Nissan Nomad Reviews

Nissan Australia is, like many legacy brands, in the unenviable position of trying to tackle an increasingly volatile market that’s favouring newcomer brands from China. With a new Managing Director at the helm in Oceania, former Nissan Canada President Steve Milette, the brand’s next moves include ‘going back to basics’ to remind customers why they liked Nissan in the past, and what Nissan is bringing to the table in an increasingly electric market. But it’s not full-EV that Nissan’s got a key focus on just yet, after the long-serving Nissan Leaf and the low-volume Nissan Ariya, the brand is looking at tech it’s been using for years as a way to improve its positioning - including to bring down its potentially hefty NVES emissions fines. Nissan’s e-Power hybrid system has been around for a while, but the view from the top at the brand’s local arm is that Australians have perhaps not been properly introduced to the tech. The way e-Power works is as a series hybrid, which means the engine charges a battery and electric motors propel the car alone. It’s different to the more traditional parallel hybrid system, which involves the engine also helping power the wheels, as Toyota and Honda have been using for quite some time. Unfortunately for Nissan, it no longer has the upper-hand on series hybrid tech. When CarsGuide asked Milette, along with Nissan Australia’s Senior Manager of Corporate Communications Angus Thompson, if it was frustrating to see customers flock to newcomer brands offering an ‘EV driving experience in a hybrid’, the answer from both was an agreed ‘yes’. “I think it wasn't a wake up call,” Thompson told CarsGuide. “I think it was just something where we had to look at ourselves and say we need to do a better job of telling our story.” It lines up with a comment Milette had just made about Nissan Australia’s messaging when it comes to what e-Power is. “We were focused on ‘e-Power’ and forgetting the hybrid, and some people didn't really know what e-Power was, and so now we're trying to connect.  “I mean, in Australia, we're doing a mall tour. We're going through key cities, key malls, and it's all about ePower, and you know, explaining what it's all about and inviting them for test drives. “I think that's, again, back to my challenger mindset. We're going back to the basics.”

Nissan has confirmed it will launch the Navara Pro plug-in hybrid (PHEV) dual-cab ute in Australia in 2027. Dubbed the Nissan Frontier Pro in other markets, the Navara Pro will be Nissan’s first PHEV in Australia and shapes up as a key rival to the likes of the BYD Shark 6, GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV and forthcoming Chery Stockman. The Nissan Navara Pro PHEV is the first Chinese-made Dongfeng joint-venture model to launch locally. It’s also the first time it’ll be offered in right-hand drive. Nissan has been testing Navara Pro PHEV prototypes locally since 2025 and what is set to be offered is a unique set-up. Final pricing and specifications will be confirmed closer to its launch. Nissan evaluated the globally announced 1.5-litre turbo-petrol PHEV powertrain, as well as a new 2.0-litre turbo-petrol PHEV powertrain in Australia. The latter has been selected for the Australian-specification Navara Pro PHEV. The 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine has a 'high-output' electric motor integrated into an eight-speed automatic transmission, with total system outputs of 300kW and 800Nm. There is a four-wheel drive system with a series of drive and terrain modes. Nissan is targeting a 3500kg braked towing capacity with the Navara Pro PHEV, as well as a payload capacity of approximately 1000kg (both subject to final homologation). Nissan hasn’t confirmed the battery size of the Australian-specification Navara Pro PHEV. Globally there are 17kWh and 32.85kWh units available, but these are aligned with the smaller 1.5-litre turbo-petrol PHEV powertrain. As a result, the claimed EV range will be announced closer to the Navara Pro PHEV’s local launch. Vehicle-to-load (V2L) is set to be offered at an as yet unknown rate. This will allow for electrical appliances to be powered remotely. Final specifications are yet to be locked in, but Nissan notes available features, depending on the trim level, include a large central touchscreen, digital instrument cluster, panoramic glass sunroof, as well as heated and ventilated front seats. Nissan has been testing five examples of the Navara Pro PHEV in Australia since 2025 and they have collectively travelled more than 20,000km Down Under. The Japanese carmaker is yet to finalise the Aussie set-up and has evaluated leaf-spring and multi-link coil rear suspension configurations. The final suspension arrangement will be confirmed closer to the car's launch in 2027. Additionally, the Navara Pro PHEV’s powertrain, advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) calibrations, drive and terrain modes, tyres and differential lock configuration have all been evaluated locally. This is above and beyond towing and load performance testing in Australia. The Nissan Navara Pro PHEV is set to be the first Chinese-made Nissan offered in Australia. However, a series of other Chinese-made Nissans are made within its Dongfeng joint-venture operation. These include the N6 PHEV sedan, N7 electric sedan, NX7 PHEV SUV and NX8 electric and range-extender (REEV) SUV. None of these have been confirmed for right-hand drive production yet. The Navara Pro is also offered with regular turbo-petrol and turbo-diesel powertrains in other markets. It’s unclear whether any other Chinese-made Nissan models will come here, however Oceania has been identified as a key export market opportunity.

