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Nissan Australia and Melbourne-based vehicle engineering company, Premcar, have very successfully combined forces to create finessed versions of the Navara and Patrol as part of their on-going Warrior program.
Premcar has proven it can be entrusted with crucial conversion work, engineering upgrades and the fitment of adventure-ready accessories to add real value to Nissan’s 4WDs.
That’s all well and good but we had a burning question: How will a Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior perform if the weather turns bad, the roads are flooded, tracks are washed out… and your two teenaged kids are in the back seat ready to punch the living daylights out of each other?
Well, with that in mind we embarked on a 3500km trip from Sydney to South-East Queensland and back to put this ute through a series of difficult challenges, some planned, some not.
We dodged around the wild edge of Tropical Cyclone Jasper, we fought our way through extreme electrical storms, and we drove in knee-deep river sand to avoid rapidly rising floodwaters.
So, how did this adventure-ready ute go?
Read on.
The universal appeal of road-tripping with a vehicle that offers an all-in-one solution to car camping has been growing enormously in recent years.
“What’s car camping?”, I hear you ask. Well, I’m talking about staying overnight or longer in a vehicle that affords you the ability to sleep in, eat in, and perhaps even cook in it.
As such, self-styled camper vans have gained an even bigger foothold in the market in recent years than they had in the years prior to the global pandemic, even though some of these vehicles, like this new VW Caddy California Maxi, don’t offer cooking facilities. That doesn’t seem to faze many (any?) current or potential owners of camper vans, or mini camper vans, or even those who like the idea of car camping, much more than actually ever doing it.
This five-seater van certainly looks the part and fits in with the #vanlife philosophy, but is it worth your consideration in such a variety-packed camper van market? Read on.
The Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior is a purpose-built adventure vehicle and it’s ready for action as is.
It drives nicely on-road – making those long necessary road-trip days on bitumen less of a chore – and is impressively capable off-road.
Buyers benefit when companies such as Premcar complete top-quality conversion work on vehicles with their design, development and testing undertaken in Australia and all of that work and the fitment of accessories are then covered by a comprehensive warranty.
There will always be 4WD enthusiasts who prefer to cherry-pick their own aftermarket accessories for their off-roader – because researching and hunting is a lot of fun. But there will also be just as much demand for the convenience of adventure-ready 4WDs that are capable of being driven straight out of a car dealership and into the Simpson Desert.
And the Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior is one of those vehicles.
The appeal of a ready-made camper van is undeniable and the VW Caddy California comfortably occupies a niche within a niche.
This van is nice to drive but it also manages to be a functional and comfortable camper, albeit a very basic one.
There’s no getting around the fact that, while it does have a bed and a camp table and two chairs, it’s lacking cooking facilities and a fridge … and the list goes on.
This is perfectly fine if you intend to take the rest of your gear (portable stove, fridge etc) as carry-ons for infrequent nights away, but if your vehicle is going to be your camp for regular multi-day trips away then a lot of other approaches make more sense. You could, for instance, buy a 4WD or AWD wagon and a camper trailer. You might spend a little – or a lot – more than what you’d spend on this van alone, but your opportunities for adventure would be a whole lot more expansive.
In the end, it depends on what you want to do with it. This van is more than fit for purpose and it may well provide a more-than-great introduction to the adventure lifestyle for some.
This is the coolest and toughest Navara on the mainstream market.
The Warrior is 1895mm high, 1920mm wide, 5350mm long (with a 3150mm-long wheelbase) and has a listed kerb weight of 2298kg.
It is taller than a standard Navara, with 40mm more ground clearance than its Pro-4X stablemate and the wheel track has been extended by 30mm (from 1570mm to 1600mm) giving it an aggressive posture.
The bullbar, eye-catching red steel bash plates, wheel arch flares, chunky Cooper Discoverer All Terrain AT3s and black stainless-steel double tube sports bar with sail panel all add to that tough appearance.
VW’s Caddy California looks good on the outside.
Its interior layout and the materials used – durable plastics on the dash etc. fabric seat covers, and sturdy carpet on the floor – are well suited to an outdoorsy lifestyle that will inevitably bring dirt, sand and mud into the interior at regular stages of the vehicle’s life.
The sliding doors either side – and the large opening when the rear tailgate is lifted – make the Caddy California a more versatile camper proposition than vehicles without those ingress points because the interior can be more readily accessed.
The folding bed, which sits behind the second-row bench seat, ready to be unfolded and used, is a handy addition and, as it’s supported on the vehicle body, that supposedly helps to make it easier to set up and pack down than it otherwise might be.
However, I had some difficulty in unfolding it all the way out flat, even with the front seats moved all the way forward. Perhaps with some more time and, dare I say it, patience, I could have managed better.
