Nissan Note Reviews

Audi RS5: Ready to enter the German ‘Big Three’ performance octagon with the BMW M4 and Mercedes-AMG C63S, the new Audi RS5, offered as a sedan and ‘Avant’ wagon, is a plug-in hybrid combining a 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 engine with a powerful single electric motor for outputs of 470kW/825Nm. Pricing is already confirmed from $179,900, before on-road costs. Read moreBentley Bentayga Speed: Swapping out the British brand’s epic (but emissions constrained) 6.0L W12 for a fearsome 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 has made this luxurious SUV even faster and louder. How about 478kW/850Nm and $525,000, before on-road costs, when it arrives here in the next couple of months?Read moreBMW iX3: Arriving in early July, BMW’s much-anticipated 'Neue Klasse' iX3 is an ultra-modern mid-size five-door SUV with a pure-electric powertrain initially launching with one model, the 345kW/645Nm 50 xDrive (109,900, before on-road costs). The 235kW/500Nm iX3 40 ($89,900, BOC), which slips under the Luxury Car Tax threshold, will follow in Q4.  Read moreBMW M2 xDrive: New compact muscle coupe variant picks up all-wheel drive to put the 353kW/600Nm produced by its 3.0-litre twin-turbo inline six-cylinder on the ground. Zero to 100km/h in 3.7sec with cost-of-entry at $172,900, before on-road costs when it arrives in Q4.Read moreBYD Atto 3 Evo: Prior to the all-new next-gen Atto 3 likely hitting Aussie showrooms sometime in 2027, the Evo version of the current model gives it rear-wheel drive. There’s also an all-wheel-drive flagship with 330kW available. Likely local touchdown in Q3.Read moreChery KP31: And you thought there wasn’t room for another ute in the Aussie market. The subject of a local naming contest (Orca is looking likely, as it tops BYD Shark) the Chery ‘KP31’ is scheduled for a Q4 launch, featuring a ladder chassis and a segment-first 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel and electric motor hybrid powertrain. A petrol-electric hybrid will arrive in 2027.Read moreCupra VZ5: Fire-breathing mid-size SUV variant powered by an Audi RS3-sourced 2.5-litre turbo-petrol five-cylinder engine sending 287kW/480Nm to all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch auto transmission. Zero to 100km/h comes up in 4.2 seconds – 0.7 seconds quicker than the 228kW VZx, making it one of the fastest combustion-powered SUVs out there. Read moreDeepal S05: The Deepal S05 small-medium SUV joins the S07 mid-size SUV, likely offered in range-extender hybrid and/or pure-electric form. ADR compliance is locked in and pre-orders are open on the brand’s Aussie website.Read moreFerrari 849 Testarossa: Okay, the shopping list - milk, bread, eggs and a $932,648 Ferrari 849 Testarossa. Not for everyone, then. But what a car! Zero to 100km/h in 2.3sec courtesy of a twin-turbo V8 plug-in hybrid powertrain sending 611kW/842Nm to all four wheels. Coupe in Q4, with the roofless Spider arring in early ‘27.  Read moreGeely EX2: Set to arrive in the third quarter, this budget-focused electric compact SUV could start under $30K, before on-road costs. It has a single motor driving the rear wheels and two battery sizes are offered in China, providing 310km or 410km of range, respectively. Read moreGenesis GV60 Magma: Part of the upcoming next-gen GV60 line-up, the Magma is a performance-focused pure-electric powerhouse SUV riding on the same ‘E-GMP’ platform as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. Dual electric motors for 478kW/790Nm, 0-200km/h in 10.9sec and maximum velocity of 264km/h. Arrives in July.Read moreGWM Wey G9: The Wey G9 (name yet to be confirmed for Australia) is a luxury plug-in hybrid people mover scheduled for Q4 with the V9X PHEV SUV spilling over into 2027. Its chunky 44.2 kWh battery provides a claimed pure-electric driving range of up to 170 km with a combined range of more than 1000km. Read moreHonda Super One: Super by name, super by nature, this pure-electric ‘kei’ car is guaranteed to put a smile on your face with a likely Aussie starting price around $35,000. A front-mounted electric motor produces 70kW/162Nm and Honda claims up to 274km of range.  Read moreHyundai Palisade XRT Pro: A tough looking Toyota LandCruiser rival with twin, chassis-mounted tow hooks as well as more ground clearance for useful approach, departure and breakover angles. Add a rear electronic limited-slip differential for better off-road capability as well as downhill brake control and new terrain modes for mud, sand and snow. Read moreIsuzu D-Max EV: One of the most popular utes in the county could get a pure-electric option powered by front- and rear-mounted electric motors, producing 140kW, with front motor torque at 108Nm and rear motor torque at 217Nm for a maximum 325Nm and full-time 4WD. A 67kWh battery offers a driving range of 263km (WLTP). No launch confirmation yet, but Isuzu Ute Australia says “it