Nissan plotting smaller, more affordable ute

Nissan is plotting the introduction of an all-new small electrified dual-cab ute that will sit below the next-generation 2025 Nissan Navara, according to an Automotive News report.

Apparently created specifically for the US market to fill the void created by the decision to cull the full-size Titan pick-up truck, Nissan hopes the presence of a small ute will also help it emulate the success of the entry-level Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz.

Nissan’s global product chief Ivan Espinosa confirmed to AN that a small electrified pick-up was under investigation.

“One thing you can be sure about is we’re going to keep investing in the truck segment,” he said.

“How do we evolve… is the question that we are discussing internally. Eventually, we will have to electrify the truck.”

Clarifying Espinosa’s comments, another senior Nissan exec went on to tell Automotive News that the small pick-up wouldn’t be a rival for battery-powered trucks like the Rivian R1T or the incoming Tesla Cybertruck.

Instead, it’s understood the all-new pick-up is being developed to have a price tag of less than $US40,000 ($A63,000).

It’s not clear if the new model being readied will be fully electric or if, like the Ford Maverick, the compact (sub-five-metre) ute will feature a hybrid powertrain.

If it’s the latter, the small Nissan ute will almost certainly be developed alongside the Renault Niagara, which was recently unwrapped in Brazil.

Created for Latin America, the Niagara is based on the all-new Renault Group modular platform that’s thought to be highly flexible when it comes to dimensions and powertrains.

The Renault pick-up measures in at around 4900mm long, with a wheelbase of 2950mm. This provides for a SUV-derived configuration that sacrifices the load bed length for space within the four-door cabin.

Interestingly, instead of a normal diesel, the Niagara featured an advanced E-Tech 48-volt mild-hybrid powertrain that uses the combustion engine to drive the front axle and an electric motor to spin the rear wheels, providing for all-wheel drive.

This efficient combination is said to enable up to 50 per cent of urban journeys to be carried out on electric power alone.

It’s not known if the same platform can support an all-electric powertrain but it’s likely.

As far as styling goes, Nissan’s compact pick-up will be heavily influenced by the well-received 2021 Nissan Surf-Out concept (pictured) that heralded an unashamed lifestyle-orientated look.

That concept also used the car-maker’s e-4ORCE all-wheel drive powertrain, which offers torque vectoring capability that’s well beyond mechanical systems for better traction, while eliminating pitch and dive while accelerating or braking.

No timeline was given for the arrival of the new small pick-up, but it’s thought it will land before the end of this decade.

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