Nissan Australia is one of several legacy brands under pressure from changing market forces and new entrants to Australia, but its new Managing Director for Oceania isn’t worried about newcomers taking over. In the role since April is former Nissan Canada President Steve Milette, who was most recently the Vice President for Dealer Network Development, Customer Resources, Training and Customer Experience for Nissan and Infiniti in the US and Canada. He told CarsGuide that in his first few months in the top job for Nissan, he’s noticed how effective new entrants to the Australian market, especially from China, have been in terms of climbing the sales charts. He says after his time in Canada and the US, he was surprised how much ground new brands have made here compared to the “inexistent” presence of brands from China in North America. “But it is surprising, now it's not an overnight success. Like it's 10 years in the making for some of them,” Milette told CarsGuide. “Some of those brands have come and gone and come back, and so you'd think that consumers would remember that. You know that it could be temporary in nature.” Milette said despite the dramatic changes in the new car market, past crises and economic instability has often resulted in the car industry finding its way back to a familiar balance. “But I do think that there's like a perfect storm, right?  “Of the Iran crisis, if you will, the spike in fuel prices, the hyperinflation, rates were up again yesterday in Australia, and so it does create pressure on the consumer. “And at the initial stages of this Middle East crisis, there was not only fuel pricing up, but there could be a shortage of fuel, and so people just jumped. It was the perfect opportunity to jump into a relatively inexpensive EV from a new entrant.” The latest sales figures show Australians are not only moving their buying habits to new cars from China, but doing it in droves. Most new cars sold in Australia in September 2026 were from China, around 40,000 compared to the next-highest, around 23,000 from Japan. In the top 10 cars for that month, four came from Chinese brands and five were built in China. Four of September’s top 10 brands were also Chinese. But Milette says as the fuel crisis subsides and economic pressures change, people will revert to previous buying behaviours. “I do think all that will come back to the mean, I think crisis or history shows that they're always resolved, and everything reverts back to the mean.  “And so, I do think for me, it's just to continue pushing on the values that we have, and the vehicles that we have, and working closely with our dealers. And I think, you know, things are only going to go up for us here, from a business perspective in Australia.” The idea of dramatically changing market trends isn’t a reason to hit the emergency button and change the brand’s entire approach, says Milette.  In fact, he’s surprised there’s been a narrative around Nissan being one of the brands under the most pressure in the current new car industry climate. “I'd say from a sales perspective, obviously we're one of the brands that has decreased year over year,” Milette said. “I mean, if you look at you know the winners and losers, if you count sales volume as the criteria, most new entrants are at the top of the chart, and most legacy brands are at the bottom of the chart, and all of them, not just Nissan.  “Some are in worse shape than we are, but for us, what I've seen maybe that's different to… the markets I've come from… is the rhetoric around ‘hey is Nissan here to stay or what's happening with Nissan globally?’  “I had not heard that in Canada or the US in years, at least a couple years.  “You know, there are articles written sometimes about legacy OEMs having a hard time, and you know some are leaving, and then they'll show our logo. But the article had nothing to do with us, and so we need to break through that because we're not just here to survive; we're here to thrive as a company.”

