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Nissan Australia and Melbourne-based vehicle engineering company, Premcar, have very successfully combined forces to create finessed versions of the Navara and Patrol as part of their on-going Warrior program.
Premcar has proven it can be entrusted with crucial conversion work, engineering upgrades and the fitment of adventure-ready accessories to add real value to Nissan’s 4WDs.
That’s all well and good but we had a burning question: How will a Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior perform if the weather turns bad, the roads are flooded, tracks are washed out… and your two teenaged kids are in the back seat ready to punch the living daylights out of each other?
Well, with that in mind we embarked on a 3500km trip from Sydney to South-East Queensland and back to put this ute through a series of difficult challenges, some planned, some not.
We dodged around the wild edge of Tropical Cyclone Jasper, we fought our way through extreme electrical storms, and we drove in knee-deep river sand to avoid rapidly rising floodwaters.
So, how did this adventure-ready ute go?
Read on.
Isuzu, in one form or another, is Japan’s oldest automaker. So, it shouldn’t be surprising the brand sits so far up the Australian sales charts. But it's success remains surprising because the local line-up consists of only two passenger cars, the MU-X SUV and D-Max ute.
The off-road space is now the most tightly contested in Australia, with droves of buyers looking to get into a dual cab, and with hot competition like the shiny new Ford Ranger and ever-popular Toyota HiLux, how is it Isuzu manages to maintain such a position at the forefront of buyers' minds?
To find out, I took a D-Max for a spin outside of its Australian comfort zone in New Zealand’s snowy Otago region.
The Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior is a purpose-built adventure vehicle and it’s ready for action as is.
It drives nicely on-road – making those long necessary road-trip days on bitumen less of a chore – and is impressively capable off-road.
Buyers benefit when companies such as Premcar complete top-quality conversion work on vehicles with their design, development and testing undertaken in Australia and all of that work and the fitment of accessories are then covered by a comprehensive warranty.
There will always be 4WD enthusiasts who prefer to cherry-pick their own aftermarket accessories for their off-roader – because researching and hunting is a lot of fun. But there will also be just as much demand for the convenience of adventure-ready 4WDs that are capable of being driven straight out of a car dealership and into the Simpson Desert.
And the Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior is one of those vehicles.
Unquestionably rugged, capable, and surprisingly comfortable, the D-Max is the quintessence of the modern ute formula: (Almost) everything you need, with none of the things you don't.
While it's still missing a handful of bells and whistles compared to some of its notable rivals, it's easy to see why this Japanese stalwart punches above its weight in the Aussie and New Zealand sales charts.
Everything counted for, this one (LS in NZ, LS-U in Australia) is even my pick of the range, though I'd be tempted to splash for the X-Terrain (or at least the optional heated seats) if I lived on NZ's icy South Island.
This is the coolest and toughest Navara on the mainstream market.
The Warrior is 1895mm high, 1920mm wide, 5350mm long (with a 3150mm-long wheelbase) and has a listed kerb weight of 2298kg.
It is taller than a standard Navara, with 40mm more ground clearance than its Pro-4X stablemate and the wheel track has been extended by 30mm (from 1570mm to 1600mm) giving it an aggressive posture.
The bullbar, eye-catching red steel bash plates, wheel arch flares, chunky Cooper Discoverer All Terrain AT3s and black stainless-steel double tube sports bar with sail panel all add to that tough appearance.
The D-Max backs its rugged reputation with tough looks, which have been brought up to a more contemporary style for this latest generation.
The signature Isuzu 'kabuto' grille brings with it instant recognition of the brand’s industrial robustness as also worn by its medium- and heavy-duty trucks.
A strong bodyline featuring a new geometric theme for the brand, light fittings and all, looks ready to rumble, and combines nicely with the high ride height, thick tyres, and big wheel arches to sell the idea of this truck's off-road prowess.
One thing I might like the most about the overall guise is how it avoids being delicate. This D-Max continues the simple panel work which looks as though it’s ready to be coated in mud and not easily damaged.