will continue to monitor local needs and evaluate the reception of BEVs”. Read moreJeep Compass: Potentially a Q4 arrival, the new Compass rides on the same ‘STLA Medium’ platform as Stellantis stablemates such as the Peugeot E-3008 and E-5008. It will join the smaller Avenger in Jeep’s electrified line-up. There should be a choice of 106kW 48V eHybrid and 145kW plug-in hybrid powertrains, both likely based on the 1.3-litre turbo-petrol engine carried over from the current-generation. Read moreKGM Musso Q300: Dual-cab only, powered by a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine producing 150kW/441Nm mated to a six-speed torque-converter auto transmission with 4WD and a locking rear differential. Coil- or leaf-spring rear suspension options with a payload of 500kg for the former and 700kg for the latter. Features a 12.3-inch digital dash and matching multimedia touchscreen.   Read moreKia Seltos: Coming in Q4, We’re expecting a front-wheel drive version with outputs to be approximately 113kW/265Nm, plus an all-wheel drive with 131kW, though its rear wheels will be powered by an electric motor and not mechanically connected to the front wheels. The all-new Seltos should start around $30K, before on-road costs. A specific Australian suspension tune is already in the works.  Read moreLeapmotor B05: Lobbing in Q4, the Leapmotor B05 is a five-door, electric, rear-wheel drive, hot-ish hatch with 180kW/320Nm in the flagship Ultra variant. A choice of 56.2kWh or 67.1kWh battery, delivers a range of 500km or 600km (CLTC) and we’d be shocked if it wasn't among the cheapest warmed-over hatch offerings in the local market.   Read moreLexus ES: Electric versions of the striking all-new Lexus ES have been approved for Australian sale, the dual-motor, all-wheel drive ES500e flagship producing 252kW. The ES350e is powered by a single front-mounted electric motor delivering 170kW. However, the brand has confirmed hybrid powertrains will eventually be offered locally.  Read moreMazda CX-6e: Set to challenge the Tesla Model Y on price, the Mazda CX-6e is likely to land with a starting price around $54K. A 78kWh battery delivers a 450km (WLTP) range, the rear-mounted 190kW/290Nm electric motor drives the rear wheels and 0-100km/h comes up in 7.9sec. Its 195kW DC charging capacity is good for a 10-80 per cent top-up in under 25 minutes.Read moreMercedes-Benz GLB: Launch line-up of the pure-electric small SUV will be single-motor rear-wheel drive (200kW/335Nm) GLB250+ or dual-motor all-wheel drive (260kW/515Nm) GLB350. Its 800-volt architecture allows an ultra-rapid DC charging rate of up to 320kW. Three hybrid powertrains will be added later in front- or all-wheel drive all using a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with 48-volt assistance. Read moreMG QS PHEV: Launched in plug-in hybrid form in the UK with an Aussie introduction likely this year. Plug-in hybrid uses a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine paired to an electric motor for around 220kW combined. A 24.7kWh battery pack grants it a WLTP-certified electric range of 100km.Read moreMitsubishi Pajero: One of the year’s most significant arrivals comes with the return of the Mitsubishi Pajero, with sights set on the upcoming Y63 Nissan Patrol and current Toyota LandCruiser 300. Most likely powertrain is an updated version of the 2.4-litre turbo-diesel powering the current Triton range (150kW/470Nm). Looking like a Q4 launch.Read moreNissan Patrol: Nissan Australia has confirmed orders for the new ‘Y63’ Patrol will “open in coming months” with vehicles on the ground at the end of the year or very early next. Its 3.5-litre V6 turbo-petrol engine is derived from GT-R’s and produces 317kW/700Nm, dwarfing the 298kW/560Nm outputs of the soon-to-be-defunct V8 of the Y62 Patrol. Read moreOmoda 4: New entry-level model for the brand with edgy, angular looks and a choice of internal-combustion, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and pure-electric power in the domestic Chinese market. Riding on Chery’s ‘T1X’ platform, the Omoda 4 is a likely Toyota Corolla Cross competitor.Read morePolestar 5: Headed our way in Q3, the 5.1m long ultra-slippery (Cd 0.24) Polestar 5 offers the performance, comfort and touring ability of the Porsche Taycan and its Audi e-tron GT sibling at an appreciably lower price. Two versions coming, both powered by dual motors - the Dual Motor (550kW/812Nm) at $171,100 and the Performance (650kW/1015Nm) at $193,100 (both before on-road costs).Read morePorsche Cayenne Electric: Dropping in Q3, as the name implies, this is a pure-electric beast with even the entry-grade (of three) Cayenne Electric ($167,800, before on-road costs) featuring dual motors, all-wheel drive and producing 325kW. The flagship Turbo accelerates from 0-100km/h in hypercar-equalling 2.5sec thanks to its stonking 850kW/1500Nm outputs.  