The venerable current-generation Nissan Navara is getting late into its lifecycle now, though its remaining unchanged in both pricing and standard specification for the 2024 model year.
The D23-generation Navara was first revealed in 2014 and it received a facelift in 2021 that brought a tougher, almost American pick-up-looking face to the ute.
On test here is the flagship Navara PRO-4X Warrior that has been fiddled with by Melbourne-based engineering firm Premcar, formerly known as Tickford.
It comes equipped with a redesigned suspension setup including five-link coil rear suspension, a hoopless steel bull bar with an integrated LED light bar, bash plate and underbody protection, as well as chunky Cooper Discoverer all-terrain tyres.
A new-generation Navara is due in 2025, with previous reports indicating it will share a platform with the new Mitsubishi Triton.
With this in mind, does the current Nissan Navara PRO-4X Warrior still do enough to draw your attention in 2024?
How much does the Nissan Navara cost?
Single Cab
- 2024 Nissan Navara SL 4×2 manual single-cab chassis: $33,050
- 2024 Nissan Navara SL 4×4 automatic single-cab chassis: $35,550
- 2024 Nissan Navara SL 4×4 manual single-cab chassis: $40,050
- 2024 Nissan Navara SL 4×4 automatic single-cab chassis: $42,550
King Cab
- 2024 Nissan Navara SL 4×2 automatic king-cab chassis: $39,550
- 2024 Nissan Navara SL 4×4 automatic king-cab chassis: $46,550
- 2024 Nissan Navara SL 4×4 automatic king-cab chassis: $48,050
- 2024 Nissan Navara SL 4×4 automatic king-cab pickup: $48,350
- 2024 Nissan Navara ST-X 4×4 automatic king-cab pickup: $58,445
Dual Cab
- 2024 Nissan Navara SL 4×2 manual dual-cab pickup: $40,350
- 2024 Nissan Navara SL 4×4 automatic dual-cab pickup: $42,850
- 2024 Nissan Navara SL 4×4 manual dual-cab chassis: $45,550
- 2024 Nissan Navara SL 4×4 manual dual-cab pickup: $47,350
- 2024 Nissan Navara ST 4×2 automatic dual-cab pickup: $47,955
- 2024 Nissan Navara SL 4×4 automatic dual-cab pickup: $49,850
- 2024 Nissan Navara ST-X 4×2 automatic dual-cab pickup: $51,445
- 2024 Nissan Navara ST 4×4 manual dual-cab pickup: $52,445
- 2024 Nissan Navara ST-X 4×4 manual dual-cab pickup: $55,945
- 2024 Nissan Navara ST 4×4 automatic dual-cab pickup: $54,955
- 2024 Nissan Navara ST-X 4×4 automatic dual-cab pickup: $58,445
- 2024 Nissan Navara SL Warrior 4×4 manual dual-cab pickup: $58,750
- 2024 Nissan Navara Pro-4X 4×4 manual dual-cab pickup: $58,905
- 2024 Nissan Navara SL Warrior 4×4 automatic dual-cab pickup: $61,250
- 2024 Nissan Navara Pro-4X 4×4 automatic dual-cab pickup: $61,405
- 2024 Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior 4×4 manual dual-cab pickup: $68,265
- 2024 Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior 4×4 automatic dual-cab pickup: $70,765
All prices are before on-road costs
To see how the Navara compares to its rivals, line it up side-by-side with any car you want using our comparison tool.
What is the Nissan Navara like on the inside?
Hopping up into the Nissan Navara PRO-4X Warrior is a bit of a task thanks in part to the 40mm suspension lift. Thankfully there’s a sturdy side step to make this process a little easier, however there are no grab handles.
I found I had to do two scoots in order to get comfortable behind the driver’s seat, but once I was there I had a great view. It has a real demanding, almost ‘king of the road’ feeling about it.
The seats themselves are finished in black leather and have a fancy geometric pattern stitched on the mid section. There’s also ‘Warrior’ embroidered on the headrest which is a special touch.
The driver’s seat receives electric adjustability including lumbar support. My favourite seat adjustment was the electric thigh support which had a large degree of movement and allowed me to be properly supported in the driver’s seat.
The front passenger seat on the other hand is manually adjustable and isn’t quite as comfortable as the driver’s seat. Both front seats are heated however, which is heavenly on cold mornings.
Ahead of the driver is a leather-wrapped steering wheel that feels nice in the hand and has plenty of buttons that have a tactile click when pushed. One downside of the steering wheel is it only has tilt adjustment, though I didn’t find this to be as much of a hassle as I originally thought.
Behind the steering wheel are a set of analogue gauges which are really clear and easy to read. Sandwiched between them is a small display that can cycle through a range of different information and menus.
All the pages on the supervision cluster are pretty basic though there’s one for a digital speedometer. It is a little frustrating though that you can’t have a digital speedometer shown while on any other information page.
Moving across it’s safe to say this touchscreen looks properly old now in 2024. It’s a 8.0-inch unit that’s quite basic, with a dark and bleak user interface.
In all fairness many dual-cab ute buyers aren’t looking for all the bells and whistles when buying a new vehicle, though the Ranger has moved the game forward in terms of infotainment with its portrait-oriented touchscreen.
The Navara’s 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system has adequate image quality and enough processing power. This means the screen turns on pretty quickly upon startup, and new pages open snappily.
The entire Navara range comes with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. With my iPhone 15 Pro Max plugged with a cable into the USB-A port located in front of the gear selector I had no dropouts whatsoever. This is to be expected as wired forms of smartphone mirroring are typically more reliable.
The Navara PRO-4X Warrior doesn’t come with in-built satellite navigation. This isn’t the end of the world though, as I typically end up using Google Maps with smartphone mirroring anyway.
Looking around the cabin there’s heaps of hard plastics. You’d be hard pressed to find any soft touches besides the ones on the armrests. There’s also some piano black on the dashboard and around the gear selector which gets dusty, grimy and scratched incredibly quickly.
The Navara also has some incredibly dated interior hardware, including the rounded window switches, circular outer air vents, and dual-zone climate control setup.
Despite this I really like how there’s a physical button or dial for virtually every single function in the Navara. This is incredibly handy for owners who frequently drive the ute with gloves on, for example, and don’t want to dig around in a touchscreen menu to adjust something.
Moving to the second row there are thankfully a set of grab handles to assist in climbing up into the ute, unlike the front row.
At a leggy 182cm I was surprised with how much space I had behind my own driving position. There was plenty of leg, head, and shoulder room on offer and you also sit higher than the front seats which gives you a better view out.
Two adults (three at a pinch) in the back would be fine to travel around for shorter trips, though it would get a little cramped after a while. Kids will be completely fine in the second row.
In terms of second-row amenities, the Navara PRO-4X Warrior comes with centre console-mounted air vents, USB ports, as well as a fold-down armrest with cupholders.
The second row is also home to one of my favourite features on the Navara PRO-4X Warrior – the sliding rear window. This is such a handy feature to have if you want to let some of the hot air out the cabin once you get moving.
The tub on the Navara measures in at 1509mm long, 1560mm wide (1134mm between the arches) and 519mm tall. This is one of the shortest tubs in the dual-cab ute segment, though it counters it by being wider.
The Navara PRO-4X Warrior’s has a tub liner, movable mounting points, as well as a soft tonneau cover. Something to note is the Navara’s tailgate isn’t part of the central locking, which if you forget to lock it people will be able to steal any valuables in the tub.
Lastly, there’s a full-size spare wheel mounted under the tub. This is to be expected in a ute that’s intended to be taken off-road and far away from any service station or tyre repair centre.
What’s under the bonnet?
| Model | Nissan Navara PRO-4X Warrior |
|---|---|
| Engine | 2.3-litre twin-turbo diesel |
| Power | 140kW |
| Torque | 450Nm |
| Transmission | 7-speed automatic |
| Driven Wheels | Part-time four-wheel drive |
| Weight | 2298kg (kerb) |
| Payload | 952kg |
| Braked towing capacity | 3500kg |
| Gross vehicle mass (GVM) | 3259kg |
| Gross combination mass (GCM) | 5910kg |
| Fuel economy (claimed) | 8.1 litres per 100km |
| Fuel economy (as tested) | 10.3 litres per 100km |
| Fuel tank | 80 litres |
To see how the Navara compares to its rivals, line it up side-by-side with any car you want using our comparison tool.
How does the Nissan Navara drive?
Starting up the Nissan Navara PRO-4X Warrior you’re greeted with a gruff soundtrack. This is pretty common among utes with four-cylinder turbo-diesel engines. Thankfully the engine idles down a tad once it has warmed up enough.
From standstill the Navara has a decent take off, with the first and second gears being short and punchy. Despite this you’ll still be beaten by other cars off the mark.
Once the ute hits third gear it starts to hit a slump. Third gear and upwards is noticeably longer than the first two gears which causes acceleration to taper off quicker.
