Nissan Navara plug-in hybrid? China-built Frontier Pro plug-in hybrid ute could come to Australia to take-on BYD Shark 6 and GWM Cannon Alpha

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Nissan dropped a bombshell at Auto Shanghai, revealing a plug-in hybrid Navara-sized ute. 

The twist is that the Frontier Pro, as it will be known in China when it goes on sale later this year, has nothing to do with Mitsubishi. Instead, it uses Chinese carmaker Dongfeng’s Z9 ute as a base. 

@chasingcarsaustralia

New Nissan pick-up with 4×4 and a ladder frame! This HYBRID uses a 1.5L turbo and 33kWh battery for 100km electric range and much more on petrol. It is called the Nissan Frontier Pro but would be the Navara Pro in Australia. #nissan #pickup #ute #navara #frontier

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And don’t think this is a China-market only play, with Nissan executives telling Chasing Cars the BYD Shark 6 and Ford Ranger rival will go global, and not ruling out it could be called the Navara if it were to arrive in Australia.

Full engine details are yet to be confirmed, but the Frontier Pro is said to use a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine and 33kWh battery. 

Electric-only range is said to be 135km from a charge, with combined petrol-electric range over 1000km. Outputs are not confirmed but Nissan has hinted at more than 300kW and 800Nm.

The Frontier Pro uses a ladder frame chassis, with the engine mounted longitudinally and a five-link rear axle.

It is not related in any way to the existing Navara or Mitsubishi Triton and will be built exclusively in China. 

The Japanese brand told Chasing Cars it is “progressing [the Frontier Pro] to meet Nissan Standards”. It also noted other non-Chinese brands, such as Kia with the EV5, build cars for Australia in the country. 

South Africa — another ute-loving right-hand drive market — is said to also be in line for the new Nissan ute. 

We’re not expecting this China-built Nissan ute to replace the next-gen Navara, though. Its design, with vertical LED tail lights and full-width lightbar, is very different to the new-gen ute teased by Nissan late last year. 

Expect Mitsubishi’s Triton to form the base of Nissan’s core new Navara — with an Australian launch penciled in for pre-2027 — but Nissan has promised its version will be very differentiated. 

The Frontier Pro may end up being sold in Australia, though as a separate line targeting lifestyle-oriented utes like the BYD Shark 6, potentially with a lower payload and higher-end cabin. 

Pictures taken by Chasing Cars  contributor Iain Curry show a luxurious, two-tone beige and lemon leather-appointed cabin with a 14.6-inch floating touchscreen in the centre — a work ute the Frontier Pro is not. Nissan has promised 3500kg braked towing capacity, however. 

Building in China could be advantageous for Nissan, with lower production and shipping costs aiding the Frontier Pro get closer to the BYD Shark 6 ($57,900, before on-road costs) and GWM Cannon Alpha ($63,990, driveaway) sharp pricing. 

In addition to the Frontier Pro, Nissan showed the N7 mid-sized sedan, another JV with Dongfeng that promises Tesla Model 3-rivalling 635km (CLTC) driving range.

Further details on the Frontier Pro, including its potential for the Australian market, will be revealed in time. 

With additional reporting from Iain Curry.