Read moreRenault Symbioz: On course for a July touchdown, the Symbioz is a Hyundai Kona and Toyota Corolla Cross rival with an entry-level mild-hybrid 1.3-litre four-cylinder petrol engine powertrain producing 104kW/245Nm. A 1.8L full-hybrid boosts that to 116kW/265Nm. Pricing starts from $36,990. Read moreSmart #5: It’s been a long time in the offing but the Smart #5 plug-in hybrid SUV is a likely Aussie arrival in the second half of the year. It offers up to 252km of pure-electric range and up to 320kW of total power from its 1.5-litre turbo-petrol, four-cylinder engine and three-speed hybrid transaxle motor powertrain. Claimed fuel economy is as low as 4.4L/100km (when its battery is depleted). Read moreToyota RAV4 PHEV: Another significant new entry. FWD variants of the RAV4 PHEV will be powered by a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine and front-mounted electric motor, producing 201kW. AWD variants add a rear-mounted motor, increasing power to 227kW. Pricing will start from $58,840, before on-road costs, making it roughly $15K more expensive than the car's base standard hybrid variant ($45,990).  Read moreVolkswagen T-Roc: Sleeker looking and bigger, with a more premium vibe, VW’s small SUV also features new powertrains. A 1.5-litre turbo-petrol mild-hybrid in two states of tune (85kW and 110kW) for FWD versions and a more powerful 2.0L mild-hybrid arriving later. A T-Roc R is confirmed to follow, too.  Read moreXPeng G9: As the legal cage fight between previous XPeng importer True EV and the XPeng factory continues, the priority is getting G6s back into showrooms. But the luxury G9 electric SUV is a possible addition. Rear- or all-wheel drive with two battery options, a driving range of up to 680km and loads of included features for an estimated starting price in the region of $70K.Read moreZeekr 8X: Upper mid-sized, plug-in hybrid luxury SUV to sit above the mid-size fully electric 7X and below the flagship three-row 9X. Pairs a 2.0-litre, turbo-petrol, four-cylinder engine (205kW/410Nm) with dual electric motors for a combined 660kW/935Nm and a 0-100km/h sprint in 3.7 seconds. A 55kWh or 70kWh battery pack with a 900-volt architecture allows ultra-fast charging and either a 320km or 410km EV driving range. Probable starting price in the $80K band.Read moreZeekr 9X: Ultra-luxury, upper-large, three-row SUV offering a dual- or tri-motor plug-in hybrid system, backed by a 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine and a massive battery pack. The result is either 660kW/935Nm of combined power for the two lower variants, or 1030kW/1410Nm for the top-spec car, as well as between 300 and 380km of fully electric driving range. Standard equipment and features are suitably extensive. Expect a starting price just over $100K.Read more

Although the original Nissan X-Trail was one of the first mid-sized SUVs to really gain popularity and set the tone for what was to come, by the time the third-generation X-Trail arrived in 2014, it was a bit of a me-too product. Code named the T32 model, the third-gen X-Trail was offered as a five or seven-seater, in either front or all-wheel drive and with a choice of two petrol four-cylinder engines. Those consisted of a 2.0-litre with 106kW and a 2.5-litre with 126kW.Both engines were available in five-seat form, but if you wanted seven seats or all-wheel drive, you needed to stump up for the bigger engine. At that point, you went from the 2.0-litre’s six-speed manual transmission to a continuously variable transmission (CVT).There was also a turbo-diesel X-Trail with 96kW and a choice of either front or all-wheel drive. The diesel was strictly a five-seater. The specification was a bit confusing, too, because the front-drive turbo-diesel X-Trail used a CVT while the all-wheel-drive diesel got a six-speed manual exclusively.The all-wheel-drive platform did not have a second set of lower ratios, and, in fact, worked as a front-wheel drive for most of the time. When the computer detected any slip, power would be sent to the rear axle, although for slippery surfaces, the driver could lock the vehicle into all-wheel drive at speeds up to 40km/h.Thousands of Australians would agree that the X-Trail is a good thing with decent dynamics and good packaging. The boxy body means it’s quite big inside, although the seven-seat variant is pretty tight on space in the third row. For smaller kids, this mightn’t make much difference, but teenagers are not going to be happy in the X-Trail’s third row. The front seats, however, are very good.Some of the interior plastics are clearly built down to a price, and hard usage (such as that meted out by young families) can leave the interior looking pretty tatty in short order.In driving terms, the X-Trail is decently refined although there is a bit of road noise to contend with. The turbo-diesel can feel a bit lethargic off idle, and the bigger petrol engine is the superior unit in the line-up.Overall, though, any fall-off in