The Nissan Frontier may be the oldest of old-school pickups on the market. It’s safe to presume the next-generation model won’t be powered by a naturally-aspirated 3.8-liter V6. Nissan has all but confirmed that the next-generation Frontier will feature a plug-in hybrid powertrain. The brand followed that up by unveiling the Frontier Pro, a plug-in hybrid pickup, at the Shanghai Auto Show.
Key Takeaways
- Nissan unveiled two new vehicles in Shanghai
- The Frontier Pro is a plug-in hybrid pickup truck
- The N7 is a sleek electric sedan
- Both are bound for the Chinese market
- American counterparts may launch later this decade
Meet the Nissan Frontier Pro
Despite the name, the Frontier Pro is based on the Chinese Dongfeng Z9 and is not related to the American Frontier. Specs certainly sound impressive. It’s a 1.5-liter inline-four hybrid system that puts out a combined 402 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. Nissan claims it offers approximately 84 miles of EV range, according to the NEDC standard, which translates to around 60 miles under the more stringent EPA testing. The truck also has an intelligent AWD system and a 6 kW onboard power outlet. Nissan says the truck will debut in China and roll out to other markets.
Also, Meet The Dongfeng Nissan N7
Nissan also revealed a second vehicle in Shanghai, the Dongfeng Nissan N7. It’s a sleek sedan with a super-low 0.208 drag coefficient, matching the Tesla Model S. It comes with 58-kWh and 73-kWh lithium-iron phosphate batteries, delivering what would be approximately 222 miles and 277 miles of range, respectively, in EPA testing. The Dongfeng Nissan N7 has low-output (215-horsepower) and high-output (268-horsepower) versions, both with about 225 pound-feet of torque. All versions of the car are front-wheel-drive. The sedan provides impressive fast-charging capability, 10 to 80 percent in just 19 minutes with its 400V architecture. It also has a massive 15.6-inch touchscreen and a refrigerator that can both heat and cool beverages.
TopSpeed’s Take
Both the Frontier Pro and N7 look awesome. However, we don’t expect either vehicle to reach the United States. The American counterparts to these vehicles may not arrive until later this decade. Though technical know-how and design language could certainly make it to Nissan’s American EV offerings.
The new Nissan Frontier PHEV for the American market is not expected until 2028. Nissan would need to build that truck and source materials in America. Nothing has been confirmed, but the best bet is that the American Frontier and the Navara will share a different platform. We’d also expect the American PHEV setup to work a bit differently and have a gas engine component larger than 1.5 liters. As for electric sedans, Nissan has reportedly put those plans on the back burner to bring out EV crossovers first. An all-electric sedan was not mentioned in Nissan’s future product teasers.
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