We’re not entirely sure what the traditional pickup truck buyer in the UK would make of one delivering upwards of 402bhp from a hybrid system anchored around a tiny 1.5-litre petrol engine, but that’s just what we’ve got here in the shape of the new Nissan Frontier Pro.
Launched at the Shanghai Auto Show and initially available in China only, it’s set to come to other, currently unconfirmed markets at some point in the future – and given it seems to be the same sort of size of pickup we prefer, we certainly wouldn’t rule out Europe.
Nissan Frontier Pro – rear
The Frontier Pro appears to be one of those unusual PHEVs where the electric motor, mounted in the gearbox, does the heavy lifting rather than the combustion engine. We don’t have exact figures, but given that the engine is a little 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol unit, we can’t imagine it’s contributing a whole lot to the truck’s power output of “over 300kW” (402bhp) and mighty peak torque of 590lb ft.
That’s sent through Nissan’s Intelligent All-Wheel Drive System that actively shuffles power and torque distribution between the axles, and on the back, there’s an electromechanically-locking diff. It also gets hybrid, full EV, performance and snow drive modes, with EV-only range estimated at 84 miles on China’s (admittedly generous) test cycle.
Nissan Frontier Pro and D21 Hardbody
The boxy styling’s been handled by Nissan’s Shanghai studio, and features a subtle nod to the past – those three slender LEDs stretching between the main headlight units are a nod to the trio of air intakes found on the US-market D21 Hardbody pickup of the 1980s.
On the inside, there’s the usual digital instrument display and infotainment screen we expect from basically any new car – in this case, the former is 10 inches wide and the latter 14.6 inches. It also gets a standard panoramic roof and optional heated, ventilated and massaging front seats.
Nissan Frontier Pro – interior
There’s no word yet on the performance numbers those impressive power and torque figures provide, but we do know the Frontier Pro will be on sale in China by year’s end. We’ll have to wait and see where else Nissan decides to sell it – would you welcome it in Britain?
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