Nissan's much-needed, next-generation dual-cab ute will be a true Nissan – and carry "a lot of" differentiation from its Mitsubishi twin – the company has promised.
The boss of Nissan Australia has promised the new Navara will be "very much a Nissan" as it prepares to derive its DNA from the latest Mitsubishi Triton.
The new Navara – expected in showrooms within the next two years – is being jointly developed with the Triton under a technical alliance between the brands.
But Mitsubishi is the 'leader' of the project, with Nissan the 'follower' – and one of the biggest questions still to be answered about the latter's pick-up is how much differentiation there will be from its sibling.
It is understood the two will share elements – or the entirety – of their frames, but spy photos are yet to capture how many body panels, if any, will be common.
Nissan Oceania managing director Andrew Humberstone told Drive will not be a simple rebadge of its sister car.
"We are making sure that it's very much a Nissan. So we'll be making a number of changes to make sure that that's the case."
He said Nissan believes it has benefits in technology it can add to the project, rather than simply taking a Triton and putting its own skin on it.
"I think if we look at our technology portfolio, there's a lot that they can benefit from. So in terms of technological advancement, in terms of the utility space, absolutely I think we've got something we'd like to bring into the market," Humberstone told Drive.
"But again, we're going to make a lot of changes to the product to make sure it's in line with Nissan's expectations.
"Yes, we have a relationship, but that relationship could be effectively with any supplier."
It is expected to return to leaf-spring rear suspension shared with the Triton, after the current Navara controversially adopted rear coil springs for non-cab chassis models that Nissan was reworked twice in three years due to criticisms of excessive sagging under load.
"If you go back to the launch of the [current] Navara, there were a lot of sagging questions," François Bailly, Nissan chief planning officer for the AMIEO (Africa, Middle East, India, Europe, and Oceania) region, told Australian media last year.
"You know, you would load the car, [and there would be a noticeable difference between] the front and the rear. Clearly, we will not repeat this mistake."
He said the new Navara "has to be credible in market, no debate," when asked if it will match benchmarks of key rivals – such as a 3500kg tow rating.
However, it is most likely the Navara will inherit the Triton's new 150kW/470Nm 2.4-litre twin-turbo four-cylinder diesel engine, which is up from a 140kW/450Nm 2.3-litre twin-turbo in today's model.
Questions remain as to whether Nissan will have access to Mitsubishi's Super Select four-wheel-drive system, which among other drive modes is designed to enable all four wheels to be powered safely on sealed surfaces.
Precise arrival timing is yet to be disclosed, but Nissan has confirmed the new Navara will be "launched" globally by the end of Japanese fiscal year 2026, which concludes 31 March 2027.
The wait for the new ute is not thought to be that long, instead it is increasingly expected to be in local showrooms in the next 18 months.
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