Chinese brands are having a monster 2026 on the sales charts. BYD further solidified second place in the top-selling brands race, so far bettering Ford, Kia, Mazda and Hyundai. The giant Chinese brand has more than doubled its Australian market share in 2026 compared to 2025. GWM, Chery and MG all now regularly feature in the top 10. Some individual Chinese models have even started to outsell entire legacy brands in Australia. The BYD Sealion 7 electric mid-size SUV was the fifth-best-selling car in September 2026, shifting 2687 units across the month. This represented a more than 42 per cent jump on September 2025, as it continues to be the closest rival to the Tesla Model Y. This means it nearly matched the Mitsubishi brand’s 2769 cars sold across its entire range in September. Overall, Mitsubishi has sold 33,245 cars up to September 2026, in excess of 10,000 more than the BYD Sealion 7’s 19,964 examples sold. Australian Design Rule changes forced the Japanese brand to discontinue sale of several of its strong-selling models. These included the ASX and Eclipse Cross small SUVs, as well as the adventure-pitched Pajero Sport. The old ASX used to be one of the most popular cars in Australia, owing to its less than $30,000 price tag and dependability. Mitsubishi is again beefing up its line-up in Australia. The much-anticipated Pajero 4WD and a fully-electric variant of the new ASX will launch in the coming months. Some of China’s other popular SUVs put up similarly spectacular numbers in September 2026. Chery registered 2059 sales for its Tiggo 4 small SUV, which is more than what Nissan (2028) and Subaru (2009) managed across their line-ups. The GWM Haval Jolion also outsold Subaru in September, with 2018 sales. The Tiggo 4 and Haval Jolion provide variety for buyers between petrol or conventional hybrid set-ups. They are also among some of the cheapest cars in Australia. Petrol grades of the Tiggo 4 ($23,990) and Haval Jolion ($26,990) are both sub-$30,000, drive-away, in Australia. Geely has stormed up the Aussie sales rankings in 2026, and its EX5 electric mid-size SUV ($41,990, before on-road costs) has led the way for the brand. The EX5’s 2008 sales in September 2026 were just shy of Subaru’s total, but above Suzuki (1049) and Volkswagen (1599). VW's figure does not include other brands in the VW group, such as Audi and Skoda, among others that would boost its sales to more than 3000 for September 2026.

The Nissan X-Trail has been well-liked since its inception 25 years ago and the current generation has done reasonably well in an increasingly crowded mid-size SUV market. While not the front-runner in terms of sales - the Toyota RAV4 holds that title, of course - the Nissan X-Trail is one of a few mid-size SUVs to break the 1000-sales mark this year so far, a feat increasingly achieved by newcomer Chinese models. To strengthen its place in the market, Nissan has broadened the X-Trail offering to include more affordable (and more efficient) two-wheel drive versions of its e-Power hybrid grades, as well as a style-focused soft-roader version called the Rock Creek. Starting with the most visually obvious addition, the X-Trail Rock Creek is a $48,315 ask, before-on roads, for its single seven-seat grade. The Rock Creek uses the same 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine as the rest of the combustion-powered range, with 135kW and 244Nm driving all four of its wheels. It’s built on the same spec as the ST-L, but adds plenty of unique styling and black trim, with orange accents and stitching inside, plus a unique set of 18-inch alloy wheels. Inside, ballistic nylon-trimmed seats are joined by a step-up from the donor ST-L in the form of a 12.3-inch driver display and 10.8-inch head-up display. The front seats are comfortable, spacious and ergonomically sensible, and the second row has a decent amount of room and some adjustability to account for the third row. That back row is, however, pretty useless for adults due to the cramped space. Nissan says the Rock Creek has the same 465 litres of boot space as other seven-seat grades, measured from floor to roof with the third folded flat. The 2WD e-Power on the other hand starts from $45,990 in ST-L grade, $50,915 for the mid-spec Ti and up to $54,715 for the Ti-L. They’re all five-seaters with equipment matching that of their 4WD counterparts. That means the ST-L gets some basics like leather-accented trim and a surround-view camera, while the Ti gets a sunroof and head-up display, and the Ti-L gets all the fruit like a Bose 10-speaker sound system