the X-Trail’s popularity over the years is almost certainly down to increased competition from other makes rather than any perceived problem with the X-Trail formula.Fundamentally, the X-Trail T32 is a solid and dependable car. But there’s one major flaw that many newish cars also suffer from. It doesn’t affect manual-transmission examples of the X-Trail, but those fitted with the CVT have an inbuilt fault, it seems.Indeed, the main reliability issue associated with the X-Trail is the CVT as fitted to 2.5-litre petrol versions as well as the front-drive variant of the turbo-diesel.Beyond that, the engines don’t seem to give trouble and since the vehicle is not an off-roader, you shouldn’t be faced with trashed examples.Let’s talk CVTs. In the Nissan’s case, the problem manifests as a vehicle that is slow to select Reverse or Drive, as well as showing signs of juddering or shuddering at low speeds and a light throttle.The cause is a bit harder to define, but Nissan dealers were removing the CVT’s cover and looking inside the unit to determine whether the steel drive belts had been slipping and showing signs of wear. If wear was detected, the best fix was a new CVT, but sometimes replacement of the unit’s valve body (which controls the CVT’s behaviour) was deemed sufficient.But we’ve also heard that some dealers were also flushing the CVT’s cooler, suggesting that the belt wear may have involved the belts shedding small metallic particles and contaminating the cooler. If that’s the case, it’s also conceivable that those same metallic particles could enter and cause damage to other parts of the CVT.Either way, you need to know for absolute certain that any CVT X-Trail you’re looking at has a full and complete service history.This version of the X-Trail has been almost free of safety recalls, but there are a couple to check for.The first was for cars built in 2014 that could have had a fuel pressure sensor that was not properly attached to the fuel system. If the sensor loosened over time, it could potentially cause a fuel leak under the bonnet.The second recall was for a batch of gas struts on the tailgate of X-Trails built between 2014 and 2016. A lack of the correct rust-proofing on these struts meant they could fail and would not support the weight of the tailgate when it was opened.A Nissan dealer will be able to check the VIN of your car and tell you whether it was affected and if it has been fixed or not. For more information, check out https://www.vehiclerecalls.gov.au/.Apart from that couple of recalls on early cars, there’s not much to separate one year’s production from another’s. With that in mind, buy on condition and kilometres travelled rather than a specific build date. And make sure any prospect has that all-important intact and complete service history.Nissan’s engines have long been considered pretty tough customers and able to go the distance. But that doesn’t change the cloud hanging over the CVT in many X-Trails. So, the best one to buy is an X-Trail with fewer, rather than more, kilometres.You do see high-milage examples for sale with upwards of 300,000km on board, but they’re the exception rather than the rule. That said, that’s probably because even the earliest T32 X-Trail is still only 12 years old, rather than any refusal to clock up more kilometres. Even so, finding a car with closer to 160,000km showing is probably the better bet.As with many second-hand cars, the price difference between the base-model and the flasher versions largely disappears over time. So, buying the up-spec variant now won’t cost much extra, but will get you better standard equipment levels and, potentially, safety. With that in mind, aim for the Ti version which had lane departure and lane-keeping assistance that lesser versions didn’t get until later in life.Very early T32s with 250,000km showing can be had for as little as $6000 to $8000. We reckon, however, that there’s a smaller risk in paying closer to high-teens for a 2016 or 2017 all-wheel-drive version with about 120,000km on the odometer.Nissan has a dealer network of 180 making it the fifth largest network in the country. Both regional and urban centres are pretty well served by that network, too. There’s also an army of independent workshops that specialise in Nissans, largely thanks to the great reputation the brand has forged in motorsport.Bricks and mortar parts stores and online sellers ensure that spare parts and replacement items are easy to source.It’s hard to know precisely how many T32 X-Trails Nissan sold in Australia over its eight-year model run. But it’s a fact that Nissan sold almost 18,000 of the things in the T32’s first full year on sale (2015). You still see plenty getting around as daily transport, too, so even though the competition got tougher as the years passed, the Nissan was still on a lot of people’s short lists. That’s why there are literally hundreds for sale second-hand today.

