The next Nissan Navara is set to get plug-in hybrid power, giving the Japanese carmaker its first rival for the likes of the BYD Shark 6 and the upcoming Ford Ranger PHEV.
Motor Trend reports the plug-in hybrid ute is still in development, and will launch before the end of this decade.
“We need to have a solution by then. Three years from now,” Ponz Pandikuthira, chief planning officer for Nissan in the Americas, told the publication.
“For its lifecycle to make sense and be compliant, it will have to be electrified.”
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Nissan Frontier
With help from Alliance partner Mitsubishi, Nissan looks set to once again offer one ute for all global markets, instead of offering separate models for North America and everywhere else.
While Nissan launched its current D23 Navara in 2015, North America stuck with the older D40 model, badged as the Frontier.
This was subsequently replaced in 2021 with the D41 Frontier, which used a revised version of the D40’s chassis but featured a boxier new body. It’s offered exclusively in the US with a 3.8-litre petrol V6 engine.
For 2025, it received a mid-life refresh with revised styling inside and out, greater towing capacity, and additional features.
“Ideally we’d like to have a global convergence solution,” said Mr Pandikuthira.
Latin American Nissan Navara facelift
Despite this, Nissan has recently teased an update to the existing D23 Navara for Latin America, while it has also revealed the new Z9 ute for China, developed with its joint-venture partner Dongfeng.
Nissan has previously confirmed a replacement for Australia’s Thai-built Navara will go on sale in Australia around 2026, launching first with diesel power with a plug-in hybrid powertrain to follow.
Guillaume Cartier, Nissan chairperson for AMIEO (Africa, Middle East, India, Europe and Oceania), told media late in 2024 that a PHEV ute could in turn be followed by an all-electric ute.
The next Navara is expected to share its platform with the new Mitsubishi Triton, which could therefore mean Nissan will borrow PHEV technology from its Japanese compatriot.
Mitsubishi Triton
Mitsubishi has previously said it was planning hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric utes of its own.
An upcoming update for the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV sees the mid-size SUV get a larger 22.7kWh battery (up from 20kWh) good for 86km of electric-only range on the stricter WLTP cycle (up from 84km on the NEDC cycle).
For context, the Ranger PHEV has an 11.8kWh battery and 49km of NEDC range, while the Shark 6 has a 29.58kWh battery and 100km of NEDC range.
The PHEV ute segment is continuing to expand, with GWM imminently launching a PHEV version of its Cannon Alpha dual-cab.
There are currently no regular hybrid options in the mid-size ute category, though a Toyota Tacoma hybrid is offered overseas and a mild-hybrid HiLux is available here.
MORE: Everything Nissan Navara
