Nissan boss reveals tough Navara negotiations

Nissan Australia is playing hardball with its global parent over the roll-out of the fourth-generation Nissan Navara ute which is expected to make its global debut this year and also potentially go on sale before the end of 2025.

But the first models currently scheduled for production are mainstream, rather than the high-end 4x4 dual cab utes that dominate sales and drive profitability in Australia.

Nissan Oceania chief Andrew Humberstone revealed the tough negotiations over Navara at this week’s launch of the updated Qashqai compact SUV (drive and specs embargoed until February 17).

“I think as far as I am aware I am still employed but probably only just,” he told carsales.

“I have been sailing very close to the wind.”

Humberstone even indicated the launch of the new-generation Navara could be delayed in Australia over local expectations.

“Rather than get it three or four months earlier, I’d rather get it right,” he said. “So I am part of that problem, I am insisting we get exactly what we want for this market.”

Which is where the scheduling of the top-end dual cabs’ launch comes into play.

“There is a lot of discussion about which product comes first, which derivatives,” Humberstone said.

“I’d much rather the top-end first, that potentially is not where we currently sit.”

Nissan has a history in this regard. Back in 2021 when the Navara was last significantly updated, the Pro-4X model didn’t turn for some weeks after the rest of the range.

The current D23 Nissan Navara has been on-sale in Australia since 2015 and has been through a series of revisions and makeovers, primarily because of its coil spring rear-suspension.

While still a long way off its best numbers, in 2024 the Navara 4x4 had a 20.3 per cent jump-up in sales to sit seventh in the category. The 4x2 was up 4.2 per cent.

The new Navara, which is being developed on the same core underpinnings as the latest Mitsubishi Triton, is a critical part of Humberstone’s strategy – revealed in 2024 – to cement Nissan Australia’s place in the marketplace long-term as a top-six seller.

The new vehicle is yet to break cover and Nissan has only stated it will arrive before the end of the current global ARC business plan that concludes in March 2027.

Humberstone revealed Nissan Oceania was currently refusing to place orders for the new Navara.

He said he had made that clear to Nissan Oceania charman Guillaume Cartier, who after a recent management reshuffle is also now global chief performance officer.

“I have had discussions as recently as 36 hours ago with our chairman on this. There was meant to be a meeting last night and it was postponed because I rejected some of the data.

“I said ‘if you put that in front of the chairman I’m not going to order. I will not order’.

“They are saying ‘when are you ordering the first cars?’, I said ‘I am not until I have in writing … we will get it right, because if we get it wrong it will be very difficult’.

“So I am fighting very hard.”

Apart from model roll-out schedules, Humberstone listed a series of key Navara targets Nissan Oceania was pushing to achieve including quality, pricing, launch strategy and adequate supply.

He also made it clear a key issue for him was separating the new Navara as far as possible from Triton.

“Our people are all over that and I am being very insistent in terms of how we address quality and making sure the product is very different, very different … from a cross-badged product.”

Do all that and Humberstone was bullish about what the new Navara could be.

“I think it will be a gamechanger when we get the new product,” he predicted.

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