and heated seats even in the second row. The five-seat e-Power has 575L of boot space with all the seats up, 10 litres less than the five-seat petrol. The e-Power 2WD has very similar outputs to the e-Power 4X4, with 150kW and 330Nm from its front-mounted electric motor. The same 106kW/250Nm 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine powers the very small 2.1kWh battery, but not the wheels. Regardless of grade, the X-Trail uses a 55L fuel tank and can run on 91RON unleaded fuel, though Nissan recommends 95RON for the e-Power. The 4X4 petrol Rock Creek sips 7.8L/100km on the combined cycle according to the claim, though with some off-roading and unsealed road driving the trip computer shower 9.7L. The 2WD e-Power should use 5.4L according to the specs, but 6.2L was the displayed rate on the drive. You shouldn’t need to try hard to get better figures than those we saw on the launch, as test-driving involved a combination of fast driving on twisty NZ roads and gentle off-roading around Lake Wakatipu and the Rees River. The current X-Trail has always been easy to work with from behind the wheel and the front-drive versions don’t lose much of the smoothness and urge the all-wheel drive version of the hybrid X-Trails boast. While it doesn’t feel like the lightest SUV, the steering is accurate enough to take any guesswork out of cornering and the electric motors get the mid-sizer moving quickly. Traction doesn’t suffer much without the rear wheels in play, though given the limited drive time in each grade on the launch it’s possible very wet conditions or rough roads could show up flaws. The Rock Creek on the other hand should be safe as houses when it comes to light off-roading, given its 4x4 system, though its on-road prowess is somewhat dulled by its petrol engine. Compared to the e-Power, the Rock Creek handles and rides similarly on the road, but its acceleration feels lacklustre and its efficiency takes a big hit. The X-Trail has a maximum five-star safety score from ANCAP, though this was tested in 2021 under more lenient criteria. Its 'Pro-Pilot' driver assistance systems remain, as mentioned, subtle and exist to prevent genuine mistakes rather than remind you constantly how to drive. Seven airbags join a series of features like front and rear AEB, pedestrian and cyclist detection, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control and a driver monitor that’s based on inputs rather than a visual sensor. Pretty much everything from a safety perspective is the same across the variants, though the Rock Creek gets a spare wheel rather than a repair kit as in the e-Power. Nissan offers a 10-year/300,000km warranty as long as you service with authorised Nissan dealers. Otherwise it’s five years and unlimited kilometres. You also get a flat price of $399 for any X-Trail grade at the first five services. These will come up every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first.

Nissan is set to confirm a new model for Australia on October 8 and it will be its first plug-in hybrid (PHEV). The Japanese carmaker has published a single teaser image showing the front end of the vehicle with an illuminated Nissan badge. Using the teaser image and available imagery, it looks very much like it is the Frontier Pro/Navara Pro PHEV. This Chinese-made dual-cab ute will be a key rival to the likes of the BYD Shark 6, GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV and upcoming Chery Stockman. Nissan says this forthcoming new vehicle has “electrified performance and new levels of capability”. It's also claimed to be "tailored to the needs of Australian customers in a key segment". Additionally Nissan claims this new model has been “extensively tested and tuned for local conditions”. Prototype examples of the Frontier Pro/Navara Pro PHEV have been spied in Australia over the last few weeks. Nissan hasn’t been shy about leveraging its joint-venture partnership with Dongfeng in China and Australia has been identified as a key market. The Frontier Pro/Navara Pro PHEV comes with a 2.0-litre petrol engine and dual electric motors for total system outputs of 320kW and 800Nm. It also offers up to 135km of CLTC-claimed electric range. Both turbo-petrol and turbo-diesel engines are available in the Frontier Pro/Navara Pro globally. It’s unclear whether these are on the radar for a local launch. Beyond the Frontier Pro/Navara Pro, Nissan also offers a series of other Chinese-made models for export markets. These include the NX8 electric and range-extender (REEV) SUV and N7 electric sedan, among others.