Nissan's answer to the BYD Shark 6 has just taken a big step towards an Australian launch, with the Navara Pro PHEV taking the first step on its export journey from China.Revealed in China as the Nissan Frontier Pro, the brand's first plug-in hybrid ute has been renamed the Navara Pro and revealed in the Phillipines, part of Nissan's "From China" export strategy that will lean on China, rather than Japan or Thailand, as an export hub.The Navara Pro is otherwise the same as the Frontier Pro, with the same 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and a transmission-mounted electric motor producing a potent 320kW and 800Nm combined. The EV-only range is around 100kms WLTP.“As a lead market, China plays a dual role for Nissan, both as a strong market in its own right and a critical source of global competitiveness. This unveiling signal the beginning of our ‘From China’ export strategy, and I am pleased to see these vehicles reaching customers beyond China for the first time," says Guillaume Cartier, Nissan’s chief performance officer."The models demonstrate strong product competitiveness and represent an important step in strengthening our global portfolio and responding more quickly to diverse customer needs. We are excited to bring them to customers in the Philippines as we continue to accelerate this momentum across markets.”CarsGuide understands that, in markets where Navara has nameplate recognition, the Frontier Pro will be renamed as it has been in the Phillipines. And that would include Australia, where the Navara Pro would go head-to-head with the BYD Shark 6.And that could be happening sooner rather than later – and even this year – with reports pointing the project having sign-off in Australia, and moving faster than the original 2027 launch expectation suggested.

Nissan is set to invite Chery to build cars at its UK factory as part of its Re:Nissan project to downsize its manufacturing footprint, and take advantage of its spare factory capacity.This will give Nissan a boost by allowing it to cut costs at its Sunderland factory, while for Chery it means establishing a manufacturing footprint just across the channel from the European heartland.The agreement is just a Memorandum of Understanding for the time being, and also comes just after Nissan announced it had cancelled plans to manufacture electric powertrains at the factory.Nissan’s Sunderland plant in the UK may seem a world away from Australia, but the Nissan Qashqai sold here is built there, as was the just-discontinued Juke.The company said it would retain 100 per cent ownership of the factory, while re-tooling one of its production lines to manufacture Chery vehicles. While the announcement said little else for the time being, it has been reported that, if all goes to plan, Chery would start building cars at the factory in the 2027 financial year.The factory has a capacity of 500,000 units, but has been operating at just over half that for some time.Chery is understood to be planning to build right-hand drive vehicles at the factory to satisfy exploding demand for its vehicles in the UK with Omoda Jaecoo capturing up to a six per cent market share despite being on sale for barely 24 months.The runaway success of the Chery sub-brands in the UK market has made the Omoda/Jaecoo operation bullish in Australia, with the company’s global boss Shawn Xu telling CarsGuide last year that it’s not really a surprise how well the products have been received in Australia.“We’ve always looked at global markets, not just the traditional left-hand drive markets - and from this global vision, we want to build up and be a famous brand for the world,” he said.Most Chinese cars sold in Australia are sourced from either Thailand or China itself, but high tariffs and protectionist policies have a role to play in protecting companies like Volkswagen, Renault and Stellantis in Europe.Many Chinese marques are finding a way into the space by purchasing whole factories or signing deals to take up under-utilised production capacity in active factories on the continent.Whether any Euro-built models from Chinese brands make it to Australia remains to be seen, but seems less likely in the medium term as our island is a convenient way to soak up supply from increasingly under-utilised factories on the Chinese mainland as the domestic market there experiences a contraction.

Nissan Australia is ignoring its growing number of electric vehicles (EVs) available in other markets and sticking with just one in Australia, the Ariya mid-size SUV.Earlier this year the Japanese carmaker revealed the latest-generation of its Juke small SUV and confirmed it’s going all-electric.It will launch in Europe during 2027, but Nissan Australia confirmed it will not be coming to Australia.“The all-electric Juke will be built at our Sunderland plant in the UK and has been developed primarily as a Europe-focused EV,” said a Nissan Australia spokesperson.“At this stage, there are no plans to introduce the model in Australia.”Additionally Nissan has recently launched a new-generation version of the Leaf, which is now also a small SUV. It and the new Juke are based on the same dedicated electric platform.There were initially plans for the new-generation Leaf to come to Australia but these have been put on hold.“With respect to the next-generation Leaf, we have decided to postpone its introduction to Australia following a review of the local business case,” said a Nissan Australia spokesperson.At this stage it’s unclear when the new Leaf will now launch in Australia.Beyond the new Juke and Leaf EVs, Nissan also offers a number of other small electric models in other markets. These include the Nissan Micra, which is essentially a rebadged Renault 5, as well as the Nissan Sakura electric kei car in Japan.Nissan Australia has provided no plans to bring either small EV to Australia at this stage and it’s unclear whether this will ever change.“Nissan remains committed to electrification in Australia through a range of technologies, including battery-electric vehicles such as Ariya, as well as our e-POWER hybrid technology,” said a Nissan Australia spokesperson.“We recently launched the updated Qashqai with our latest e-Power hybrid system and will add a 4x2 e-Power X-Trail model to the range in just a few months.”The Nissan Ariya was first revealed in 2019 and launched in certain markets in 2022. It didn’t launch in Australia until 2025.It has received a facelift in other markets, which hasn’t arrived in Australia yet.Although Nissan can’t provide a timeline for when the new Leaf will launch and has ruled out the new Juke EV, the Ariya might not be the only Nissan EV in Australia for long.The Japanese carmaker currently has its eye on importing models made by its Chinese joint-venture company, Dongfeng Nissan.These models include the N7 electric sedan and NX8 electric SUV, as well as the Frontier Pro plug-in hybrid ute.No confirmation of what exact models are coming to Australia and when has been provided yet, however it’s likely that an announcement will come before the end of 2026 or in early 2027.Regardless, Nissan needs to introduce more low-emission vehicles as it already has more than $10 million owing to the federal government for not meeting the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) CO2 emissions target for vehicles imported.Nissan can either pay this fine or risk it doubling if it misses the deadline. Alternatively, it can trade credits with other carmakers that are under the threshold or introduce more low-emissions vehicles and beat the CO2 target the following year.It’s worth noting the CO2 targets get stricter every year and ultimately the only vehicle that currently produces zero grams of tailpipe emissions is an EV.

