Nissan Navara Warrior production ramps up again
Local final assembly of the Nissan Navara Warrior is about to double its original output with the arrival of a new back-to-basics model.
The 2022 Nissan Navara SL Warrior – a back-to-basics model built and sold alongside the flagship Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior – will see local final assembly double from 30 vehicles a week two years ago, to more than 60 vehicles a week by the middle of next month.
The Nissan Navara Warrior range has expanded to two models with the arrival of a more affordable workhorse version with a vinyl floor that starts from $58,000 plus on-road costs, about $10,000 cheaper than the leather-lined flagship Pro-4X Warrior edition.
Although the donor vehicles are made in Nissan’s factory in Thailand, they are shipped to Melbourne where Premcar – the engineering firm formerly behind Ford Performance Vehicles – adds the finishing touches such as heavy-duty suspension, tyres, bull-bars and underbody protection.
When the Nissan Navara Warrior final assembly facility on the northern outskirts of Melbourne ramped up production two years, it completed about 32 cars per week.
Output climbed to 45 vehicles per week earlier this year after pandemic lockdowns lifted and demand for motor vehicles skyrocketed.
Now Premcar has forecast another step up, to 60 and then 65 cars per week from the middle of next month.
The facility will complete the final assembly of both the SL and Pro-4X grades of Warrior alongside each other, rather than complete one type at a time.
It means buyers stuck in the queue for a new Nissan Navara Warrior will likely now have shorter waiting times.
The boost in output also secures the jobs of approximately 50 assembly workers and engineers, who bring local knowhow to the Nissan Navara.