SA firm to assemble Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior?
The Aussie-developed Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior has reportedly been given the green light for SA. And we may just have discovered who will be carrying out the local conversions…
It’s a rumour that dates all the way back to 2021, when the Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior was revealed in Australia. Now, a fresh report from Down Under claims this hardcore flagship version of the double-cab bakkie is indeed going to be offered here in South Africa. And we may just have discovered who will be carrying out the conversions locally.
According to carsales.com.au, Nissan South Africa has finally reached a deal with Melbourne-based Premcar – the Australian automotive engineering firm that developed the Nissan-backed package – to offer the Warrior derivative in Mzansi.
Interestingly, the publication suggests Premcar will perform Warrior conversions at a dedicated facility near the Japanese firm’s Rosslyn factory in Gauteng, where the Navara is built for South Africa and other markets on the continent. The requisite Premcar-developed parts will presumably be sent over from Australia.
So, Cars.co.za did a little digging and soon discovered that a private company called “Premcar SA” was incorporated in South Africa as recently as September 2023. Cornelius Michael Kotze – a name local automotive enthusiasts of a certain age may well recognise – is currently listed as the company’s sole director.
Yes, that’s the same “Corrie” Kotze who spent several years working for BMW South Africa, including as general manager of BMW Plant Rosslyn. These days, Kotze – who we furthermore noticed has recently interacted with various Premcar Australia posts on LinkedIn – is a director on the boards of several companies and is also CEO of the Automotive Investment Holdings (AIH) Group.
According to its website, one of Pretoria-based AIH’s services is to provide “cost-effective, independent contract assembly operations in a fully equipped, scalable facility”. It says its “focus is on the low-volume, niche product assembly market”, with its “fully equipped, scalable facility” capable of an “average production of 500 units” per month.
What is the listed legal address for the newly established Premcar SA company? The very same Lynnwood Manor location in Pretoria that serves as the AIH Group’s headquarters. As an aside, AIH Logistics (of which Kotze is also a director) was formed in 2017 to manage assembly of bakkies on behalf of Mahindra in KwaZulu-Natal. So, from where we’re sitting, Premcar SA (perhaps with the backing of AIH) looks very likely to be the company to carry out the Warrior conversions in Mzansi.
But when will the Navara Pro-4X Warrior be added to the local Nissan range? Well, we’ve asked Nissan South Africa that very question but have yet to hear back [see below for a statement since issued]. However, despite this latest Australian report suggesting SA will “soon” welcome the Warrior, we’ve heard talk that a launch date towards the middle of 2025 is more likely.
As a reminder, the D23-generation Navara built at Rosslyn uses a 2.5-litre, 4-cylinder turbodiesel engine as opposed to the bi-turbo 2.3-litre unit employed by the Thailand-sourced version offered Down Under. Expect the SA-spec version of the Warrior to based on the Navara Pro-4X but with added off-road capability thanks to various wheel, tyre and suspension enhancements.
UPDATE: Nissan SA has issued Cars.co.za with the following statement: “The Nissan Navara is a core model for Nissan South Africa and Africa. As part of our growth plan for Navara, Nissan is exploring introducing new specifications and special versions as well as opening new markets for Navara export according to product lifecycle. We assure our stakeholders that relevant announcements and communication will be made in due course.”
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