What kind of adventure vehicle will best suit you, your partner and your family depends on your collective needs, wants and lifestyle. But the old adage rings true as much here as it does elsewhere: buy what you need, not what you want. If you want to head to your favourite campsite in the nearest National Park, which is accessible via a well-maintained gravel track with only some minor corrugations in the track surface then a standard AWD will certainly do the trick. Bonus: a set of aggressive all-terrain tyres will boost its adventure potential even more. If you want to travel way off the beaten track, tackle gnarly terrain (signposted ‘4WD-only’) and live like off-grid adventurers for a weekend or week then obviously a 4WD with decent all-terrain tyres, low- and high-range 4WD, diff locks and plenty of ground clearance is your best bet. The core difference between the two drivetrain types – AWD and 4WD – can be boiled down to this: an AWD is a vehicle that drives all of its wheels, all of the time, while a 4WD uses a driver-selectable system to mechanically engage the drive to all four wheels. (For a comprehensive explanation of the two systems, read this. Vehicles with a permanently engaged AWD system have been designed and engineered for daily driving on the blacktop with occasional use on dirt or mild off-road conditions. These vehicles are usually lighter and lower than a 4WD. 4WDs (aka 4x4s) are generally bigger, heavier, more robust and better suited to slow, hard-core off-roading, think Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series, Nissan Patrol or Ineos Grenadier. In the modern market, the Nissan Patrol (4WD), Subaru Outback (AWD), and Hyundai Palisade XRT (AWD) offer a decent spread of comfort and capability – on- and off-road – and each in their own right holds plenty of appeal as a daily driver and potential adventure vehicle. So, what do you need to know when buying a family car for adventure? Read on. An AWD is fundamentally safer to drive on-road than a 2WD or even 4WD in challenging conditions (wet weather etc) on sealed surfaces or even dirt or gravel tracks. Rather than a transfer case, AWD vehicles use a drive system with a limited-slip differential or an electronically controlled clutch that directs torque to whichever wheel needs it most to achieve safe, optimum traction, while still allowing for a rotational difference between front and rear axles. Some AWD systems work better than others, but the principle goal remains the same: get torque to and traction at the right spots in order to keep the vehicle’s driver and passengers safe. AWDs also sit lower on the road than their 4WD rivals and have dimensions – length, width and height – that bolster the vehicle’s potential for stability in ordinary driving conditions, as opposed to 4WDs which generally have a higher centre of gravity and are heavier and more cumbersome. To further boost their capability for safe driving in traction-compromised situations, AWDs – think Subaru Crosstrek and the like – often have a variety of drive modes (including Normal, Snow/Dirt and Deep Snow/Mud) that adjust engine torque, throttle response and traction control, among other things, to suit the road surface and conditions the vehicle finds itself. It’s important to keep in mind here that not all AWDs – or 4WDs for that matter – are equal; some AWD systems, like Subaru’s X Mode in the Subaru Outback Wilderness, are able to help the vehicle tackle terrain so challenging that it would otherwise seem out of an all-wheel drive’s realm of capability. X Mode’s snow/dirt and deep snow/mud options – each tweaking acceleration, off-road traction-control activity and front and rear axle limited-slip function, among other things, to suit the terrain – add another level to the Outback’s capability. AWDs are also cheaper on fuel than 4WDs and this adventure slice of the market will only become more competitive as more hybrids and EVs enter the chat. So, what is an AWD capable of? It depends on the vehicle’s all-wheel-drive system and its ground clearance, off-road angles and tyres. Light off-roading – well-maintained gravel roads and dirt tracks in dry conditions – is absolutely fine because that’s well within an AWD’s capabilities and it results in very little wear and tear on the vehicle, minimal risk of damage