By Paul Gover.
Car-making in Australia is officially dead, after the closure of the factories that built the Ford Falcon, Holden Commodore and Toyota Camry, but the skills and commitment live on.
More than 2000 highly-talented people continue their work at Ford Australia, which is best reflected in the Ranger pick-up and Everest SUV.
But that’s not all.
The proof is the Nissan Warrior, which is a uniquely Aussie twist and tweak of the Navara pick-up.
The Warrior PRO-4X is better in every possible way than the basic Japanese load hauler, thanks to an engineering team in Melbourne at a company called Premcar.
The crew at Premcar are mostly survivors from Ford Performance Vehicles, which was responsible for an impressive run of faster and better Falcons.
Their work now sees them doing similar improvement work for a number of companies, led by Nissan.
Which brings the focus to the PRO – 4X Warrior, which has had a near-total overhaul by Premcar to make it nicer to drive on the road – even after dark – and far more impressive when the bitumen stops and the fun begins.
Suspension work is the real focus in the PRO – 4X, the second Warrior tweak for Australia, with more plush and complaint springs and dampers, extra width in the front suspension, and upgraded wheels and tyres.
But there is also a lot of underbody protection, a winch-ready bull-bar on the nose, and a few subtle tweaks – including Warrior logos stitched into the seats – in the cabin.
The PRO – 4X is all about driving, where it lifts the ability of the Navara from midfield among the dozens of workhorse pick-ups now so popular in Australia – at best – to one of the very best.
It still trails the Ford Ranger Raptor, although it undercuts it significantly on price, and the Navara basics hold it back in a comparison with the new Isuzu D-Max or the top selling Toyota HiLux.
The 4X is not cheap, either, from $67,490 with a six-speed manual gearbox.
But take it driving, in any condition, and the Premcar tweaking works wonders.
The 4X is quiet and relaxed at freeway cruising speeds, despite having meaty Cooper off-road tyres at each corner. It is significantly more composed than a ’standard’ Navara, at all times.
Turning onto a country road and the result is just as good, which also promises better things for anyone who might be thinking of towing with the upgraded Nissan.
But it’s in the bush that the PRO – 4X is best, from a quiet run along dirt trails to all-out mountain-goat stuff, either up or downhill.
Instead of the usual rough ride and bouncy suspension of most pick-ups, the 4X stays composed in all conditions.
At the press preview drive of the new Navara, through soaking wet forests outside Coffs Harbour, the Warrior is never challenged despite slick rocks, deep river crossings and treacherous red clay.
Even the upgraded lights, thanks to an LED bar tucked into the new bull-bar, are impressive.
Premcar has not been able to tweak the lacklustre cabin design, or improve the slowness of the steering, but otherwise it has done a marvellous job of Aussie engineering to create a pick-up that is one of the best and set to be a sellout.
THE BASICS
Nissan Navara PRO – 4X Warrior
Price: from $67,490
Engine: 2.3-litre 4-cylinder turbodiesel
Power: 140kW/450Nm
Transmission: 7-speed auto or 6-speed manual, four-wheel drive
Position: uprated pick-up
Plus: classy Aussie engineering
Minus: some basic Navara shortcomings
THE TICK: a patriotic plus
Score: 8/10