It is now clear what Mitsubishi has gained from allowing its Triton to become the base for the new Navara in Australia - Nissan will allow it to produce an American pick-up based on its upcoming next-gen Frontier.To be built alongside the Nissan in America, the new Mitsubishi will arrive alongside a planned overhaul to the Frontier due in 2028 with a new platform expected to also underpin Nissan’s next-gen XTerra 4x4 for the American market.Current information surrounding the next-gen Nissan platform suggests it could lean into both V6 power (similar to the incoming Patrol SUV) and also spawn a plug-in hybrid variant.For Mitsubishi, this is part of a wider strategy to split its model range in two as it searches for a new identity in a realigned Renault/Nissan alliance.It will split its range in two - with one range of models (like the XForce, Xpander and Destinator) focused on South East Asian (ASEAN) markets, and the other focused on higher margin markets Australia and the US, which Mitsubishi dubs the ‘Off-road group’.This realignment will see a total of 13 new models launched by 2031, seven of which will be for the off-road group. We know of at least three new models - this Frontier-based pick-up, the just-announced new-generation Pajero based on the Triton, and the long-hinted next-generation Delica people mover based on the Delica D:X Concept shown in 2023.Mitsubishi’s local GM of Product Strategy and PR Bruce Hampel told CarsGuide the brand was considering its options for the over-3500GVM category at the launch of its Aussie-upgraded Triton Raider, but it seems unlikely this would include a completely new American-sourced model.Instead, he suggested Mitsubishi was considering either factory or a licensed local upgrade for something a bit more heavy duty than what the Triton range currently offers.In addition, it seems more likely Nissan won’t be building its American-market Frontier in right-hand drive as part of its new ladder-frame platform overhaul, instead suggesting it would choose to import the Chinese-built Frontier Pro model as a Navara/Triton alternative as a plug-in hybrid exclusive to Australia.It would be well positioned to be more competitively priced, with the capability of the GWM Cannon Alpha while chasing the breakthrough success of the BYD Shark 6.In the meantime, Mitsubishi will have its hands full in Australia as it plots the launch of its next-generation Pajero full-size SUV as a new rival to the Toyota Prado, and the launch of its fully electric joint-venture SUV with Taiwan’s Foxconn, both due before the end of 2026.Locally, Mitsubishi has felt the impact of more affordable Chinese brands encroaching on its turf, with the brand down over 25 per cent this year. However, there are promising signs for the Japanese giant, with its Triton sales up healthy percentages year-on-year as welcome updates flow through and new variants are added to its line-up.Interestingly the brand is acutely aware of the challenges it faces across the disparate markets it plays in, even showing a slide which plotted its market positioning off-set against the “market-entry difficulty for Chinese OEMs” highlighting Australia as a ‘turn around market’ with high perceived brand value for Mitsubishi, but a low bar-to-entry for affordable Chinese rivals.

