Nissan Urvan Reviews

Electric vehicles are hot. Last month, almost one in four registrations were EVs. That’s more than three times the rate from the previous October. Whether it is because of soaring fuel prices, more government incentives, greater choice or better charging infrastructure, Australia currently sits in seventh place for EV sales, up from 19 last year. But not everybody wants a BYD Atto 1 Essential, even at $19,990 drive-away. And not everybody can afford (or wants) a Tesla Model Y (from $59,000), Zeekr 7X (from $58,000), BYD Sealion 7 (from $55,000) or Geely EX5 (from $42,000). Luckily, the early adopters from the first half of this decade that took the plunge when sales of EVs were just a trickle have moved to newer pastures, presumably with bigger batteries and better range. Here are our top six cheap used EV buys under $25,000. Note that while all can be had with fewer than 80,000km, none come with a spare wheel. Boo! Don’t laugh. The MX-30 makes a great used-car buy, especially if you’re seeking something different, refined and luxurious. Revealed in 2019, the MX-30 was essentially a coupe version of the far-more successful CX-30 small SUV. The thinking behind the E35 EV version was sound: a small, “right-sized” battery that traded long-distance range for faster charging, lighter weight for optimised efficiency and better driveability. With just 200km of WLTP range as a result, buyers stayed away. Barely more than 100 units were said to be sold in Australia. Low-range aside, the Mazda stands out with off-beat styling, featuring clap-hand doors, RX-8 sports car style. With a motor up front driving the front wheels, the MX-30 EV’s performance is modest but ultra-smooth, the steering’s sweet and the ride is supple. And there’s even decent practicality in the beautifully crafted interior, once you get past the fiddly rear-hinged back doors and hemmed-in (though sufficiently spacious) back seat. The boot is reasonably roomy, too. All local MX-30 E35 models are in Astina specification, meaning high equipment levels, including Bose audio, sat-nav, a leatherette/suede-like upholstery with beautiful textile trim, a head-up display, sunroof and a full suite of driver-assist safety for a five-star crash-test rating. Most people bought the far-cheaper G20e instead, with fewer frills and a conventional 2.0-litre four-cylinder mild-hybrid petrol engine version. Today, with a $25,000 budget able to secure a clean, fairly low-kilometre example of Mazda’s first global EV, the smart money’s on the MX-30 E35. A quality, quirky curio whose time has finally come. Still arguably one of China’s most accomplished cars, the MG4 was designed and engineered in the UK for European tastes, and it shows. Leagues ahead of the brand’s awful original ZS EV SUV, this small five-door hatch isn’t just about sleek good looks. Underneath is a sophisticated, dedicated EV architecture, with the electric motor over the back axle, driving the rear wheels. At our price point, battery sizes will be either the base 51kWh (350km WLTP) or mid-spec 64kWh (452km WLTP). Clever aerodynamics really help with efficiency here. In keeping with the MG’s sporty past, acceleration is punchy, the steering sharp, the handling direct and the ride firm but forgiving. This is a spirited car to chuck around. The big interior is pared back but functional, though the climate control’s lack of physical buttons is frustrating, while the back seat is fairly basic. Yet, falling within our budget, the MG4 is a smart, fun drive that has yet to be matched by newer Chinese alternatives. Great value from about $22,000. Sadly not the ground-breaking Ioniq 5, but the earlier, five-door hatchback series that looked like a 2010s Toyota Prius. Available in a hybrid, plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) and Electric guises, the original Ioniq was a taster of the formidable global presence that the Hyundai Motor Group would become heading into this decade. Though the Series 1 Electric was only launched in Australia in late 2018 (two years after the rest of the world), we’re only interested in the Series II facelift from late 2019, since it gained substantial improvements, including a water-cooled battery pack than the earlier air-cooled item, promising dramatically better longevity. Range from a larger battery (up from 28kWh to 38.3kWh) jumped up from 204km to 311km WLTP, aided by single-pedal regenerative braking driving, whilst performance aspects were also updated, along with a now far-more modern interior. Unexciting to look at and smooth but dull to drive, the AE2 Ioniq Electric nonetheless makes for an accessible, versatile, dependable and low-cost EV runabout. Prices start from about $20,000. Much the same applies to the related first-gen Kona Electric small SUV of the same era. However, the small SUV brought a larger, 64kWh extended range battery option, which pushed the WLTP figure out to a 449km in the first versions and a handy 484km in the facelifted Series II models from mid-2021. That typically adds about 20 per cent to the price, just making our budget cap. Cheaper as a used car nowadays than the older BMW i3 that donated some of its progressive EV technology, the Cooper SE is a cracker of a runabout. A gutsy (135kW) electric motor delivers plenty of power to the front wheels, while the terrific little chassis (derived from the petrol previous-gen Mini) is tuned for zippy agility and fun. Underneath is a compact 32.6kWh battery, providing a sufficient 233km of WLTP range. As with all BMW-era Mini three-door hatchbacks, the Cooper SE’s snug four-person interior is a mish-mash of ‘60s-era retro pastiche and high-tech luxury, with bucket seats up front, a tight second row and tiny boot area. This is about as enjoyable as EVs get at our price point, starting from about $23,000 nowadays. Building on from the historic ZE0 original that became history’s first modern production EV (as well as its best-ever seller until the Tesla Model 3 usurped it by the end of last decade), the second-gen Leaf drives better than its homely styling suggests. Nissan’s experience and smarts translates to an easy, friendly and likeable EV. WLTP range is reasonable at 270km, but the sportier and better equipped Leaf e+ ratchets that up to 385km. It’s a shame that the battery remained air-cooled, meaning it may suffer from premature degradation in hot climates. Yet, from comfortably under $20,000 for a low-kilometre example, the Japanese EV deserves a look-in if it’s a cheap EV you seek.

