Navara PHEV, Ariya BEV, new Patrol inbound

NISSAN is set to continue its range-wide model rejuvenation over the next 18 months as it readies the launch of up to seven new entrants in its Australian line-up, including the next-generation Patrol, an all-new battery electric SUV and, potentially, a plug-in hybrid Navara ute.

Speaking with GoAuto at the launch of the MY25 Patrol and Patrol Warrior in Torquay this week, Nissan Oceania managing director Andrew Humberstone said the Japanese importer would welcome internal combustion, hybrid, battery electric and plug-in hybrid-powered products to the fold before 2027.

“We have a lot of exciting things coming our way,” he enthused.

“In 2025, we’re launching the updated Patrol you see today, and shortly the perfect complement to our big V8 which is our Ariya electric vehicle, which helps us obviously manage some of the challenges around NVES, emissions, and so forth.

“But perhaps even more interestingly is what is happening in 2026.

“As part of a big commitment to Australia is the Y63-series Patrol, the new Navara – which there is a lot of working going on with in the background as we speak – the new Leaf, and of course the third-generation hybrid Qashqai.

“There is a lot of activity and a lot of investment in the Australian market, and it speaks to our commitment to the region … and that’s even before we talk about our mid-term plan and future product.”

Australia will become the first right-hand drive market to receive the Y63-series Patrol following its launch in the Middle East in September of last year.

While Mr Humberstone would not be drawn on when exactly the model would arrive in local dealerships, he suggested the Japanese financial year (April 2026-27) was a likely timeframe, suggesting the new Patrol would drive further interest in the segment, forecasting annual sales of 10,000 units or more.

“We will be the first right-hand drive market to receive the Y63-series Patrol, which is very important for us … we are at the front (of the queue) in terms of model selection now, which underscores our commitment to the region,” he reiterated, suggesting production caps may be the only hurdle in the success of the incoming model.

“I don’t think I’ll get enough product (volume to satisfy demand). The demand is there for the product, there is already a year-long waiting list in the Middle East, and we have already taken orders for the Y63 here.

“There is so much passion behind this (Patrol) product, so I don’t think we’re going to have any problem (selling it). Customers are begging us to take deposits, they want to be first on the list.

“I think it is quite feasible that we’ll get to 10,000 annual sales in Australia. I think this product will be exceptionally popular … I think there will be massive demand, and I think that as we’ve seen in the Middle East, there will be a waiting list at the start. In fact, I have no doubt.”

The forecast numbers would place the Y63-series Patrol well ahead of the volume achieved by the current model at the end of 2024 (8293 units) and closer to that of the segment-leading Toyota LandCrusier 300-series that achieved calendar-year sales of 15,257 units.

Looking elsewhere in the Nissan four-wheel drive line-up, Mr Humberstone said the recently outed Frontier PHEV may join the local line-up as a new energy alternative to the incoming Mitsubishi Triton-based Navara replacement.

If such a situation were to unfold, it would double Nissan Australia’s light commercial utility range to two for the first time since the departure of the Y61-series Patrol in 2016.

“I don’t think it’s necessarily one or the other,” he hinted.

“We are planning to bring a new ute to the market, and of course we have recently seen the vehicle from our partnership with Dongfeng that is available for international markets. Potentially, there is an opportunity that we would consider it.

“While it’s too early to say at this stage, it (the Dongfeng-sourced model) may not arrive as an ‘instead of’, but more likely as an ‘addition to’ the Navara range. I think there is space for it. It is a great vehicle, and I believe it could fill a nice gap for us.”

Nissan Australia is expected to reveal further details of its future model plan over the coming months as it seeks to put behind its recent discussions of a joint venture with Honda.

With Nissan instead set to focus on its collaborations with other parties, and with as many as 30 new models to be launched globally before 2027, Mr Humberstone insists the 90-year-old brand is in excellent shape to grow its volume both here in Australia and overseas.

“Including product that may come from our joint ventures, we have a lot of exciting product that we can introduce to the Australian market, along with what I’ve already shared,” he emphasised.

“The next 18 months are very exciting, as is our mid-term plan for the next five- to seven years down the line. We will consider carefully when it is the optimum time to introduce new models, and make sure we get that timing right.

“We want to make sure infrastructure is in place, that the consumer is ready, and to avoid some of the massive discounting we have seen, particularly on electric vehicles.

“We must be mindful of the customer, the customer experience – rather than chasing volume – and on dealer profitability. If we get those right, the volume will come.”

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