Also the fold-out struts, on the base of the bed and that are meant to slot into B-pillar recesses, seem a bit too flimsy for my liking, especially if the bed can be reasonably expected to cope with the weight of two adults. The mattress is not a particularly spongy one either – but, hey, camping should involve at least some degree of discomfort. Otherwise, why would some people describe it as “roughing it”? I jest – anyway, you could easily replace the standard mattress with something more substantial if you get the urge.
There are folding chairs and a table provided, although I’d be looking to the Aussie camping gear market for more sturdier examples of this kind of outdoors furniture, especially if you plan to put your equipment through regular and prolonged use.
Inside the cabin, the new updated dash – with an easy-to-use 8.0-inch multimedia screen, which has wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – is the focal point.
The cabin is a well designed space, a neat combination of nice materials and good build quality. But even with leather accents, ‘Warrior’ branding and other nice touches, the cabin feels a bit old and a little smaller and squeezed for space inside than some rivals.
The driver's seat is eight-way power-adjustable, but the front passenger seat is four-way manually adjustable – and that’s disappointing in a circa-$71,000 vehicle.
There are plenty of storage spaces, cupholders, bottle holders and receptacles in which to place your everyday carry gear.
There’s a USB-A charge point in the console tray, and a USB-A and a USB-C in the centre console proper, as well as a 12V outlet in the console tray and one in the centre console.
The seats are quite comfortable and though some people might whinge about them being undersized I reckon they’re okay.
The rear seat, while comfortable enough, is really the realm of two adults only or three children. It’d be a bit squeezy for three adults.
There is a fold-down armrest with cupholders, as well as bottle holders in the doors, map pockets on the seat-backs, directional air vents but only one USB-A charging point on the back of the centre console.
Get ready for the teenage arguments over that!
The Caddy California is a five-seater: two seats in the front and a three-seater bench seat as the second row.
Upfront, the driver and passenger seats are manually-adjustable for height, with four-way adjustable lumbar support, and tilt-and-depth adjustment on the seat cushion. They are cloth trim but feel adequately supportive and comfortable and have a height-adjustable centre armrest, stowage compartments and two drink holders.
There are storage spaces aplenty – including a dash with multiple stowage compartments, and an illuminated glove box – as well as two USB-C ports.
The digital cockpit is easy enough to use, as is the touchscreen multi-media unit and we had no strife setting up our smartphone for Apple CarPlay, and although the screen is on the wrong side of small, it’s clear and crisp enough to get a decent idea of what’s going on.
The second-row bench seat is a 2/3-1/3 split, and the second row can be folded, double-folded and removed separately. The two outboard passengers also get access to a folding table in each of the front seat-backs.
This second row of seats has ISOFIX child seat anchors in the two outboard seats and there are top tether points on all of these second-row seats.
The rear luggage compartment has a cover and there are storage bags fitted to the interior walls in the cargo area and also a 12-V outlet back there, as well as LED lights in tailgate.
The Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior, based on the SL Navara, only comes in dual-cab guise with either a six-speed manual gearbox ($68,265, excluding on-road costs) or a seven-speed automatic transmission ($70,765, excluding on-road costs).
For your reference, the Pro-4X automatic is $61,405 (excluding on-road costs) and Pro-4X manual is $58,905 (excluding on-road costs).
Standard features on our test vehicle – a Pro-4X Warrior with a seven-speed auto – include an 8.0-inch multimedia touch-screen with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as sat nav, dual-zone climate control, AEB, lane-keeping assist, around-view monitor and a rear diff-lock.
Standard paint is 'Black Star'. Premium paint choices are 'White Diamond' and 'Stealth Grey' (on our test vehicle) at a cost of $650. As always, check with your dealer on up-to-date pricing.
As part of the Premcar engineering upgrade more than $9000 worth of extras in the Warrior (over the standard Pro-4X) include a winch-compatible bull bar with integrated light bar, a Nissan Genuine Warrior-specific tow bar, a larger 3.0mm steel bash-plate, Cooper Discoverer All Terrain AT3 275/70R17 tyres (and a full-sized alloy spare), a 100kg GVM upgrade (now 3250kg), 260mm ground clearance (up 40mm, with springs and tyres making up 15mm and 25mm, respectively), 30mm wider tracks (to 1600mm), revised suspension with new spring rates and dampers (aimed at improving ride and handling), and a larger and taller jounce bumper for less impact harshness at full suspension travel.
But, beyond the engineering upgrades, what’s also interesting about the Pro-4X Warrior is what has had to happen behind the scenes, under Premcar’s direction, to get the vehicle to this stage.
Australia has some of the harshest driving conditions and road/track surfaces in the world. Chopped-up bitumen back roads, soft spirit-sapping beach and desert sand through to spine-rattling corrugations.
And those surfaces and conditions put immense stress and strain on vehicles, drivetrains and components.
Premcar designs, manufactures and validates its vehicle work here in Australia in the harshest of conditions those 4WDs may face day in, day out for the term of their vehicular ‘life’. It’s not testing, it’s punishment.
