The car industry proves first impressions usually last but it’s never too late to start over.
The Nissan Navara PRO-4X WARRIOR by Premcar has just won 4×4 Australia’s Best Adventure 4WD in this year’s 4×4 Ute of the Year Awards.
4×4 Australia said, “The fact that the Warrior performed so well against newer and larger competitors is a testament to the success of the Nissan‑Premcar collaboration.”
Three ingredients underpin this success:
- Experienced design (mechanical and aesthetic)
- Experienced new-car engineering and manufacturing
- People
The Navara WARRIOR is a rare example of a six-year-old new-car enhancement program still winning awards, even after its highly anticipated 2026 successor model has been unveiled.
And the main reason?
Nissan’s WARRIOR by Premcar program is an equally rare example of a global automaker that understands its target audience and delivers exactly what they want.
Navigating the obstacles
Bringing a new car to market is like navigating a thousand-mile densely wooded forest at high speed. There are obstacles everywhere.
When it comes to new-car launches, “getting it ‘right’” from the beginning is critical. Start poorly and sales can suffer, even for the car’s entire lifecycle, even for big and trusted global car brands.
Low sales from launch can quickly dent consumer confidence in the car.
Being slow to address the product problems that caused its slow start can create an ever-growing car park of unsold stock in need of ever-growing discounts to “move” them out of showrooms.
It can also create a public fleet of first-sold cars crushed by poor resale values, burning the trust of early customers.
All the while, sales continue to slow. Recent times show they can even stall.
And if a product fix doesn’t boost sales, then the whole cycle can amplify.
Stumbled new-car launches are expensive mistakes, both now and in the future.
It’s why getting a vehicle launch ‘right’ at the start is so important.
What’s not obvious, however, is the creeping multi-layered avalanche of business issues that occurs behind the scenes when a new product stumbles.
Solving these issues can be slow, especially in enthusiast-related new-car segments, because enthusiast buyers are less forgiving.
The inescapable fact is that first impressions last, as the new-car sales race shows. But it’s possible to create a second chance, as the Navara WARRIOR program proves. It all comes down to making the right car for the right buyer.
Bernie Quinn, CEO of Premcar
About Premcar:
Premcar Pty Ltd is a leading Australian vehicle engineering business that specialises in the automotive, defence and aerospace industries. For more than 25 years, global car-makers have made Premcar their go-to partner for the complete design, engineering and manufacture of niche-model new cars, full-scale new-vehicle development programs, and electric vehicle (EV) conversions and manufacturing. Premcar’s body of work is extensive. It is the name behind more than 200,000 new cars and 55,000 new-vehicle engines. The company has delivered technical advancements and sales success for major car brands from Europe, the USA, Japan, China and Australia. Visit premcar.au.
