Due April, with the chops to lead the segment.
Some while back, it was leaked that Japanese manufacturer Nissan was in the midst of developing a seven-seater ladder-frame SUV to take on the likes of the Ford Everest and Isuzu MU-X, with the Nissan-badged entrant expected to be built atop the bones of the NP300 Navara ute. It would likely offer slightly less space than the existing Pathfinder but offer a greater breadth of ability (and potentially cannibalise sales), but it would capitalise on ever-growing preference buyers have towards large, rugged SUVs.
However, we’re delighted to say that not only has the project been confirmed, but so has its due date, with the upcoming SUV set to bow in at the 2018 Beijing Motor Show next April. The confirmation came from the mouth of Nissan’s global head of light commercial vehicles, Ashwani Gupta, in comments made to our friends at Drive during the recently-concluded Tokyo Motor Show.
“What I can assure you is Nissan is concentrating on, and is competent in, frame-based vehicles. We are going to cover each and every segment of body-on-frame vehicles. When? Wait a little bit longer, for the Beijing motor show.” — Ashwani Gupta, Vice President (Light Commercial Vehicle Division), Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance
In the same vein, Gupta defended the NP300 Navara against criticism that’s been consistently levelled at it, as its complicated multi-link rear suspension setup may improve on-road performance but it does little to bolster its ability as a ute. Its 1174 sales in September pales in comparison to the figures of the segment-leading Ford Ranger with its 4318 sales.
“I think in Australia, we are doing really good now. We have taken a lot of measures in [improving the product] when we launched the [revised] Navara. In Australia, we are now really concentrating on [aftersales service]. I think as far as the product is concerned, we are satisfied with the Navara. I don’t believe for a second our Navara is short of any product competitiveness in the segment.” — Ashwani Gupta, Vice President (Light Commercial Vehicle Division), Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance
That criticism levelled at the Navara’s suspension may compromise its ability as a ute, but we reckon that it’ll work favourably for the SUV, given that the same requirements won’t be levelled at an SUV. Load-lugging and seriously-heavy towing is generally reserved for utes and aren’t usually a responsibility given to a seven-seat family wagon, so perhaps the more sophisticated driving characteristics it affords will see the new SUV fare well among its counterparts. We’ll just have to wait “a little bit longer for the Beijing motor show,” then.
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