Nissan teases first PHEV and it's almost certainly a ute

Nissan Australia will reveal its first plug-in hybrid (PHEV) this Thursday, October 8. As teasers go, it's about as subtle as a road train in a school zone.

The brand has dropped a single image: a Nissan logo against bright yellow paint. That's the hero colour of the Frontier Pro PHEV ute (called Navara Pro in the Philippines), which is already on sale overseas and has already been spied testing on Aussie roads in recent times.

Nissan looks set to get an excitement injection with the confirmation – and possibly the price – of its first ever PHEV.
 
It released a short press statement that reads: "Nissan will announce an exciting new addition to its Australian vehicle range this Thursday, marking a significant new step in the brand's journey in Australia.

Nissan says the newcomer is "…tailored to the needs of Australian customers in a key segment and extensively tested and tuned for local conditions".

Key segment, tuned for local conditions? It's not a hatchback.

The 4x4 Frontier Pro was revealed in China in April 2025. It's based on the Dongfeng Z9 pick-up truck, not the US-built Nissan Frontier ute.

A turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine works with a transmission-mounted electric motor and a 33kWh lithium-ion battery. Combined, they make 320kW and 800Nm, right in the ballpark of the BYD Shark 6 and Chery Stockman.

Nissan claims 131km of EV range (NEDC) and 7.2L/100km.

There's 6kW of vehicle-to-load through outlets in the tub and braked towing is 3500kg, matching the diesel Navara. An electro-mechanically locking rear diff should give it the edge off-road over the Shark 6 – but maybe not the Chery Stockman.

Just don't call it a badge-swap special. Nissan Oceania managing director Steve Milette recently told carsales that China-sourced Nissans would be joint efforts.

"It's not something that we're buying off the shelf, importing into the market. It's something that's co-developed by the two companies for the benefits of Nissan and Oceania," he said.

Senior product marketing manager Alex Pecanac added that China-sourced product has "a dedicated Nissan management team from Japan".

So could Premcar give it a once-over too? The Melbourne engineering outfit built 10,294 D23 Navara Warriors, almost 20 per cent of Navara sales. Milette didn't rule out applying the Warrior formula to vehicles from beyond Japan.

"Is it something that we could consider for future products coming to Australia from other sources in the world? I think so. I think we should," he said.

Nissan needs a hit.

September 2026 VFACTS data shows the Navara found just 3227 buyers year-to-date, down 48.1 per cent on last year's 6214. September alone was down 34.9 per cent, with 338 sales. For context, the Shark 6 has racked up 13,586 sales this year and the HiLux 4x4 32,238.

Even so, the Navara still accounts for roughly one in six Nissans sold this year. It's a vital ute for a brand that's down 33.3 per cent overall, with 19,212 sales year-to-date.

Full details land Thursday. Nissan reportedly showed the PHEV ute to dealers late last year and flagged a 2027 launch.

If the new reveal is this new ute – and it maybe be called the Navara Pro PHEV – it won't be alone for long. Nissan is evaluating more Dongfeng-developed models, including the Terrano PHEV off-roader.

But the ute is the important one right now. Stay tuned for more details on Thursday and our first hands-on look at whatever this secret new vehicle is in the coming weeks.

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