Again, it’s not as iconic a design as the tough American styling of the Ranger or the more refined looks of the new Amarok, but it still looks and feels more modern than most of its rivals, particularly the dated HiLux.
Chrome is tastefully applied on this LS-U grade to uplift the design ever so slightly, at least compared to the blacked-out pieces on lower variants.
Hopping in the cabin and the geometric theme is continued in the seats, wheel, and across the dash with the vent fittings.
It's even mirrored in the little digital element in the dash, where each side of the pattern serves as the temperature and fuel gauge, respectively.
Little touches like this help the interior feel more consistent and thoughtfully designed than the previous (and decidedly industrial-feeling) D-Max, so props to the brand for including it.
It’s also much more comfortable than the previous D-Max, with a more generous application of soft-touch surfaces, welcoming seats clad in tough cloth material, and in this grade, carpet floors.
Ours had thick rubber floor mats to help protect the carpet beneath, but lower grades get vinyl flooring for all your agricultural adventures.
Overall, I like it. There’s just enough luxury and modern features in the cabin for it to be very liveable, while maintaining an honest, practical feel.
Inside the cabin, the new updated dash – with an easy-to-use 8.0-inch multimedia screen, which has wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – is the focal point.
The cabin is a well designed space, a neat combination of nice materials and good build quality. But even with leather accents, ‘Warrior’ branding and other nice touches, the cabin feels a bit old and a little smaller and squeezed for space inside than some rivals.
The driver's seat is eight-way power-adjustable, but the front passenger seat is four-way manually adjustable – and that’s disappointing in a circa-$71,000 vehicle.
There are plenty of storage spaces, cupholders, bottle holders and receptacles in which to place your everyday carry gear.
There’s a USB-A charge point in the console tray, and a USB-A and a USB-C in the centre console proper, as well as a 12V outlet in the console tray and one in the centre console.
The seats are quite comfortable and though some people might whinge about them being undersized I reckon they’re okay.
The rear seat, while comfortable enough, is really the realm of two adults only or three children. It’d be a bit squeezy for three adults.
There is a fold-down armrest with cupholders, as well as bottle holders in the doors, map pockets on the seat-backs, directional air vents but only one USB-A charging point on the back of the centre console.
Get ready for the teenage arguments over that!
On the topic of practicality, this D-Max has a useful and spacious cabin.
For what it’s worth, I like the cloth seat trim available on this grade, which strikes me as hard-wearing and easy to clean.
The seats are also wide and have significant padding and bolstering so you’re comfortable and don’t get thrown around too much.
The wheel is reach and height adjustable, while the seats manually slide back and forward, but have electric adjust for lumbar. Many who use this truck for adventure or agricultural applications will prefer a manually sliding seat, so I see this as fair.
It was easy for me to find my own driving position, and I had very good visibility over the bonnet, out the rear window, and down the side, with generous wing mirrors (which, no doubt, will also come in handy when towing).
The cab is quite high, so the addition of side-steps in this grade was a welcome touch for my much shorter partner to be able to clamber in and out of the cab easily.
In terms of amenity for front passengers, there are large bottle holders and map pockets in each door, a further two large bottle holders in the centre console alongside the manual handbrake, a bay underneath the climate controls suitable for phones (though finished in a hard plastic material, so things may slide about), a small but deep armrest console box, and a decent-sized glove box.
Of course, Isuzu carries over additional pop-out cupholders in the dashboard, apparently an important feature amongst the truck's dedicated fan base.
Isuzu has maintained physical controls, particularly for climate functions which are operated via a line of toggles, as well as maintaining physical buttons for core functions of the multimedia suite, like volume and a home shortcut.
Sadly, the 9.0-inch multimedia set-up is let down by ugly, basic software, but it gets the job done, and most of the time you’ll be negotiating with phone mirroring anyway.