to the vehicle or, more importantly, the occupants, and little to no stress for the driver and passengers. In their favour is the fact that AWDs are capable of staying planted on wet and slippery surfaces, bitumen, dirt or gravel. An AWD’s off-road capabilities can be improved with a set of decent all-terrain tyres but those still won’t turn it into a rock-crawling beast. In an AWD it’s best to avoid driving on anything beyond a well-maintained dirt track in dry weather and certainly do not take on any ‘4WD/high ground clearance only' tracks, sand driving or rock crawling. Anything more rigorous and you risk damage to the vehicle’s underbody, at a minimum, and mechanical damage and personal injury, at worst. Hard-core rock-crawling is the realm of vehicles with low- and high-range 4WD, larger and grippier tyres, locking diffs, and more ground clearance, more underbody protection and more wheel travel than AWDs. Avoid driving an AWD on sand, other than very firm-packed sand, and even then I wouldn’t spend much time on that surface. Sand driving puts heavy stress on a vehicle, and AWDs don’t have a lot of ground clearance, so they’re prone to bellying out on tall crests in between deeper wheel ruts on a beach. An AWD is a good all-round vehicle with ample potential as a daily driver, family taxi and weekend adventure machine and it will accomplish all of those duties, comfortably, capably and safely. These vehicles are designed for use on sealed surfaces roads with some dirt or light-duty off-road use thrown into the mix, and can reliably handle the demands of wet-weather driving. AWDs have plenty of potential for adventures, but there’s no substitute for real 4WD and diff locks when it comes to off-roading that’s beyond well-maintained gravel tracks or firm sand. A 4WD makes the most sense as a great all-purpose vehicle because it can be big and tough and it has a drivetrain, mechanical and suspension set-up engineered to get you anywhere you want to go. A 4WD in the traditional sense has a transfer case with high- and low-range 4WD, as well as larger and grippier tyres, more ground clearance and more wheel travel than a conventional AWD car. Hopefully, your 4WD also has locking diffs. 4WDs also now have such sophisticated driver-asst aids – such as off-road traction control, hill descent control and crawl control (like cruise control but for low-speed 4WDing) – that even a beginner 4WDer can look and feel like an off-road expert. But mostly a 4WD’s off-road appeal and capability all boils down to the fact that it has the gearing, torque, grip, wheel articulation, and underbody protection needed to tackle legitimate off-roading. And those in-built mechanical and engineering attributes make 4WDs a whole lot of fun because they give the driver and passengers the ability to drive (legal) tracks and to reach places people may otherwise not be able to reach using any other ground-based transport. Alas, sometimes even a vehicle with low-range 4WD, off-road drive modes and diff locks can be hampered by something fundamental – as was the case on a recent test of the MGU9. That ute is comfortable and well behaved on-road but its off-road flaw – a lack of ground clearance – was swiftly exposed on even the most innocuous of bumpy terrain. Very disappointing. But, all in all, a 4WD is engineered to cope with the worst life can throw at it – including towing 3500kg or more. These vehicles are big, sturdy and offer the driver and passengers a real sense of comfort, safety and security. A 4WD gives the driver a high driving position, ample visibility, and an inherent feeling of being in control at all times on the road. A 4WD is roomy, so, as well as people and dogs, it’s able to carry a lot of gear (groceries, camping stuff, sporting equipment). Some 4WDs have seven or eight seats, so there’s the opportunity to transport even more people. The trade-off is that 4WDs are big and heavy compared to AWDs, so can be more challenging to drive in and around town than their lighter, more nimble counterparts. You might want a 4WD but chances are you don’t really need one. An AWD makes a lot of sense, particularly if you're being realistic about how you'll use the vehicle. Overall, an AWD is cheaper, more fuel efficient and a better all-rounder than a 4WD. Buy what you need, not what you want.