Nissan axed its entry-level vehicle in Australia earlier in 2026 and a new one is under study as its replacement. The Nissan Kicks has historically been an affordable, small SUV for North and South America, among other markets, though the second-generation has been launching in more international markets. “This is one where it’s under study,” said Nissan Australia Managing Director Steve Milette to CarsGuide. “I think as a company we understand that something of that size, a product entry of that size would be important for a brand. “It is a fast-growing segment in Australia, so we are studying options in that category.” In addition to being produced in Brazil and Mexico, the second-generation Nissan Kicks is now being made in both Japan and the UK. This means that right-hand drive production of the Nissan Kicks is already available. In Japan the Kicks is offered with a new, third-generation e-Power hybrid set-up, like the Qashqai. It’s available in single-motor front-wheel drive or dual-motor all-wheel drive forms. All versions have a 1.4-litre three-cylinder petrol engine that acts purely as a generator to top up the battery pack. In Australia, the Japanese carmaker has axed the Juke and Pathfinder SUVs and indefinitely delayed the new Leaf electric crossover. As a result, the smallest Nissan model in Australia is the UK-made Qashqai small SUV. It’s now only offered with an e-Power hybrid powertrain and starts at $45,850, before on-road costs. Despite being larger, the most affordable Nissan model currently in Australia is the entry-level X-Trail mid-size SUV. It starts from $38,305, before on-road costs. If the Nissan Kicks does come to Australia, it will likely become the brand’s new cheapest model. In Australia sales of small SUVs have been on the rise, especially amid the ongoing cost of living crisis. A total of 163,323 small SUVs have been sold until the end of September this year, which is up 5.6 per cent year-on-year. The top-sellers in the segment are the Chery Tiggo 4 (19,865 sales), Hyundai Kona (18,533 sales), GWM Haval Jolion (17,051 sales) and MG ZS (13,627 sales). It’s a far cry from the amount of Nissan Qashqai examples sold over the same period (1027 sales) and more than Nissan’s best-selling model locally, the X-Trail (10,086 sales). A key point of difference between the Qashqai and the top-selling small SUVs is the entry asking price. If Nissan can offer a new, entry-level model, like the Kicks, at an affordable price, this may see it become the brand’s best-selling vehicle locally.

Many Aussie have bought their first ever EV in 2026 and it’s changed the new car market forever. The Iran war's impact on fuel prices is often put forward as a key reason why more people than ever are making the electric car switch, but that's not the full story. Ed Harvey, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Australasian home EV charger manufacturer Evnex, told CarsGuide it was fuel security that started to sway buyers. “It flipped the argument,” Harvey said. “The fuel prices have not just really strengthened the cost-saving argument, but also I think it's the first time that people really started talking about energy security or transport security.” Range anxiety has put many buyers off EVs.  It combines a fear of running out of charge with having nowhere to charge it. Harvey said the fuel crisis brought about by the Iran war and the closing of the integral Strait of Hormuz in March 2026 started to change buyer perception. Buyers can now save as much as $3600 a year in just fuel costs by making the EV switch, according to Evnex's research, but Harvey said fuel security also started to cause anxiety with panic fuel buying leading to localised shortages. The federal government relaxed fuel standards and released reserves, while launching a $20 million “Every little bit helps” fuel conservation advertising campaign. Harvey said it was fuel availability not fuel prices that "flipped the script" for many buyers. Drivers worried about where they could fill up as opposed to where they could charge up, for the first time. “I think that really changed how people thought about energy security and our reliance on imported fossil fuels,” Harvey said. “I knew some people with petrol or diesel vehicles that were asking friends to borrow electric vehicles for the holiday period because they were nervous they might not be able to get where they needed to go.” BYD Australia’s Chief Operating Officer Stephen Collins told CarsGuide higher fuel prices and fuel shortages contributed to exponential EV uptake earlier in 2026. Collins described the early stages of the fuel crisis period as a “pivotal point” and an “unprecedented time”. “That March, early April period - I think it was genuinely only a four-week period where we saw a big spike in orders,” Collins said. “I think there were a lot of people that were on the cusp of buying an EV and that tipped a lot of people into ