By Alistair Kennedy, Marque Motoring
The Nissan Navara PRO-4X utility was launched in December 2020 to replace the previous N-Trek Warrior as the brand’s top-end serious off-road vehicle. As such it competes against vehicles like the Ford Ranger Wildtrak, Toyota HiLux Rogue, and Isuzu D-Max X-Terrain.
Like most of its competitors Navara is sold in a variety of bodies, everything from a bare bones cab-chassis, through single cab and extended cab to a four-door double cab, all with automatic transmission as standard but many with the option of a manual gearbox.
In ascending price order, the full Navara model range runs SL, ST, ST-X and PRO-4X. Prices range from $32,000 to $60,630 plus on-road costs.
That top spot in the Navara range was recently taken over by the new PRO-4X Warrior which arrived in August 2021 and is priced at just under $70,000. Both the PRO-4X, which is our review vehicle, and the Warrior will sell alongside each other.
STYLING
The most noticeable external differences between the PRO-4X and the rest of the Navara range are the black features that replace the chrome. These include the grille with its dark grey surrounds, side window surrounds, privacy glass, stainless steel sports bar, door hands and mirrors, roof rails, and fender flares.
The black is offset by small red highlights on the Nissan badges on the grille and tailgate, front bumper and at the apex of the wheel arches.
The wheels are 17-inch black alloys which are at odds with the PRO-4Xs off-road credentials and large wheel arches although they do come with Yokohama Geolander all-terrain tyres.
Four body colours are available: White Pearl, Burning Red and Black Star which it shares with the other models in the range together with Stealth Grey which is exclusive to the PRO-4X and which was our test vehicle.
A full-size steel spare wheel is bolted beneath the tray.
INTERIOR
The Navara’s size can make entry and exit challenging for smaller occupants but fortunately the combination of a running board and grab handles is there to assist.
PRO-4X gets leather accented seats with red and white stitching on the sides and a ribbed finish at the back. The front seats don’t have power adjustment or heating / cooling.
There’s plenty of head and legroom and three adults can travel is reasonable comfort though, as is generally the way, two and a child would be preferable.
The rear seat base can be lifted to provide a couple of secure spaces while the centre section of the three-panel rear window can be opened for extra air flow or to provide limited access to the tray.
The touchscreen and controls are all large and sensibly located to be within easy reach of the driver.
ENGINES / TRANSMISSIONS
Power for the PRO-4X comes from a Renault-sourced 2.3-litre twin turbo diesel engine which Navara shares with the Mercedes-Benz X-Class ute. It’s paired with the choice of six-speed manual or seven-speed automatic transmission.
Maximum power is reached at 140kW with peak torque of 403 Nm with the manual gearbox and 450Nm from the auto from 1500rpm to 2500 rpm.
SAFETY
Navara PRO-4X gets an extensive range of safety equipment that includes seven airbags; stability and traction control; enhanced ABS brakes; Hill Start Assist and Descent Control; Trailer Sway Control; Daytime Running Lights; Intelligent Forward Collision Warning; Intelligent Emergency Braking and Driver Alert; LED High Mounted Stop Light; automatic headlights; reversing camera; reverse parking sensors; Lane Departure Warning and Intervention; Blind Spot Warning and Intervention; Rear Cross Traffic Alert; two IsoFix child seat anchor points; and Around View Monitor with Moving Object Detection.
INFOTAINMENT
Display is through an 8.0-inch high-definition touchscreen with buttons on either side for quick access to the various features as well as voice activation.
There’s integrated satellite navigation, DAB+ digital radio as well as wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. There are three USB sockets in the front and one (charge only) in the rear plus 12V outlets in the front although there is no wireless smartphone charging.
DRIVING
The seats are large, supportive and comfortable although the lack of reach adjustment on the steering wheel did restrict our choice of driving position.
Large windscreen, side windows and mirrors provide excellent visibility to the front and side although the three-panel rear window and large side headrests do restrict the rear view somewhat.
There are four driving modes: Standard, Sport, Tow and Off Road. Standard for routine driving; Sport adjusts the gear changes for some driving fun; Tow maximises low down torque; while
Urban driving is effectively the same as it would be in an equivalent SUV although the 12.5-metre turning circle did require a bit of extra caution in car parking with the combination of reversing and 360-degree ‘overhead’ cameras and parking sensors doing their bit.
Out onto the motorway and backroads the cabin has quite a refined feel with intrusion from wind or road noise kept to a minimum.
There’s also a reassuring feel to the Navara’s handling and cornering.
PRO-4X has a 220 mm ground clearance with a 32-degree approach angle and 19-degree departure angle. It is a full-time 2WD with the options of 4WD high and low settings.
Fuel consumption of 8.1 litres per 100 kilometres on the combined urban / highway cycle is listed at for the PRO-4X. We averaged 9.4 L/100 km during our week-long test.
On 4WD high with the Off-Road drive mode selected and the around-view camera helping to guide us we covered some moderately rutted and slippery terrain without any issues. We will save the more serious stuff for a future test of the new Warrior.
SUMMING UP
Realistically the PRO-4X is more about looking more rugged than the other models in the Navara range and the change from chrome to black, at least to our eyes, certainly succeed.
While it is capable enough off-roader if you’re looking to get stuck into some serious off-road adventures, we’d suggest doing a comparison test between the PRO-4X and the new Warrior to decide whether the latter can justify the extra $9000-odd outlay.
All Nissan models now come with a five-year unlimited kilometre warranty.
AT A GLANCE
MODEL RANGE
SL Single Cab Chassis Cab 4×2: $32,300 (manual), $34,800 (automatic)
SL Single Cab Chassis Cab 4×4: $39,300 (manual), $41,800 (automatic)
SL King Cab Chassis Cab 4×2: $38,800 (automatic)
SL King Cab Chassis Cab 4×4: $45,800 (automatic)
SL Dual Cab Pickup 4×2: $39,600 (manual), $42,100 (automatic)
SL King Cab Pickup 4×4: $47,600 (automatic)
SL Dual Cab Chassis Cab 4×4: $44,800 (manual), $47,300 (automatic)
SL Dual Cab Pickup 4×4: $46,600 (manual), $49,100 (automatic)
ST Dual Cab Pickup 4×2: $47,780 (automatic)
ST Dual Cab Pickup 4×4: $52,280 (manual), $54,780 (automatic)
ST-X Dual Cab Pickup 4×2: $51,270 (automatic)
ST-X King Cab Pickup 4×4: $58,270 (automatic)
ST-X Dual Cab Pickup 4×4: $55,770 (manual), $58,270 (automatic)
PRO-4X Dual Cab Pickup 4×4: $58,130 (manual), $60,630 (automatic)
PRO-4X Warrior Pickup 4×4: $67,490 (manual), $69,990 (automatic)
Note: These prices do not include government or dealer delivery charges.