Wireless CarPlay is a nice touch, but bring a cable, because it isn’t paired with a wireless phone charger.
The back seat is similarly generous, offering solid leg and headroom, and the shapely seat trim continues, which goes a long way to ensuring your passengers don’t have to feel like an afterthought.
While I would have liked the rear doors to open a little wider, in case you wanted to fit a child seat for example, the cabin width is impressive.
The rear seat backs can be folded down should you want to store bulky objects, or even fit a second battery or power converter behind for camp or work set-ups.
Rear passengers are also treated to a USB outlet, dual adjustable air vents, a large bottle holder in the doors, pockets on the backs of the front seats, and a flip out coat hook. Accessibility is helped along by big handles on the inside of the B-pillar.
The tray offers healthy dimensions and in this case comes with a plastic ISUZU-embossed tub-liner, though you’ll have to fork out extra for a tonneau cover.
The tie-down anchor points are also located high on the sides, with none in the base of the tray, which was frustrating as I couldn’t ocky strap my ski equipment down, although I could fit my 172cm long skis in there on an angle.
The tailgate scores a soft-open piston, which is nice. You won’t have to pay extra for a tow receiver, though, as it comes standard on this grade.
Again, the D-Max is also missing a few tricks found standard on rivals, like the Ranger's tray side-steps. Still, aftermarket support for D-Max tray accessories remains strong.
Tray dimensions come in at 1570mm long, 1530mm wide, and 490mm deep, with 1122mm between the wheel arches.
The Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior, based on the SL Navara, only comes in dual-cab guise with either a six-speed manual gearbox ($68,265, excluding on-road costs) or a seven-speed automatic transmission ($70,765, excluding on-road costs).
For your reference, the Pro-4X automatic is $61,405 (excluding on-road costs) and Pro-4X manual is $58,905 (excluding on-road costs).
Standard features on our test vehicle – a Pro-4X Warrior with a seven-speed auto – include an 8.0-inch multimedia touch-screen with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as sat nav, dual-zone climate control, AEB, lane-keeping assist, around-view monitor and a rear diff-lock.
Standard paint is 'Black Star'. Premium paint choices are 'White Diamond' and 'Stealth Grey' (on our test vehicle) at a cost of $650. As always, check with your dealer on up-to-date pricing.
As part of the Premcar engineering upgrade more than $9000 worth of extras in the Warrior (over the standard Pro-4X) include a winch-compatible bull bar with integrated light bar, a Nissan Genuine Warrior-specific tow bar, a larger 3.0mm steel bash-plate, Cooper Discoverer All Terrain AT3 275/70R17 tyres (and a full-sized alloy spare), a 100kg GVM upgrade (now 3250kg), 260mm ground clearance (up 40mm, with springs and tyres making up 15mm and 25mm, respectively), 30mm wider tracks (to 1600mm), revised suspension with new spring rates and dampers (aimed at improving ride and handling), and a larger and taller jounce bumper for less impact harshness at full suspension travel.
But, beyond the engineering upgrades, what’s also interesting about the Pro-4X Warrior is what has had to happen behind the scenes, under Premcar’s direction, to get the vehicle to this stage.
Australia has some of the harshest driving conditions and road/track surfaces in the world. Chopped-up bitumen back roads, soft spirit-sapping beach and desert sand through to spine-rattling corrugations.
And those surfaces and conditions put immense stress and strain on vehicles, drivetrains and components.
Premcar designs, manufactures and validates its vehicle work here in Australia in the harshest of conditions those 4WDs may face day in, day out for the term of their vehicular ‘life’. It’s not testing, it’s punishment.
Australia’s aftermarket sector is great – thriving and always innovating – but unfortunately, as in any industry, there are ‘cowboys’ out there and some of the modifications done to vehicles may be, shall we say, less than ideal and even illegal or non-compliant in terms of engineering approval. The work done to your 4WD may even void your vehicle’s warranty.
