Premcar input confirmed as Nissan again teases all-new Navara
The firm, responsible for the outgoing Pro-4X Warrior available since March in South Africa, has been tasked with retuning the newcomer’s suspension.
Ahead of its global launch exactly one week from now, 19 November, Nissan Australia has released a second round of teaser images depicting the all-new Navara.
Joint venture
Teased for the first time last month, the new now internally named D27 will switch to the same platform as the Mitsubishi Triton, and take leave of the Nissan-made 2.3-litre turbodiesel engine for its alliance partner’s 2.4-litre 4N16 oil-burner.
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Showing the still heavily disguised production model, the depiction confirms the Navara as having received input from Melbourne-based engineering firm, Premcar, in the tuning of its suspension.
‘Rugged’ ready
Responsible for the Pro-4X Warrior introduced to South Africa in March, the tuning by the long-time former Ford affiliate has seen tests carried out in Australia and New Zealand where sales will take place.
“We were cooperating with Premcar to make sure all the ride and handling performance we want from the new Navara is delivered,” Nissan Australia Senior Manager for Local Product Development and Enhancement, Tim Davis, said in a statement.
“They’ve put it through a brutal local tuning and testing program right here in Australia. The aim is simple – to deliver a ute that excels in all scenarios”.
Leafs are back
The move away from the outgoing D23 Navara’s underpinnings to that of the Triton will see the D27 return to a leaf spring layout for the rear suspension, rather than continuing with the coil spring arrangement.
“If you go back to the launch of the Navara [in 2014], there were a lot of sagging questions. Clearly, we will not repeat this mistake,” former Nissan Senior Vice-President and Chief Planning Officer for the Africa, Middle East, India, Europe and Oceania region, Francois Bailly, told drive.com.au last year.
Announced in 2019 as being Triton based, the Navara will, however, be uniquely Nissan and not simply a rebadged Mitsubishi.
This, according to Nissan Oceania Managing Director Andrew Humberstone, who told Drive last year, “we are making sure that it’s very much a Nissan. So, we’ll be making a number of changes to make sure that that’s the case.
“Yes, we have a relationship [with Mitsubishi], but that relationship could be effectively with any supplier.”
Not for South Africa
As is well known by now, the D27 has been ruled-out for South Africa, where a reworked D23 will go on-sale next year.
Part of the RE:NISSAN restructuring plan announced earlier this year by CEO Ivan Espinosa after his appointment, the so-called “evolved” D23 will have “enhanced infotainment and an impressive suite of advanced driver assist technologies” when it debuts.
As such, it will be sold alongside the D27, excluding Australasia, which at present, is the sole market mentioned.
Set to be revealed first in South America where it carries the Frontier name, the updates will also apply to the exterior, but more than likely, not the powertrain options.
Compared to the Australian D23, the South African-spec Navara reverted to the older YD25DDTI 2.5-litre turbodiesel used in the D40 generation after production at the Rosslyn plant outside Pretoria began in 2021 as part of the present-day facelift.
“For us, the most important is to design and make cars for South Africa and export to Africa. Australia is getting a different car because the market there is different. So, we are continuing with the current Navara,” Nissan Managing Director for South Africa and Independent African Markets, Maciej Klenkiewicz, said back in September.
More soon
While no further details about the “new” D23 and the all-new D27 Navaras are known, expect more to become apparent soon.
Additional information from carsales.com.au.
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