Nissan’s Chinese offensive is set to result in a new SUV made to go off-road, at least according to a teaser image released by the brand.
Ahead of the Beijing motor show – aka Auto China – next week, Nissan has released a shadowy image of what appears to be a 4×4 SUV, with high ground clearance, knobbly tyres and a boxy exterior design.
Set to be different to the North American-market Xterra recently confirmed to make a return, the unnamed concept due to soon be revealed in China will likely form a part of Nissan’s global rejuvenation strategy, with the possibility of going on sale in Australia.
From the photo issued by Nissan, it also appears the SUV will gun for the likes of the popular Toyota LandCruiser Prado and Ford Everest, both of which are among the best-selling SUVs of their size in Australia.
Details are non-existent at this stage, however the design language of the SUV’s light bar is reminiscent of the Frontier Pro ute, Nissan’s Chinese-market dual-cab with plug-in hybrid power.
Itself expected to come to Australia, the Frontier Pro – which is made as a part of a joint venture with Dongfeng – plug-in hybrid powertrain, with a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and a transmission-mounted electric motor producing up to 320kW and 800Nm combined.
While we don’t yet know if this powertrain will make its way into the upcoming SUV, other Chinese offerings in the market such as the GWM Tank 300 and Denza B5 have adopted PHEV power.
Importantly, the Frontier Pro is underpinned by a body-on-frame chassis, something which is almost essential for a successful off-roader. It’s assumed that similar bones will be found in the SUV.
Nissan has previously confirmed it was working on a body-on-frame SUV in China, believed to be the model which is being uncovered in the coming days.
The off-road focused SUV will be joined on Nissan’s Beijing stand by a more traditional, mass-market SUV, which is more reflective of the brand’s existing core models in its design.
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