Australia’s aftermarket sector is great – thriving and always innovating – but unfortunately, as in any industry, there are ‘cowboys’ out there and some of the modifications done to vehicles may be, shall we say, less than ideal and even illegal or non-compliant in terms of engineering approval. The work done to your 4WD may even void your vehicle’s warranty.
But, with Premcar’s Nissan collab, any engineering work or accessory fitment on the Pro-4X Warrior is all covered by a Premcar warranty that matches Nissan’s five-year/unlimited km cover.
Before we get cracking, it’s important to note that we tested the 2.0-litre TDI320 variant (diesel); there is a 1.5-litre TSI220 petrol variant available.
It’s also worth mentioning that the Caddy California Max is built off Caddy Maxi people-mover variant on an extended long-wheelbase platform.
Our test vehicle has a manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) of $54,990, not including on-road costs. As tested our Caddy California was $56,105 because it has Copper Bronze metallic paint, which costs $1115.
As standard, it has five seats (two in the front and a three-seat bench as the second row), a newly designed dash and instrument cluster featuring a full-colour digital cockpit, an 8.25-inch colour touchscreen (with sat-nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), two-zone climate control, keyless start, a lifting tailgate, and a stack of other features too numerous to list here. Find out for yourself, do your own research for there’s joy in that.
Driver-assist tech includes adaptive cruise control, lane keeping, lane assist, and park assist and park distance control in the front and rear.
The California package includes a foldable bed, storage bags, a foldable table and two chairs, as well as additional interior lighting and ventilation vents.
There are numerous VW genuine options available, including a panoramic glass sunroof as well as a tent that can be attached to the rear of the vehicle, but it was unavailable at time of writing.
The Pro-4X has the Navara line-up’s 2.3-litre four-cylinder twin-turbo-diesel engine, which produces 140kW at 3750rpm and 450Nm at 1500-2500rpm.
That's okay because that engine and auto work really well together, yielding more of a subdued, quietly effective partnership than an exciting one.
This ute has a part-time four-wheel drive system with high- and low-range 4WD, and a rear diff lock.
Our test vehicle – the TDI320 variant of the new Caddy California – has a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine, producing 90kW at 2750-4250rpm and 320Nm at 1500-2500rpm, and a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox DSG.
This is a front-wheel drive van and it’s riding on 18-inch wheels and Bridgestone Turanza T005 (215/55 R17) tyres.
Fuel consumption is listed as 8.1L/100km on a combined cycle.
Fuel consumption on this test was 9.9L/100km. That’s fine considering we included a lot of high- and low-range 4WDing during this test’s hours-long off-road section.
The Warrior has an 80-litre fuel tank, so, going by those fuel-consumption figures I’d expect an effective touring range of about 778km, but remember that figure includes a built-in 30km safe-distance buffer.
That's a fair travelling distance for a contemporary dual-cab ute, but keep in mind that your fuel-consumption will be higher than that because you'll be carrying a lot more gear than we had onboard during our test.
That included vehicle-recovery equipment, a portable air compressor, tool bag, puncture-repair kit, a tyre deflator as well as food and water.
Volkswagen lists the official combination fuel consumption as 4.9L/100km, but during our four day test we only averaged 6.2L/100km.
This van has a 50-litre fuel tank and an AdBlue tank.
The Navara line-up had the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing in 2015, but that rating has now expired.
Safety gear includes seven airbags (dual front, front-side, curtain and driver’s knee SRS items), AEB, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, intelligent lane intervention, blind-spot warning, a surround-view monitor (with moving object detection), rear cross traffic alert and more.
The rear seat has three child-seat anchorage points and one ISOFIX point each on the left and right seats.
Off-road driver-assist tech includes off-road monitor, tyre pressure monitoring system, hill start assist, trailer sway control, hill descent control and an electronic locking rear differential.
This top-spec variant is missing adaptive cruise control and is not quite as comprehensively equipped with driver-assist tech as some of its rivals.
The VW Caddy California has the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing in 2021.
It has front, side, curtain and centre airbags for driver and front passenger, ISOFIX child seat anchors on the outboard second-row seats and top tether points on all second-row seats.
Driver-assist tech includes adaptive cruise control, driver fatigue detection, multi collision braking system, lane change system (including blindspot monitoring), side assist with rear traffic alert and more.
The Navara range is covered by a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty and capped price servicing. That’s adequate in terms of years, not the best, but the unlimited km factor is in its favour.
Service intervals are set for 12 months or 20,000km. Capped price servicing is available for up to six years, with prices ranging from $574 for the first service through to $916 for the sixth service. The annual average is $703.50. Not particularly cheap.
The VW Caddy California Maxi is covered by a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, a choice of three- or five-year Care Plans (capped price servicing), and a free year of 24-hour roadside assist.
A Caddy’s five-year capped price servicing plan costs $1500 and includes two free services.