With outputs of 140kW and 450Nm, it’s 10kW and 50Nm off segment benchmarks and you can really tell. If you push harder the engine just revs and doesn’t actually pick up speed any quicker.
I can’t fault the seven-speed automatic transmission equipped to the Navara PRO-4X Warrior. It’s silky smooth and is able to keep the revs high in a lower gear if needed, or go up a few gears to cut the noise and reduce fuel consumption.
Something I did notice though is you get some sweet turbo noises when you roll on and off the accelerator. Goes to show the twin turbos are doing something I suppose.
Slowing down on the other hand is when you most notably feel the full heft of the almost 2.3-tonne Navara PRO-4X Warrior. The brake pedal also has a spongey feel that doesn’t necessarily inspire confidence.
Around town and in the city is where the Navara PRO-4 Warrior feels the most out of place. At low speeds the steering is extremely heavy as it has a less sophisticated hydraulic steering system, rather than a more up-to-date electronic power assisted steering system.
The turning circle is absolutely huge in the Navara too, which means you’ll likely be doing a fair few three-point turns in tighter areas. You’ll also be twirling the steering wheel a fair bit which will get you to develop some nice biceps after a while.
The Navara PRO-4X Warrior comes with a surround-view camera as standard which helps lining up a park easier, though there’s no escaping just how big the ute is. It also only has rear parking sensors as they haven’t been installed in the beefy steel front bull bar.
At lower speeds the Navara PRO-4X Warrior’s suspension errs on the firmer side, which is common among utes, though it handles city lumps and bumps considerably better than most of its rivals.
This passenger- and speed bump-friendly trait can be pinpointed to the rear five-link suspension setup which irons out bumps better than leaf suspension-equipped utes.
One downside coil suspension-equipped utes have though is a reduced payload, though Nissan in partnership with Australian engineering firm Premcar has negated by giving it a 100kg gross vehicle mass (GVM) upgrade. This helps bring the payload figure close to 1000kg.
As you get out on the open road the Navara settles down and gets into a really nice and comfortable groove.
The engine revs are kept to a minimum, though it does flare them when needed to maintain speed while driving up a hill, for example.
At highway speeds it doesn’t feel like the Navara PRO-4X Warrior really has much left to give. This means you really need to plan out your overtaking manoeuvres, otherwise you’ll be caught out.
There is some also noticeable tyre roar at higher speeds, which is to be expected given they are incredibly chunky Cooper Discoverer all-terrain tyres. Despite this the tyre noise was never too loud or abrasive inside the cabin.
While the suspension was pretty good in and around the city, it really came into its own out on the open road. The suspension setup is super compliant and it soaked up every single bump I could throw at it.
Although I didn’t the chance to actually take the Navara PRO-4X Warrior off the beaten track this time, I’m fully aware this thing is an absolute beast off-road. It’s also filled to the brim with plenty of off-road goodies.
There’s a sturdy hoopless steel bull bar with an integrated LED light bar, bash plate, as well as 3mm steel underbody protection. It also comes with a part-time four-wheel drive system as standard with low-range and an electronically locking rear differential.
On the safety front there are fair smattering of active safety features. Thankfully all models come with seven airbags and autonomous emergency braking (AEB), though you need to step up to the ST to get features like blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert.
Our Navara PRO-4X Warrior tester came standard with a lane departure warning that would just beep at you if you drifted too close to a lane marking. You could also turn on a button that would switch lane-keep assist on, though this system is brake-based and felt really jarring when it activated.
All Navara variants come with passive cruise control as standard. Adaptive cruise control isn’t available at all. This is actually good because I forget how handy it is not have the car slow down every time when a slower car merges in front of you, for example.
The last thing I’ll mention in this section are the LED headlights are fantastic. These coupled with the LED light bar that’s integrated into the bull bar make rural driving where animals could jump out at you at any given point stress-free.
What do you get?
