Aussie bid for Nissan Titan still on

Nissan Australia is focussing on a local right-hand drive conversion program as the most likely way to get the full-size Nissan Titan pick-up into Australian showrooms.

It has been campaigning to get the Ford F-150 competitor on sale here since 2017, but the Titan is only built in North America and sold in left-hand drive markets, so securing RHD supply has proved an insurmountable stumbling block.

But Nissan Australia boss Stephen Lester has strongly hinted that local conversion is the solution.

“There are no markets in the world where right-hand drive [Titan] exists,” said Lester at last week’s launch of the new Nissan LEAF.

“Now I feel we have produced and demonstrated a workaround opportunity.”

Lester has already authorised local development work on a more capable Nissan Navara codenamed AT32 and expected to be named Warrior when it goes on sale late in 2019.

The Melbourne-based automotive engineering company performing that work is also understood to be the potential partner for the local Nissan Titan RHD conversion.

carsales.com.au understands a preliminary investigation has already been undertaken into local conversion.

While the Titan is already sold in Australia via low-volume converters, Nissan Australia’s focus is on a full homologation, similar to the way the Walkinshaw Group converts the Chevrolet Silverado and RAM full-size trucks to right-hand drive.

Full certification allows these models to be sold in unlimited numbers and both US utes have proved a hit with Australian buyers.

Like its rivals, the Nissan Titan is available in the US in multiple equipment grades across single-cab, extra-cab and crew-cab body configurations -- all powered by a 290kW 5.6-litre petrol V8 matched with a seven-speed automatic transmission -- although only premium variants like the PRO-4X (pictured) may be sold here.

Lester, who was in Japan last week meeting with Nissan’s light commercial vehicle division, is eying that market with Titan hungrily, refusing to take no for an answer from his global bosses.

“The reality is we are going to keep working and fighting on this because I think there is tremendous opportunity and I will continue to talk to the global team about the fact others are taking that opportunity [local conversion],” Lester said.

“So my view is not listening to the immediate objections of people to suggest that we shouldn’t do it, but rather to find solutions for those opportunities. And I think here in Australia we are more than capable as a country to overcome those things and get it done.

“We will continue fighting.”

The Navara AT32 local solution came about because the prospects for a hard-core factory Navara ‘NISMO’ rival for the Ford Raptor are non-existent in the current D23 generation.

However, Lester was more positive about eventually seeing the Navara-based Terra seven-seat SUV in Australia at some stage. It needs improved safety specifications to be offered here.

Lester also is keen to secure Nissan vans for Australia, in a program that looks readily achievable because the E-NV200, NV200, NV300 and NV400 are already sold in right-hand drive in the UK.

Lester said Nissan Australia continued to negotiate its way through the approval process to secure the various models it was pursuing.

“At the moment we are fulfilling all the requests global are feeding back to us and we haven’t met any hurdles that we haven’t been able to figure out a way to respond back on and reply back on,” he said.

“That doesn’t always translate into a guaranteed tick in the box to get the product but the team is highly capable and we are providing the answers that they need at the global level.”