The Nissan Navara PRO-4X Warrior by Premcar recently won Best Ute Off-Road: Best Four-Cylinder in CarExpert.com.au’s inaugural Ute Of The Year Awards. But there’s one number in the winners’ list that really stands out.
“Pride” doesn’t really capture it.
It’s hard to find the best words to express how it feels when the vehicles you develop and build win awards.
Or when a customer or fan shares their enjoyment.
It’s always a day-maker when it happens.
The Premcar team got another dose of this feeling recently when CarExpert.com.au announced the Nissan Navara PRO-4X Warrior by Premcar was awarded “Best Ute Off-Road: Best Four-Cylinder” in their inaugural Ute Of The Year Awards.
The Navara PRO-4X Warrior out-performed its competitors in a series of gruelling, real-world tests to earn the accolade.
There are some tough competitors out there which makes this win sweet.
CarExpert’s Paul Maric said this:
“During our 45% gradient loose rock climb test we had to lock both the front and rear differentials in the Ranger Raptor, while the Navara PRO-4X Warrior managed to complete the climb with only the rear differential locked.
“The judges felt the local engineering element also helped create a vehicle better suited to Australian conditions.”
High praise indeed.
Paul also mentioned other manufacturers’ vehicles had difficulty completing some of the driving tests, which was surprising.
But given many of these tough evaluations were conducted at a long-established Australian proving ground – one that’s used by certain carmakers to develop their new-vehicles – it says something.
There’s plenty of proof Australian new-vehicle buyers want local influences in the cars they choose.
The fact we can’t build Premcar-enhanced Nissan Navara Warrior pick-ups fast enough is one giveaway.
So are the number of owners who take their Navara Warriors off the beaten track and then tell us how good they are to drive, both on-road and in the rough stuff.
Nissan Australia has been very smart listening to what local buyers want. Most important of all is they acted on that information, and made sure Australian buyers got what they asked for.
We’re proud they chose us to engineer, develop and build these cars for them in Australia. It’s a lesson other local official importers are sure to be studying closely.
Because carmakers who don’t offer locally enhanced new vehicles are missing a big opportunity. Every day.
Our messages are simple.
It’s worth creating locally developed and enhanced new vehicles in Australia.
They give Australian new-car buyers what they want, and they give product-based advantages to the carmakers and official importers who offer them.
As for the vehicle brands who create them, they make great use of Australia’s highly experienced car-making workforce. And they drive local jobs in Australia’s manufacturing sector, the one part of the local economy that needs a long-term nourishment plan.
Local OEM new-vehicle enhancement makes sense.
You can see it in CarExpert.com.au’s Ute of the Year results.
Around half the vehicles that competed for the trophies are known to have had local input in either their technical development or manufacturing, or both.
That’s a big figure.
Doesn’t it say something?
Bernie Quinn – Engineering Director, Premcar Pty Ltd
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. As the name behind more than 200,000 new cars and 55,000 new-vehicle engines, Premcar’s body of work is extensive and has delivered technical and sales success for major car brands from Europe, the USA, Japan, China and Australia. Visit premcar.com.
Follow Premcar on Instagram – @premcaraustralia
Follow Premcar on LinkedIn – @Premcar Pty Ltd