Navara SL highlights:
- 17-inch steel wheels
- Full-size spare steel wheel
- Automatic halogen headlights
- Power-adjustable side mirrors
- Tailgate assist (pickup only)
- 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- Wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Bluetooth
- 7.0-inch digital trip computer with digital speedometer
- Vinyl floors (single cab and dual cab only)
- Carpet floors (king cab only)
- Cloth upholstery
- Outboard rear seat ISOFIX points (dual cab only)
- Trailer sway control
- Hill descent control (4×4 only)
- Hill start assist
Navara SL Warrior adds:
- Winch-compatible hooped bullbar
- Integrated LED lightbar
- Branded underbody black bash plate
- 275/70 R17 Cooper Discoverer All Terrain AT3 tyres
- 40mm suspension lift
- Tow bar
- 100kg GVM upgrade (3250kg)
- New springs, dampers and jounce bumpers
- Fender flares and tub liner
- All-weather floor mats
Navara ST adds:
- 17-inch alloy wheels
- LED headlights
- LED fog lights
- LED tail lights
- Automatic high-beam
- Privacy glass
- Power sliding rear window
- Rain-sensing wipers
- Heated side mirrors
- Single tube sports bar in polished stainless steel
- Drive mode selector (4×4 AT only)
- Off-road monitor (4×4 only)
- Satellite navigation
- DAB+ digital radio
- Leather-accented steering wheel
- Leather-accented shifter
- Carpet floors
- Anti-dazzle rear-view mirror
Navara ST-X adds:
- 18-inch alloy wheels
- Full-size alloy spare wheel
- Double tube sportsbar in polished stainless steel
- Sliding in-tray tie-down hooks
- Towbar
- Tub liner
- Proximity entry with push-button start
- Dual-zone climate control
- Tyre pressure monitoring
- Carpet floor mats
Navara PRO-4X adds:
- 17-inch black alloy wheels
- All-terrain tyres
- Full-size steel spare wheel
- Black fender flares
- Black roof rails
- Black-painted side mirrors, side steps, grille and door handles
- Black stainless steel double tube sports bar with sail panel
- Leather-accented upholstery
- Embroidered front seats with Pro-4X logos and red-accent stitching
- Heated front seats
- Power-adjustable front seats with lumbar support
Navara PRO-4X Warrior adds:
- Winch-compatible Nissan Genuine buillbar
- Front light bar
- Red bash plate and 3mm under-body plating
- 275/70 R17 Cooper Discoverer AT3 tyres
- Full-size alloy spare wheel and tyre
- 100kg GVM upgrade (3250kg)
- 40mm suspension lift
- New springs, dampers and jounce bumpers
- Warrior-specifc fender flares
- Warrior decal pack
- Warrior headrest embroidery
Is the Nissan Navara safe?
The 2024 Nissan Navara had a five-star safety rating based on ANCAP testing conducted in 2015, which has now expired.
That rating was based on a frontal offset score of 14.01 out of 16, a side impact score of 16 out of 16, and pedestrian and whiplash protection scores of Marginal and Good, respectively.
All 2024 Nissan Navara models come standard with the following safety equipment:
- Seven airbags
- Autonomous emergency braking
- Forward collision warning
- Driver attention monitoring
- Reversing camera (pickup only)
Moving to the ST adds the following:
- Blind-spot monitoring and assist
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Lane-keep assist
- Lane departure warning
- Surround-view camera
- Rear parking sensors
How much does the Nissan Navara cost to run?
The 2024 Nissan Navara is covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty like the wider Nissan range.
Maintenance is required every 12 months or 20,000km, whichever comes first.
Nissan offers capped-price servicing for the first six visits. They are priced as follows:
| Six-speed manual transmission | Seven-speed automatic transmission | |
|---|---|---|
| First service | $579 | $572 |
| Second service | $624 | $616 |
| Third service | $813 | $806 |
| Fourth service | $662 | $654 |
| Fifth service | $652 | $644 |
| Sixth service | $919 | $911 |
CarExpert’s Take on the Nissan Navara
The Nissan Navara PRO-4X Warrior is still a cool bit of kit that deserves praise, as Australian engineering firm Premcar is behind a lot of positive attributes of this off-road-focused dual-cab ute.
The suspension setup with the five-link rear suspension and tune both around town and out on the open road is surprisingly good given its ute underpinnings. It also looks properly tough with all the off-road-focused body add-ons.
All this Australian development comes at a cost though. $70,000 is a lot to ask for a 4×4 dual-cab ute and you can get yourself a very nice Ford Ranger Wildtrak V6 diesel for around the same price. This has considerably more power and torque.
It’s also hard to escape the Navara’s dated interior which leaves the ute looking and feeling incredibly early-2010s.
The dual-cab ute interior technology game has moved so far forward thanks in part to the new-generation Ford Ranger and Volkswagen Amarok.
If you’re not willing to fork out the full fare for the Navara PRO-4X Warrior and still want the locally developed goodies, Nissan now thankfully offers the Navara SL Warrior which is more affordable but has fewer standard features.
For those who are deadset of getting a Navara I’d say the flagship PRO-4X Warrior is the sweet spot in the range. I would suggest you take a number of other utes for test drive however to ensure you the Navara is the best pick for you.
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BUY: Nissan Navara
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