The Navara SL Warrior sports an off-road coated bullbar with hoops and integrated LED light bar. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

Towing capacity is 750kg (unbraked) and 3500kg (braked). (Image: Glen Sullivan)

The Navara has Warrior wheels and all-terrain tyres. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

The SL Warrior features a black bash plate (with Navara branding) at the front. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

Is there anything interesting about its design?

The SL Warrior is 5350mm long (with a 3150mm-long wheelbase), 1920mm wide (excluding wing mirrors), 1865mm high, and has a listed kerb weight of 2224kg.

It is 40mm taller off the ground than its standard SL stablemate, and the wheel track has been extended by 30mm (from 1570mm to 1600mm) giving the SL Warrior an aggressive stance.

The bullbar, Navara-branded steel bash plate upfront, wheel arch flares, chunky Cooper Discoverer AT3s, the absence of side steps and the addition of Warrior decals on the exterior of the tub all combine to give this ute a quietly intimidating presence.

It doesn’t have a snorkel (raised air intake) though.

The wheel track has been extended by 30mm giving the SL Warrior an aggressive stance. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

The SL Warrior is 40mm taller off the ground than its standard SL stablemate. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

The SL Warrior is 5350mm long (with a 3150mm-long wheelbase). (Image: Glen Sullivan)

There are Warrior decals on the exterior of the tub. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

Explore the 2023 Nissan Navara Range

Nissan Navara 2021 review: Pro-4X off-road test Nissan Navara 2021 review: Pro-4X snapshot Nissan Navara 2021 review: SL GVM test Nissan Navara 2021 review: SL snapshot Nissan Navara 2021 review: ST off-road test Nissan Navara 2021 review: ST snapshot Nissan Navara 2021 review: ST-X off-road test Nissan Navara 2021 review: ST-X snapshot Nissan Navara 2022 review: Pro-4X GVM test Nissan Navara 2022 review: Pro-4X Warrior Nissan Navara 2022 review: Pro-4X Warrior - GVM test Nissan Navara 2022 review: Pro-4X Warrior - off-road test Nissan Navara 2022 review: Pro-4X family review Nissan Navara 2022 review: ST-X Nissan Navara 2023 review: SL Warrior - GVM test Nissan Navara 2023 review: SL Warrior - off-road test Nissan Navara 2024 review: Pro-4X Warrior - off-road test Nissan Navara 2025 review: SL - GVM test

How practical is the space inside?

This is the more affordable version of the Pro-4X Warrior so don’t expect leather and soft-touch surfaces anywhere – this has expanses of durable plastic, cloth seats and vinyl floor covering, front and rear. In other words: it’s all perfect for a rough-and-tumble life in the great outdoors.

The cabin is a well-designed and practical space, anchored by a dash with an easy-to-use 8.0-inch multimedia touchscreen, equipped with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The SL Warrior driver’s seat is six-way manually adjustable, and the front passenger seat is four-way manually adjustable. Both seats are on the right side of comfortable.

The cabin is a well-designed and practical space. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

The rear seat is reasonably comfortable. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

In terms of upfront charge points, it has a USB-A in the console tray, a USB-A and a USB-C in the centre console, and two 12V outlets (one in the console tray and one in the centre console.

There are also plenty of storage spaces, cupholders, bottle holders, and even a few nooks and crannies for your everyday carry gear.

The rear seat is reasonably comfortable but, as in most dual-cab utes, it’s better suited to accommodating two adults or three children. It has a fold-down arm-rest (with cupholders), as well as bottle holders in the doors, map pockets on the seat-backs, directional air vents and a USB-A charging point on the back of the centre console.

This is the more affordable version of the Pro-4X Warrior so don’t expect leather and soft-touch surfaces anywhere. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

In terms of upfront charge points, there is a USB-A in the console tray, a USB-A and a USB-C in the centre console. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

For the rear passengers, there are directional air vents and a USB-A charging point. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

What are the key stats for the engine and transmission?

The SL Warrior has a 2.3-litre four-cylinder twin-turbo-diesel engine – producing 140kW at 3750rpm and 450Nm at 1500-2500rpm – and a seven-speed automatic transmission. 

