Nissan has once again joined forces with Premcar, the Australian engineering company behind the Warrior-spec Patrol and Navara, to develop and test the next-generation Navara for local conditions.

As can be seen in the video (below) released today by Nissan Australia, the program covered a wide range of real-world scenarios and tested the Navara both unladen and at full payload, including towing.

“In Australia and New Zealand, the ute is just part of life – the weekday workhorse, the weekend adventurer, even the school drop-off,” said Tim Davis, Senior Manager Local Product Development and Enhancement at Nissan Australia. “So we can’t just take a ute from another market and assume it’ll fit. It has to be fine-tuned because the conditions we face are totally unique to this part of the world.

“We were co-operating with Premcar to make sure all the ride and handling performance we want from the new Navara is delivered,” added Davis. “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.”

“For almost four decades, we’ve been engineering and thoroughly evaluating cars locally, including generation on generation of utes and off-roaders,” said Warwick Daly, Deputy Director Marketing and Mobility at Nissan Australia. “It’s about ensuring Australians and New Zealanders can have complete confidence – knowing your vehicle will perform when and how you expect it to.

“The new Navara is the product of local engineering experience and know-how. It’s tuned and tested for our customers,” added Daly.

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Reports indicate the new model will use a ladder-frame chassis shared with the current Mitsubishi Triton, with both utes assembled at the same plant in Thailand as part of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance.

Engine choices are expected to focus on diesel, following the Triton’s lead, which delivers 150kW and 470Nm from a four-cylinder turbo-diesel, paired with either a six-speed automatic or manual gearbox. Nissan is also reportedly considering a plug-in hybrid variant for the new Navara.

The next-gen Navara is set for a global reveal on November 19, 2025, with Australian and New Zealand sales expected in the first half of 2026. 

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