REVIEW | Can the new Nissan Navara Warrior tackle the Spirit of Africa?

Nissan recently launched the Pro-4X Warrior as the new flagship model of its locally built Navara double cab range, boasting upgrades that enhance its off-roading ability.

It is the vehicle used in this year’s Spirit of Africa, an annual off-road challenge run by legendary racer Sarel van der Merwe and this year taking place at Sandwani Game Lodge near Cullinan. It’s the 21st anniversary of the event and the third edition under the Nissan banner. In addition to three-day events open to the public from April to June, there was a one-day media challenge earlier this week in which I took part.

Paired up with Wheels24 motoring journalist Reuben van Niekerk, we competed against 14 other two-people crews driving through a series of slow technical obstacles and high-speed sections — sometimes in reverse.

In the slow stuff you have to guide the large Nissan bakkie through an undulating off-road course against the clock, guiding it between poles that earn you penalty points if touched. The poles are narrowly spaced and more suited to Suzuki Jimnys than wide Nissan Navaras. It leaves millimetres of clearance at the Navara’s side mirrors, all while driving on uneven surfaces of gravel, mud and soft sand.

Making it extra challenging is you tackle each section without having seen it in advance, so you have to be smart about deciding which driving mode to use. For example, selecting two-wheel drive gives the vehicle a smaller turning circle, which provides an advantage in tight corners — you lose points for reversing, so the idea is to get through the turn the first time. Two-wheel drive provides less traction, however, and you may encounter a steep and slippery climb that requires engaging four-wheel drive and the rear diff lock.

The Navara has the advantage that it can be switched between two- and four-wheel drive at the twist of a dial while driving, but doing it while navigating dongas through Jimny-sized gaps, with the stopwatch ticking, keeps you on your toes.

Even with the Navara’s around-view monitor showing a bird’s-eye perspective of the vehicle’s surroundings on the infotainment screen, the sound of poles getting clipped was a constant reminder of the Spirit of Africa’s tough nature as the 15 teams tested their off-roading skills. We were assured that Sarel, still a skilled wheelsman at 78, had driven all the courses cleanly.

The high-speed sections allowed us to stretch the bakkie’s legs in rally-style stages with — you guessed it — more poles. Contestants also competed side by side in drag races.

Reuben and I managed to touch fewer poles than most and finished second in the Spirit of Africa media challenge. The exercise demonstrated the all-terrain prowess of Nissan’s newest Navara model, with the Warrior kit developed by Australian engineering partner Premcar and fitted at Nissan SA’s Rosslyn plant.

The Pro-4X Warrior has a modified bumper to improve the approach angle, and beneath its widened arches this more off-road-focused variant wears wide 17” tyres that increase the wheel tracks by 30mm.

An upgraded suspension system features improved springs and recalibrated dampers for maximum wheel articulation. The Warrior is also lifted to 232mm of ground clearance — 11mm more than the standard Navara Pro-4X.

With its rear coil springs instead of the leaf springs used in most bakkies, the Navara remains one of the most comfortable riding double cabs on the market and this prevented it feeling uncomfortably bouncy on the bumpy terrain of the Spirit of Africa course.

With its light steering and strong lowdown torque, the big Navara makes easy work of clambering through a testing off-road course (those infernal poles aside). The engine in the Warrior is unchanged, retaining the standard 2.5l turbo diesel unit producing 140kW and 450Nm, with a seven-speed automatic transmission.

The Navara’s dashboard doesn’t have the rich-feeling soft-touch texture of some bakkie rivals, but the armrests are padded for comfort and the cabin lays on a deluxe array of features, including Warrior-branded black seats with red contrast stitching, an 8” touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, a configurable 7” driver assist display and dual-zone climate control.

With a launch price of R924,000, the modifications adds an R80,000 premium over the standard Pro-4X model and the Warrior is sold with the company’s standard six-year/150,000km warranty and six-year/90,000km service plan.

Nissan is also set to introduce another special edition to complement the 2025 Navara line-up this year.