New 2025 Nissan Navara ute to be tougher, petrol hybrid in the mix

A tougher styling language inspired by Nissan’s US pick-up and SUV line-up appears set to grace the next-generation 2025 Nissan Navara ute.

And the next Navara also appears set to at least begin its life in Australia retaining turbo-diesel power before an expected shift or expansion within its lifespan to petrol-electric hybridisation.

The 2025 Nissan Navara is being developed on a shared architecture with the Mitsubishi Triton, which launches in Australia in early 2024.

Speaking at the Japan Mobility Show, where Nissan launched five radical electric concepts including a potential preview of the R36 Nissan GT-R, several company executives shed light on the new Navara.

Nissan global design chief Alfonso Albaisa cited the US-market Frontier ute and Pathfinder SUV – the latter also sold in Australia – as styling indicators for future combustion-engined pick-ups such as Navara.

“The things we are doing on the trucks – and this comes from Pathfinder and Frontier in the US and stuff like that – where they are … more tough.”

That makes sense considering rival companies such as Ford have adopted a rugged look for the Ford Ranger inspired by the bigger F-150.

The Triton is also launching with a boxier new exterior style.

However, Albaisa was emphatic that picking the new Navara and Triton apart would not be a challenge.

He said monthly meetings with alliance partners Mitsubishi and Renault ensured there was differentiation between product on shared platforms.

“Maybe 20 years ago it was challenging how they shared platforms and stuff like that and created different animals. Somehow we have become quite good at it so I think you will find that our vehicles are [differentiated],” said Albaisa.

“It’s the priority to make the alliance work and you can’t cannibalise, because then it’s not a delight … to survive you eat your own … you need to expand and the way to expand is differentiation.”

He was also clear nothing could be read into new Navara’s styling direction from the five new ‘Hyper’ concepts that filled Nissan’s stand at the Tokyo show.

“Not these, because our pick-up trucks – especially on the ICE side, the adventure side – is a much purer expression, we’re not integrated so much. All these [concepts] there is a seamlessness if you look at them all together,” he said.

On the engine front there was reassurance from Nissan that the Oceania region Australia resides in – as well as neighbouring ASEAN – would retain diesel engines.

Nissan powertrain and EV engineering division senior vice-president Toshihiro Hirai said an ASEAN diesel was “a 20-year-long-lasting solution”.

“Diesel … has great performance and mileage and we will continue development for ASEAN,” he said.

That commitment comes despite Nissan electing to go all-electric in Europe by 2030 and the lack of cut-through for diesel in North America, which is the world’s biggest ute market.

However, Nissan product planning development chief Pierre Loing effectively ruled out a jump to larger-capacity diesel powerplants for Navara in the same way the Ford Ranger has introduced a V6 in the new generation.

The current Navara is powered by a 2.3-litre twin-turbo four-cylinder diesel engine and the new Triton by an upgraded 2.4-litre twin-turbo diesel unit.

“Today the global trend is not toward bigger engines – yes, toward more power through electrification – but bigger engines not so much,” said Loing.

Nissan global product development chief Ivan Espinosa was also clear diesel would remain an option for Nissan with Navara in this region.

“I think in ASEAN the internal combustion is still going to be around for a while for applications like picks-ups,” he said.

“And diesel has very good qualities for pick-ups – towing because of the torque delivery and other things.”

However, Espinosa was also clear the switch to electrification would come for Navara in Australia. He said Nissan had options available to cater for such a move.

“When it comes to Australia I think the market is moving quicker into EV via government support and regulations. The good thing is we have choices on the shelf, either own or together with our alliance partners,” he said.

“So we have diesel engines available, petrol engines available, the wonderful e-POWER [range extender hybrid] … and we have battery EV, as well as plug-in hybrid with Mitsubishi.

“The beauty we have is choice.”

It seems certain any hybrid option will offer petrol rather diesel as the internal combustion segment of the powertrain. Nissan execs were clear there was no plan for a diesel e-POWER.

This is not the first time Nissan has commented on future powertrains for key new models such as Navara and Patrol. The e-POWER was strongly hinted as recently as March.

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