This is a solidly reliable combination and unstressed in low-key but effective performance terms.

The SL Warrior has a 2.3-litre four-cylinder twin-turbo-diesel engine. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

It’s not the gutsiest or torquiest ute on the market but it is quite capable of tough 4WDing without any fuss.

It has a part-time four-wheel drive system with high- and low-range 4WD, and a rear diff lock.

What's it like as a daily driver?

For a vehicle that’s been engineered to impress off-road, the SL Warrior is far from atrocious on-road – in fact it’s actually quite good. 

But there are a few trade-offs here and there.

The steering wheel is tilt-adjustable only, so you can merely approximate your favourite driving position rather than precisely dial it in.

However, steering itself is nicely balanced, there’s plenty of visibility from the captain’s seat, the 2.3-litre engine offers ample torque across a wide rev range, and its coil-spring suspension set-up and upgraded (and Premcar-tuned) dampers, all aimed at yielding a better ride off-road, do well on sealed surfaces. 

There is plenty of visibility from the captain’s seat. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

The SL Warrior is nice to drive and quiet inside. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

The SL Warrior is nice to drive, quiet inside, and exhibits better refinement than you might expect in something designed for the dirt and riding on decent all-terrains.

But even with all of these positive characteristics, it's not the most dynamic vehicle to drive. Still, I reckon it does pretty well on the blacktop. 

What's it like for touring?

It carries over all the good off-road-related stuff from the Pro-4X Warrior so you’re safe in expecting the SL Warrior to be pretty handy when it comes time to go 4WDing.

And it is.

From the get-go, on bumpy dirt tracks and chopped-up gravel roads, the SL Warrior has a nice unstressed feel about it – an almost lazy way of simply trucking along over surface irregularities.

The engine and auto work so well as a unit that it has a subdued but effective quality about it.

The auto is never caught out scrambling up or down for the sweet spot, because it’s generally right where it needs to be in terms of revs.

You’re safe in expecting the SL Warrior to be pretty handy when it comes time to go 4WDing. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

On bumpy dirt tracks and chopped-up gravel roads, the SL Warrior has a nice unstressed feel about it. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

The engine and auto work so well as a unit that it has a subdued but effective quality about it. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

The auto is never caught out scrambling up or down for the sweet spot. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

Premcar’s work here, as in the higher-spec Pro-4X Warrior, is focussed on wheels and tyres and the suspension. The springs and shocks, which add a 40mm total suspension lift, are engineered to produce a more settled, controlled and comfortable ride. The benefit of that Premcar-sorted, Aussie-tuned suspension package becomes even more obvious when you hit dirt tracks or gravel roads that are veritable minefields of deep ruts and deep muddy potholes, taking the sting out of a lot of harsher lumps and bumps. 

Having said that though, ride and handling aren’t yet in the realm of something like a Ford Ranger Raptor, but those characteristics have definitely improved.

The SL Warrior is longer (+90mm), wider (+45mm) and taller (+40mm) than the standard SL, so as well as having more ground clearance and better, more off-road-friendly angles – approach (36 degrees) and ramp-over (26.2 degrees) have increased but departure remains the same (at 19 degrees) – this ute has a more natural, planted stance on dirt tracks, giving it more control when you have to tackle trickier lines through the bush. 

So, raised suspension, better ground clearance (260mm), and a wider wheel track (+30mm front and rear), among many other improvements over the standard SL, help to bolster its capability to conquer big and steep rock steps and a lot of other difficult terrain.

The higher-spec Pro-4X Warrior, is focussed on wheels and tyres and the suspension. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

The springs and shocks, which add a 40mm total suspension lift, are engineered to produce a more settled, controlled and comfortable ride. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

The SL Warrior is capable of conquering big, steep rock steps and a lot of other difficult terrain. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

This ute has a more natural, planted stance on dirt tracks. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

Wading depth is listed as 600mm and, while we didn’t go through any deep river crossings, we did drive through a deep mud hole which had us tickling that measure in terms of depth – and it also had us tipping over at a severe angle on the driver’s side.

Steering retains a nice lightness to it, so for a ute, it gets around nicely. 

Low-range gearing is decent (2.717:1) and there's plenty of torque across a nice spread of revs, so you can tap into that whenever you need to while four-wheel driving.

