2023 Nissan Navara SL Warrior Is An Aussie Special Hardcore Pickup

Nissan and Premcar are expanding the Warrior line of products in Australia with the new Navara SL Warrior that’s backed up by a full factory warranty. The rugged Aussie-tuned variant of the Japanese pickup slots below the Navara Pro-4X Warrior as an entry-level proposal for those who prioritize off-road capabilities.

The truck is based on the SL dual-cab trim of the AU-spec Nissan Navara, but introduces a series of styling and chassis upgrades. The goal of the Melbourne-based development team was to make it as comfortable on the road and as capable off the beaten track as the Pro-4X Warrior, at a more accessible price point.

Also Read: 2022 Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior Is Brash And Unapologetic

Starting with the exterior, the Navara SL Warrior is distinguished by the metal bullbar with integrated LEDs and winch compatibility, protecting the front end. Underneath, the pickup doesn’t get the fancy LED headlights of the Pro-4X but the halogen units of the SL trim. There is also Navara-branded underbody protection painted in black, and Warrior stickers on the profile. At the back there is a towbar, utilizing the pickup’s 3,500 kg (7,716 pounds) braked towing capacity.

A new set of 17-inch alloy wheels shod in Cooper Discoverer All Terrain AT3 tires (272/70/R17) provide with greater traction off-road, with plastic bolt-on fender add-ons covering the extra width and bringing

More importantly, the locally tuned suspension is lifted by 40 mm (1.6 inches), resulting in a ground clearance of 260 mm (10.2 inches). This has a positive effect on the approach angle which is increased to 36 degrees (up from 32), while the departure angle stands at 19 degrees (down from 19.8) despite the addition of the tow bar. Premcar’s suspension features new springs with revised rates for “more front-end support and less body roll”, plus new dampers and jounce bumpers for “better compliance, sound insulation and reduced float when towing or carrying a load”.

Inside, Premcar added easy-to-clean all-weather floor mats, with the rest of the cabin remaining stock. As with the Navara SL, the Warrior gets the familiar 8-inch infotainment touchscreen found in Nissan’s older products, a 7-inch screen in the analogue instrument cluster, manual air-conditioning, a six-speaker stereo system, reversing camera, and USB ports for charging.

Under the bonnet lies the stock twin-turbo 2.3-liter diesel engine producing 188 HP (140 kW / 190 PS) and 450 Nm (332 lb-ft) of torque that is powering all the AU-spec Navaras. Power is transmitted to all four wheels through either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed automatic gearbox.

The Nissan Navara SL Warrior starts from $58,000 AUD ($40,316 USD) with a manual gearbox and from $60,500 AUD ($42,054 USD) with an automatic. This makes it $11,400 AUD ($7,924 USD) more expensive than the regular Navar SL, but $9,490 AUD ($6,597 USD) cheaper than the flagship Navara Pro-4X Warrior. The pickup is expected to reach Australian showrooms in August.