Nissan is getting serious about hybrid power.  The Japanese brand announced it will invest heavily in its hybrid tech as part of a new United States-focused approach, according to a report in Automotive News.  Nissan will ditch its plug-in hybrid plans as part of this new approach to focus on developing a V6 hybrid engine and 'e-Power' range-extender hybrids instead.  The brand said it wants to make hybrid its main powertrain in the US, and it will add new e-Power range-extender variants and an all-new V6 hybrid to achieve this.  The new V6 hybrid engine will be used on mid-size and large SUVs, as well as utes.  It’s expected the set-up will first be used on the revised Nissan Xterra SUV that is primarily sold in North America.  It is unclear what this set-up will look like, but it's likely to feature the upcoming generation of the Frontier ute and the Pathfinder SUV.  Australia is not expected to receive any of these vehicles, because they predominantly target the US and the current generation models are not sold here. The Pathfinder was sold here briefly but was discontinued earlier this year. Nissan’s ‘e-Power’ system uses range-extender technology by employing a small battery, charged by the petrol engine, to power the wheels. It's currently used on some Qashqai and X-Trail SUV examples sold in Australia, but Nissan’s Kicks compact SUV is also available with it in other markets.  The Kicks is under consideration for Australia, with Nissan also eager to introduce the Kick's e-Power variant in the US.  The Kicks’ 2.0-litre four-cylinder conventional petrol engine would incur fines under Australian emissions regulations, but this new e-Power grade isn't expected to.  This is part of Nissan’s plans to pivot away from PHEVs due to wavering demand from buyers.  Nissan has discontinued its PHEV-powered Rogue SUV in the US - a rebadged version of the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV - and will now sell an e-Power variant instead.  “The volume of plug-in hybrid in the US has collapsed down to almost zero,” Nissan Americas Chairman Christian Meunier told Automotive News.   “It's not a strategic model for us. It was more a bridge to e-Power hybrid. So production is stopped.” Nissan’s will shift towards manufacturing in the US to side-step hefty tariffs and minimise transglobal distribution costs.  Nissan views the US as a crucial market to its success. “Building where you sell eliminates many risks — tariffs, currency swings and supply chain issues,” Meunier said.  “For our most important market, maximising US production is critical.” This approach will see Nissan’s Tennessee manufacturing plant reach full capacity, shifting 600,000 units annually, compared to its current 400,000. 

Hybrid power is now mainstream for Aussie buyers.   It's an important choice for buyers transitioning from petrol- and diesel-powered cars to full EVs. Hybrid-powered cars are also important for brands as they seeks alternatives to internal combustion cars that incur fines under the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES). There are broad categories of hybrid cars in Australia, and each one has its own benefits for buyers. Here's a look at what hybrids are available, and which one might suit you best. Mild hybrid power is the first stage of electrification for cars. Mild hybrid cars can't drive on EV power alone, because they only use a small, low-voltage battery (usually) 48-volt, with a less than 1kWh capacity. The electric motor usual powers certain electrical features and the starter motor. They don't need to be charged, but they also don't offer noticeably better fuel efficiency than standard petrol- and diesel-powered cars. The popular Toyota HiLux ute is available with a 48-volt mild hybrid system, while Suzuki and Renault offer mild hybrid set-ups on some of their models. Conventional hybrid, plug-less hybrid or self-charging hybrid cars are popular in Australia. The engine works seamlessly with a bigger electric motor to maximise fuel efficiency. A conventional hybrid usually runs on electric-only power at low speeds or for short distances when cruising at higher speeds. The engine will kick in at higher speeds or when more power is needed, blending petrol and electric power. This makes fuels efficiency in urban environments or star-stop traffic better than what a petrol- or diesel-powered car would achieve. The battery in a conventional hybrid is charged by the engine and from regenerative braking, meaning the car doesn't need to be plugged in. The conventional hybrid car's battery is smaller than those in plug-in hybrid and