But, with Premcar’s Nissan collab, any engineering work or accessory fitment on the Pro-4X Warrior is all covered by a Premcar warranty that matches Nissan’s five-year/unlimited km cover.
Which D-Max do we have for this adventure test? It’s the upper mid-spec LS-U. At least, that’s what we call it in Australia. In New Zealand, this truck is simply called the LS, although the spec matches exactly.
In Australia you’re looking at a price-tag of $61,000, before on-road costs, for a 4x4-equipped dual-cab model, while in NZ the same truck costs NZ$68,490 (AU$62,993).
Advantage Australia. We also win in other areas, check out the ownership section for more.
Either way, this grade comes equipped with two-tone 18-inch alloy wheels clad in Bridgestone highway terrain tyres, LED headlights, a 9.0-inch multimedia touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a reversing camera with rear parking sensors, chrome exterior highlights, cloth interior trim with carpet floors, keyless entry and push-start ignition, heated wing mirrors, a tyre pressure monitoring system, a six-way manual adjust driver’s seat with power lumbar support, aluminium side steps, dual-zone climate control, a tow bar receiver, and a plastic tub liner for the tray.
In Australia there’s also a slightly upgraded LS-U+ ($63,500) which offers this spec in 4x4 only with the addition of leather seat trim and heated front seats, as well as eight-way power adjust settings for the driver.
It also scores illuminated vanity mirrors in the sun visors (something my partner took pleasure in reminding me of).
In NZ, this is an option pack for the LS (4x4 dual-cab only), valued at NZ$2000. These are features otherwise only available on the flagship X-Terrain in both countries (AU$67,500).
Equivalent-spec rivals in this 4x4 dual-cab space include the Ford Ranger XLT ($62,490), Mitsubishi Triton GSR ($56,940), Nissan Navara ST-X ($58,445) and Toyota HiLux SR5 ($62,490), not to mention this truck’s platform-mate, the Mazda BT-50 XTR ($59,130).
It sits at the upper-end of the pack then, for price, but utes are sold on reputation, of which the D-Max has no shortage.
Is it good value? If you’re okay opting for Japanese dependability and a completely under-stressed drivetrain combined with a solid towing capacity, then, for sure.
However, newer rivals like the Ford Ranger and Volkswagen Amarok offer more SUV like luxuries in the cabin, a more thorough and modern-feeling multimedia suite, as well as a bigger V6 engine. So it’s all a trade-off.
The Pro-4X has the Navara line-up’s 2.3-litre four-cylinder twin-turbo-diesel engine, which produces 140kW at 3750rpm and 450Nm at 1500-2500rpm.
That's okay because that engine and auto work really well together, yielding more of a subdued, quietly effective partnership than an exciting one.
This ute has a part-time four-wheel drive system with high- and low-range 4WD, and a rear diff lock.
One of the D-Max's strongest attributes is the powerplant residing under its bonnet.
Re-purposed from the brand’s medium-duty truck range, the 3.0-litre four-cylinder (4JJ3-TCX) turbo-diesel engine produces 140kW/450Nm, and is mated to a six-speed Aisin-sourced torque converter automatic transmission.
Drive is sent primarily to the rear wheels, with a selectable '4H' mode which can be switched to on the fly at up to 100km/h, as well as a low-range '4L' mode.
This new-generation version also scores a built-in rear differential lock and snorkelled diff breathers to increase wading depth (now 800mm).
While power isn’t as high as its six-cylinder rivals, this engine has a reputation for longevity and strength, and just in terms of driving feel and torque delivery, it feels more straightforward than many of its 2.0-litre twin-turbo rivals.
Suspension is delivered via a coil-sprung double wishbone set-up in the front, and leaf springs in the rear with gas shock absorbers. There are disc brakes in the front with drums at the rear.
Important off-road figures include a 30.5-degree approach angle, 19-degree departure angle, and a 23.8-degree breakover. Total ground clearance is 240mm.