A little peek behind the CarsGuide curtain. At least once a week the whole team gets together to talk about cars. Well, it’s actually to shape the week’s news lists, but it’s also because, unsurprisingly, we all like to get together to talk about cars.Anyway, a recent one of these catch-ups occurred not long after the Beijing show. Now full disclosure, I wasn’t at what might well be the most important show on the calendar these days (but I was in China at the same time, just somewhere else and with another brand, another sign of the significance of that market).Those who were there tell me much the same thing — not only were they shocked by the number of brands, and the number of vehicles unveiled, they were equally surprised at how many of the legacy brands were displaying Chinese-built models.The vehicles in question wore familiar badging, but were also unfamiliar, in that they were mostly produced in partnership with homegrown Chinese brands, sometimes with the latter doing most of the heavy lifting.Or to paraphrase a colleague in the aforementioned car chat, some don’t really look and feel like they belong to the manufacturer on their badge. They look like they’re Chinese cars in fancy dress, or like Aldi groceries — close, but not quite right.There are now lots of legacy brands drawing down on Chinese partnerships to produce cars. Mazda with its 6e and CX-6e (produced with Changan Automobiles). Nissan with a whole bunch of stuff, including the Frontier Pro (produced with Dongfeng). Honda, which has pushed back its in-house EV ambitions to draw on Chinese-developed models instead. Toyota with the bZ7 (developed with GAC), VW with the 9X (produced with SAIC).And to be fair, I’m yet to see, sit in or drive any of them. Some of these cars are destined for Australia, some aren’t. But it does beg the question – what truly makes a manufacturer’s car their car. Is it the badge? The design? The technology? The dynamics? All of the above?And the bigger question is, can legacy brands really hang on to all of the things that make them special if they’re not just built in China, but built in partnership with Chinese brands?Just last week I wrote that legacy brands partnering with China could be a long-term masterstroke, pairing decades of engineering know-how with China’s high-speed, low-cost manufacturing expertise could give traditional marques a real boost. But then two things happened this week that made me ask another question. The first was a chat with VW Australia, and specifically its very knowledgeable Head of Passenger Cars, who told me that the driving dynamics and engineering of its vehicles are what sets them apart from the often-cheaper Chinese competition. And the second was that CarsGuide car chat.And both got me wondering about the impossible choices being faced by some legacy brands in this more-hostile-than-ever environment. Do nothing and face possible oblivion, or dial up their Chinese partnerships for global markets and risk losing their identity.People paid lots more than me will be tasked with answering that. After all, I just like to chat about cars.

Sure, the Chinese automotive industry is a global giant right now, but it hasn’t been that way for all that long. While Toyota has been pumping out passenger cars since the 1930s – and Mercedes-Benz for even longer still – China’s factories only really fired up in the 1980s, and only then in tiny numbers.Before that, the country produced mostly commercial vehicles. But in the late 1980s, the Chinese government decided to pump up the country’s automotive manufacturing capabilities. The only problem was, it didn’t really know how to. And so it made what would be a game-changing decision.While the county had largely locked out international companies, a decision was made to allow Chinese marques to partner with global brands in joint ventures, giving the local brands a chance to learn at the hands of the global giants, and giving said giants the chance to tap into one of the world’s biggest markets, which was undergoing a middle-class boom.The biggest change arrived with the 1994 Automobile Industry Policy, which was designed to  attract global OEMs to China, though with ownership of new companies restricted to no more than 50 per cent.GM, Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai, Nissan, VW, Toyota and more all jumped at the chance to tap into the Chinese market, and things happened fast. By 2009, China had gone from being an automotive minnow to the single biggest manufacturer of vehicles anywhere in the world.Now, hindsight is 20:20 and all that, but it wasn’t hard to see where all this was going. The Chinese brands soon had the know-how, and suddenly the international brands weren’t all that necessary. Several have since shuttered.At the same time, a shift in taste was occurring in China’s domestic market. On my first trip there, back in around 2013, everybody wanted a foreign badge. On my last trip, about three weeks ago, almost every car on the road was Chinese.Why am I telling you all this? Because it feels a little bit like history is repeating, only in reverse.Now China holds the cards when it comes to building high-quality, low-cost EVs and PHEVs, and legacy brands are only too happy to learn from them.Nissan had bet a sizeable chunk of its future on its partnership with Dongfeng, and specifically the plug-in hybrid Frontier Pro ute and its SUV sibling. The Chairman of the Nissan China Management Committee and President of Dongfeng (Nissan’s primary partner in China) Ma Zhixin recently explained how the brand would lean more into its Chinese manufacturing connections in a new push to be more globally competitive, in an interview with Chinese media.“My return to the Chinese market is to do my best to get Nissan’s business back on track, and bring China’s excellent products and technologies to the world”, said Zhixin.So too says Nissan’s new global boss, Ivan Espinosa, who recently told the media that “China will play a very important role in Nissan Global’s future.”Mazda recently dialled back its own EV ambitions, pushing the launch of its first in-house EV back to 2029. Instead, it has partnered with Chinese brand Changan Automobiles on the Mazda 6e and CX-6e SUV, both of which will soon launch in Australia with Mazda badging.Honda has started importing EVs made in China through Dongfeng Motor back into Japan (something previously largely unheard of). The Hyundai Elexio is made by Beijing Hyundai, a partnership with BAIC. The Kia EV5 is made in China through a partnership with the Jiangsu Yueda Group.It's almost as though China has cracked the cut-price manufacturing code, and the legacy brands want to learn how it's done, all while planning their own in-house models further down the track. Which all sounds a bit familiar.What they do with that skill set remains to be seen, but history does have a funny way of repeating sometimes.

