Dead before arrival: 2027 Nissan Navara Warrior cancelled
A follow-up to Nissan’s popular D23 Navara Warrior has been shelved, amid a shift in focus from the D27 ute to a new plug-in hybrid.
Nissan Australia won’t launch a new D27-generation version of its Navara Warrior ute, despite revealing a concept of the off-road ready dual-cab last year.
In a statement, Nissan confirmed it had axed the new Navara Warrior, with its attention now on launching the Navara Pro PHEV ute in Australia, as reported last week.
“Since revealing the D27 Navara Warrior concept last November, we have progressed development while continuously reviewing the business case and our product priorities,” a Nissan Australia spokesperson said.
“With the upcoming arrival of the Navara Pro PHEV, we have decided not to proceed with the D27 Navara Warrior program.
“Our priority is now to successfully launch the all-new Navara Pro PHEV next year, ensuring we deliver a product that meets customer needs and supports our long-term business objectives.”
The Navara Warrior was one of the most successful variants of the previous-generation D23 Navara, after being established in 2019 with the Navara N-Trek Warrior, with local engineering headed up by Australian firm Premcar.
At the launch of the new D27 Navara last year, Nissan provided no timeline on when – or if – it would reach showrooms, though the possibility of it not coming to fruition was signalled by Nissan Oceania managing director Steve Milette when speaking to Torquecafe last month.
“[It’s still a] work in process, I would say, so there's nothing to confirm,” said Milette, speaking of both the D27 Navara Warrior and the Y63 Patrol Warrior.
“[...] with the Warrior philosophy we continue to work with Premcar and at what opportunities could we look at for the future, with the optics of Australians love serious off-road capable vehicles.”
In May, the Navara’s Triton twin received Premcar upgrades in the form of the Triton Raider, representing the first time the brand had worked with a non-Nissan marque since its most recent formation.
Milette had previously said the Triton Raider wouldn’t take sales away from the upcoming Navara Warrior, claiming his brand’s product will sit above Mitsubishi’s.
“I think we have a pretty broad portfolio with Navara,” he said in May. “I think our Pro-4X sits where their product is. Yeah, I think we’re ok.”
While the Navara Warrior is now off the table, the Navara Pro PHEV is now Nissan’s key focus for the Australian ute market, having been announced last week for a 2027 arrival.
Based on the Frontier Pro sold in China and other overseas markets, the Navara Pro is set to do battle with the likes of the BYD Shark 6, and will feature specifications “specifically selected for Oceania”, including a different engine and potentially different suspension to its overseas counterparts.
There’s no confirmed launch date for the Nissan Navara Pro PHEV in Australia, with the brand only saying it’s due in 2027, with specific timing, pricing and specifications to be made available closer to its arrival.
Jordan Mulach