The rear diff lock is a handy addition to any 4WD’s track-tackling toolkit.

As well, hill descent control is effective, holding you to a sustained low speed when you are going down a decline.

Wading depth is listed as 600mm. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

Steering retains a nice lightness to it, so for a ute, it gets around nicely. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

Low-range gearing is decent (2.717:1) and there's plenty of torque across a nice spread of revs. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

The rear diff lock is a handy addition to any 4WD’s track-tackling toolkit. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

The SL Warrior rides on light-truck-construction Cooper Discoverer AT3s, very decent all-terrain rubber that has plenty of bite and these tyres have plenty of bite, aren’t too noisy on the blacktop and don't seem to affect ride and handling in any major negative way.

These tyres are well equipped for most off-road scenarios – but never forget the importance of adjusting tyre pressures to suit the terrain and driving conditions.

In terms of packability for touring, the SL Warrior is okay.

Payload is listed as 1026kg.

The tub measures 1509mm long, 1560mm wide, 1134mm (between the wheel arches), and 519mm deep. The cargo bed has four tie-down points.

The SL Warrior has a durable tub-liner, but misses out on the Pro-4X’s Utili-track load-restraint system. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

The tub measures 1509mm long and 1560mm wide. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

The cargo bed has four tie-down points. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

It has a durable tub-liner, but misses out on the Pro-4X’s Utili-track load-restraint system.

Towing capacity is 750kg (unbraked) and 3500kg (braked). 

This Navara has a gross vehicle mass (GVM) of 3250kg and a GCM (gross combined mass) of 5910kg.

Any niggles? Sure: the steering is not reach-adjustable, which means I couldn’t quite dial-in my exact driving position and that’s crucial when 4WDing; and the 2.3-litre engine becomes a bit noisy when you give it some heavy right boot.

How much fuel does it consume?

The SL Warrior’s fuel consumption is listed as 7.9L/100km on a combined cycle. 

Fuel consumption on this test was 9.9L/100km.

The SL Warrior’s fuel consumption is listed as 7.9L/100km on a combined cycle. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

The Warrior has an 80-litre fuel tank, so, going by those fuel-consumption figures, I’d expect an effective touring in range of about 780km, but remember that figure includes a built-in 30km safe-distance buffer.

That's a fair travelling distance for a contemporary dual-cab ute, but keep in mind that your fuel-consumption will be higher than that because you'll be carrying a lot more gear than we had onboard during our test, which included vehicle-recovery equipment, a portable air compressor, tool bag, puncture-repair kit, tyre deflator, and a little bit of food and water.

Warranty & Safety Rating

Basic Warranty:

5 years/unlimited km warranty

ANCAP Safety Rating:

What safety equipment is fitted? What safety rating?

The Navara line-up has a five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing in 2015. 

Safety gear includes seven airbags (dual front, front-side, curtain and driver’s knee SRS items), AEB, forward collision warning, and a reversing camera but it misses out on quite a lot of the Pro-4X’s suite of driver-assist tech including a surround-view monitor (with moving object detection), Lane Departure Warning, Intelligent Lane Intervention, Blind Spot Warning, Blind Spot Intervention, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Tyre Pressure Monitoring System, Drive Mode Selector, and Off Road Monitor.

The SL Warrior has a reversing camera, but it misses out on the Pro-4X's safety features like surround-view monitoring. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

The rear seat has two child-seat anchorage points and an ISOFIX point on each outboard seat.

Off-road driver-assist tech includes hill start assist, trailer sway control, hill descent control and an electronic locking rear differential.

What does it cost to own? What warranty is offered?

The Navara range is covered by a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty – adequate in terms of years, but the unlimited kms factor is in its favour.

Nissan’s five-year warranty covers all of the Premcar work and the accessories.

Service intervals are set for 12 months or 20,000km. 

Capped price servicing is available for up to six years, with prices ranging from $502 to $783 per service.

Pricing & Specs Insurance Quote

Verdict

Pricing Guides

$51,510

Based on 188 cars listed for sale in the last 6 months.

LOWEST PRICE

$28,999

HIGHEST PRICE

$80,990

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