Payload is 990kg in the LS-U with GVM coming in at 3100kg. Towing capacity is 3500kg for a braked trailer or 750kg unbraked.
Fuel consumption is listed as 8.1L/100km on a combined cycle.
Fuel consumption on this test was 9.9L/100km. That’s fine considering we included a lot of high- and low-range 4WDing during this test’s hours-long off-road section.
The Warrior has an 80-litre fuel tank, so, going by those fuel-consumption figures I’d expect an effective touring range of about 778km, 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.
That included vehicle-recovery equipment, a portable air compressor, tool bag, puncture-repair kit, a tyre deflator as well as food and water.
The D-Max LS-U has an official combined cycle consumption figure of 8.0L/100km which sounds a little ambitious.
In my week with the truck I travelled 300km, largely on sealed roads, but with a healthy amount of 4H usage on some unsealed, steep, and snowy tracks, as well as a lot of topography changes in mountainous Otago.
The result was 10.4L/100km. It’s over the official number, but reasonable considering the conditions the truck was subjected to. The D-Max has a 75-litre fuel tank, and has a diesel particulate filter.
Theoretical range is close to 940km, dropping to around 720km based on our real-world number.
The Navara line-up had the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing in 2015, but that rating has now expired.
Safety gear includes seven airbags (dual front, front-side, curtain and driver’s knee SRS items), AEB, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, intelligent lane intervention, blind-spot warning, a surround-view monitor (with moving object detection), rear cross traffic alert and more.
The rear seat has three child-seat anchorage points and one ISOFIX point each on the left and right seats.
Off-road driver-assist tech includes off-road monitor, tyre pressure monitoring system, hill start assist, trailer sway control, hill descent control and an electronic locking rear differential.
This top-spec variant is missing adaptive cruise control and is not quite as comprehensively equipped with driver-assist tech as some of its rivals.
The D-Max was built with Australia’s strict safety requirements in mind, and to that end, its safety equipment is of a high standard, even on the base SX 4x2.
Modern active equipment includes auto emergency braking with turn assist, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert (which automatically switches off when towing), driver attention alert, and adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go function.
Additional equipment at this LS-U grade includes rear parking sensors and a tyre pressure monitoring system.
The D-Max features an impressive array (for a ute) of eight airbags, and has dual ISOFIX and top tether mounting points on the outboard rear seats.
The D-Max has a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating to the tough 2022 standards.
Interestingly, in our time with the car, we found on days with sub-zero temperatures and a layer of frost, the front-facing crash prevention items, like auto emergency braking and lane keep assist would not function, as they rely on a stereo camera system (as opposed to a radar) atop the windscreen which cannot focus when covered in a layer of frost.
This would be remedied in a few minutes of running the front defogger at maximum temperature to melt the ice, but this serves as a reminder of the flaws of a stereo-camera set-up, and to add extra caution when the outside temp dips below zero.
The Navara range is covered by a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty and capped price servicing. That’s adequate in terms of years, not the best, but the unlimited km factor is in its favour.
Service intervals are set for 12 months or 20,000km. Capped price servicing is available for up to six years, with prices ranging from $574 for the first service through to $916 for the sixth service. The annual average is $703.50. Not particularly cheap.
Isuzu offers a six-year or 150,000km warranty in Australia, which is an extra year over a lot of its rivals. But frustratingly, it’s distance-limited, a potential issue given how many of these utes are used by long-distance travelling caravanners and the like.
Count your blessings, though, because our Kiwi friends are only treated to a three-year/100,000km warranty on the same truck.
You can get up to seven-years of roadside assistance in Australia if you stick with Isuzu’s official service schedule and network, while in NZ this is covered for three years or 100,000km under the same conditions.
Australians also score a seven-year/105,000km capped price service program which costs between $335 and $799 per visit, for a yearly average of $527, which you might be surprised to learn is actually more affordable than the HiLux ($580 per year), mainly because the HiLux needs to be serviced twice as often.