Nissan may have finally bounced off rock bottom as the embattled Japanese giant executes its turn-around plans and posts promising results off the back of new model launches.Its grand turn-around plan, dubbed Re:Nissan has seen the company need to take drastic measures to reverse a financial slide into oblivion, including shuttering some of its factories, and turning more than ever to its Chinese joint-venture with Dongfeng for new model launches.It is not just the exciting new Frontier Pro plug-in hybrid ute and successful N7 sedan from China that have shown promising results for the brand. It also posted smaller declines in the last quarter of its financial year both in Japan and North America.Europe and the rest of the world didn’t perform as well for the brand, but make up a smaller portion of its overall sales. The brand also noted that US tariffs had a huge impact on its bottom line for the financial year.The company is predicting a return to an operating profit off the back of new and refreshed model line-ups across all the markets it plays in, predicting a 20 billion yen (a little over 175 million AUD) net income off the back of a brutal A$4.7 billion dollar loss to the end of this Japanese Financial Year, described as “extraordinary non-recurring losses” related to the brand’s realignment according to the company’s CFO George Leondis.CEO Ivan Espinosa said the company was tracking ahead of its goals for the end of the year, as it enters the “final year of Re:Nissan”.The brand is banking on higher demand for its range of incoming new-generation offerings, which in the financial year 2026 will include the NX8, N7, and Frontier Pro as export models from China, new models also from China based on the Terrano PHEV off-road concept and Urban PHEV concept small SUV (many of which are likely for an Australian arrival).Outside of that, the brand will also launch the new Tekton in India, Infiniti QX65 in the US, Elgrand people mover in Japan, as well as the Rogue e-Power in the US and Kicks in Japan.The confirmation of the Kicks launching in Japan opens the door to the previously overseas-only model launching in Australia thanks to its availability in right-hand drive. It could potentially serve as a replacement for the recently-discontinued (and relatively unpopular) Nissan Juke as the brand’s new entry-level SUV.Meanwhile the new-generation Leaf, which has undergone a radical transformation to a crossover SUV instead of a hatchback, has been delayed indefinitely for an Australian arrival, with the brand earmarking competitiveness issues in the small EV space and a focus on mass-market e-Power hybrids going forward. It leaves the mid-sized Ariya as the brand’s sole fully electric offering in Australia.Other new products to look out for from Nissan for the our market include the next-generation X-Trail, due in 2027, which will ride on an updated platform, feature a wider track width and new suspension, as well as feature the latest and more efficient version of the brand’s e-Power plugless hybrid tech.Nissan continues to take a battering in the Australian market, with the brand down 32.2 per cent year-on-year. It has seemingly permanently dropped out of the top-10 in Australia, making way for new entrants like BYD and GWM.By the end of April 2026, Chery was also now in the top-10, ranking eighth, leaving just Mazda (6th), Isuzu (10th), and Toyota (1st) the only remaining Japanese players in the list.

Nissan Australia has shown just how good hybrid cars are after completing a 1300km lap of Tasmania on a single tank of fuel in its Qashqai e-Power hybrid.It’s a shot across the bows of $40-55K hybrid rivals the Honda HR-V e:HEV, Hyundai Kona Hybrid, MG ZS Hybrid, Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid and Toyota Corolla Cross, which all deliver a driving range of 1000km or less.  The Qashqai e-Power is a Range Extender Electric Vehicle (EREV), with its 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine operating as a battery generator only.Its official fuel consumption figure of 4.1L/100km and 55-litre tank convert to a theoretical range of 1341km, so the Tassie lap confirms that distance between fills as a real-world possibility.Nissan said the journey began with the car brimmed in Geelong, Victoria before boarding the Spirit of Tasmania car and passenger ferry for the trip to Devonport on Tasmania’s north coast.According to Nissan no ‘hypermiling’ techniques were applied, with the subsequent fuel stop-free clockwise lap including a mix of open road running, urban congestion “and a number of challenging hillclimbs” all covered in accordance with posted speed limits.Highlights included Launceston, the Bay of Fires and Freycinet to the state’s capital Hobart, the Huon Valley on the southern tip and a return to Devonport via the wild west coast.The Qashqai e-Power’s trip meter sat at 1209.2km when it arrived back in Geelong and ultimately travelled 1303km before refuelling. Indicated average fuel consumption was 4.5L/100km (which can vary from an actual pump-to-pump figure).Commenting on the exercise, Nissan Oceania Managing Director Steve Milette said, “This trip isn’t laboratory testing, this is the real world and real conditions.“Now more than ever Australian drivers are looking for fuel efficiency that doesn’t compromise driving enjoyment, and this 1300km real-world journey shows the Nissan Qashqai e-Power delivers,” he said.