fully-electric cars, and still requires a petrol engine to run. Toyota provides conventional hybrid set-ups on the vast majority of its Australian line-up, including its RAV4 SUV and Camry sedan. Other popular brands Kia, Hyundai and others also have affordable conventional hybrid variants on its popular models. Plug-in hybrids or PHEVs take hybrid power to the next level because they are equipped with a much larger battery and a more powerful electric motor set-up. PHEVs have a long electric-only driving range, with some capable of exceeding 200km, before the engine is needed to drive the wheels. Most new PHEVs have an EV range of at least 100km. This means daily commuters will rarely have to fill-up on fuel if they charge the battery every night. PHEVs also boast significant combined driving range as they have a regular sized fuel tank to power the engine, resulting in ranges of north of 1000km before the fuel tank and battery are depleted. Carmakers often claim PHEVs drink less than 2.0L/100km of fuel, but that requires owners to constantly charge their batteries and never let it deplete. Once the battery is depleted fuel use will skyrocket, as the small engine has to move around a heavy vehicle weighed down by the battery and electric motors. PHEVs suit a buyer with access to charging facilities, who also want outstanding fuel efficiency. Bigger Chinese vehicles usually employ PHEV set-ups, including the BYD Shark 6 ute and incoming Zeekr 8X and 9X. Range-extender hybrids, also known as Range Extender Electric Vehicle (REEV) or Extended-Range Electric vehicle (EREV), are gaining popularity globally. They are feature similar hardware to PHEVs, but work in a different way. The engine in a REEV's is used as a generator for charging the battery, and the wheels are driven by the electric motor, or motors, only. REEV's have an EV-sized battery that can also be plugged in to charge, giving these cars a driving range comfortably exceeding 1000km. Leapmotor's B10 and C10 SUVs use REEV set-ups in Australia, but the incoming Forthing Taikon 5 and the XPeng L03 will also employ the set-up when they hit showrooms. Nissan’s ‘e-Power’ hybrid system in the X-Trail and Qashqai SUVs employ REEV tech on a smaller scale, using the engine to power a small battery that powers the wheels, but this battery cannot be plugged in to charge.

Nissan has revealed a new light EV called the Pixo, built on the same platform as the new Renault Twingo. With a single grade confirmed but no pricing so far, the 2027 Nissan Pixo is “engineered specifically for European customers” according to the brand, and will be built at Renault's Novo Mesto manufacturing plant in Slovenia. Set to start European customer deliveries in early 2027, it’s unlikely the Pixo will head down under due to its low power output and relatively limited range. With a 27.5kWh LFP battery providing power to a 60kW front-mounted electric motor, the Pixo is capable of a 259km claimed range and is limited to 50kW on DC fast charging. It should take around half an hour to charge from 15 per cent to 80 per cent, according to Nissan. In terms of specification the Pixo almost mirrors the related Renault Twingo, which also has a 60kW motor and a range only a few kilometres longer. The Pixo also features 23 ‘easter eggs’ in the design and details, seemingly including a smiling face in the tail-lights. Nissan Global Design Lead Exterior Designer Masato Koyama said the Pixo’s diminutive design plays into its intention as a city car. “Pixo proves that great things can come in small packages.  “Its compact dimensions make it a natural fit for Europe’s cities, but we’ve worked hard to maximise the space within them, creating a cabin that feels open, practical and surprisingly roomy.  “I can’t wait to see how our customers embrace this bold and fun new EV – that is perfectly suited to urban environments.”  At just 3796mm long and 1790mm wide, the Pixo is properly small, though its surprisingly spacious boot offers up 356L of space with the rear seats up, and 1221L with the seats folded. Its relatively short wheelbase (2492mm) and minimal overhangs allow the Pixo to achieve a 9.9m turning circle, suitable for its intended purpose as a Euro-centric city car. Clíodhna Lyons, Vice President of Product, Brand and Marketing Strategy for Nissan AMIEO said the Pixo is about “giving customers practical alternatives that help reduce the cost of every journey”. "We believe the future of electric mobility isn't about building bigger vehicles with more technology, it's about building smarter vehicles that fit naturally into people's lives.”