The Nissan Navara Warrior has touched down in South Africa, ready to do battle with the Toyota Hilux GR-S.
Billed as the most capable Navara ever, the Warrior is a local version of its Australian namesake, with parts sourced from that country's renowned off-road specialist Premcar.
Featuring modified suspension designed for demanding off-road conditions, as well as various design enhancements, the Nissan Navara Warrior is priced at R924,000 in South Africa. This represents an R80,000 premium over the Pro-4X model that previously served as flagship.
For the record, it also undercuts the Toyota Hilux GR-S by R76,000.
Unlike with the latter, however, there are no power upgrades to speak of, with the Navara employing the familiar 2.5-litre DDTI turbodiesel engine in its "high-output" guise, producing 140kW and 450Nm.
The Warrior's key selling point is an upgraded suspension system, featuring improved springs and recalibrated dampers, while the ground clearance has been increased from 221mm to 232mm.
The rear suspension has been enhanced too, with the aim of enhancing load stability on uneven surfaces, keeping in mind that the Navara is unique in the one-tonne bakkie landscape in featuring a coil-sprung rear end rather than leaf springs.
Nissan has also increased the track widths at the front and rear, enhancing stability on rough roads in conjunction with 17-inch Maxxis RAZR all-terrain tyres.
Although not as wild looking as the Aussie version, which has a unique front bumper with integrated bull-bar, the local Warrior does receive a few noticeable design enhancements, such as flared wheel arch mouldings and a sports bar, while the cabin features black leather seats with Warrior branding and red contrast stitching.
Standard features include an 8.0-inch touchscreen, 7.0-inch driver information display, around-view monitor and dual-zone climate control.
Driver-assist features come in the form of blind spot monitoring and lane departure warning, forward collision warning.
The Navara Warrior is available now from all Nissan dealers nationwide, and the vehicle's standard six-year or 150,000km warranty also applies to the Premcar components sourced from Australia.
IOL