It’s a tricky time for Nissan and Mitsubishi, after both brands – already a part of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance – decided on the same partner to build an off-road version of their now shared utes.
Melbourne’s Premcar has run the ‘Warrior’ off-road program for Nissan Australia since 2019, first with the D23 Navara ute and then the Y62 Patrol SUV, both of which were a showroom success.
This relationship between Nissan and Premcar has been strengthened over the years, not only with a joint venture in South Africa, but latterly with Premcar providing a unique suspension tune for the new D27 Navara, consisting of revised shock absorbers.
While this gave the D27 Navara a point of difference compared to the Mitsubishi Triton ute upon which it’s based, the lines became blurred when Mitsubishi revealed the Triton Raider last month.
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The Triton Raider is the new off-road flagship of the range, featuring showroom-ready upgrades developed and fitted by Premcar, representing the first time the firm has worked with Mitsubishi.
With its off-road oriented upgrades and $74,990 plus on-road costs price tag, the Triton Raider is dearer than the circa-$68,400 Navara Pro-4X, which is serving as Nissan’s top-of-the-range ute until the D27 Warrior arrives.
When asked by Torquecafe whether the Triton Raider could take sales away from the upcoming Navara Warrior, Nissan Oceania managing director Steve Milette said his brand’s product will sit above Mitsubishi’s.
“No, I don’t think so,” Milette said.
“I think we have a pretty broad portfolio with Navara. I think our Pro-4X sits where their product is. Yeah, I think we’re ok.”
Nissan has so far only previewed the new Navara Warrior once in concept form in November, which coincided with the launch of the D27 ute. It is still without a firm timeline on when it’ll launch.
Given the close nature of the relationship to this point between Nissan and Premcar – having sold almost 13,000 Warrior vehicles locally – it could be understood if Nissan wouldn’t be pleased with its multi-year partner now also working with a close competitor, but that’s not the case.
Torquecafe asked Milette whether Nissan has a problem with Premcar working with Mitsubishi, to which the executive replied, “that’s a great question”.
“On both sides, I think they [Premcar] are free to do what they need to do,” Milette added.
“We all have our opportunities, as an OEM or as a provider, so that’s really up to them.”
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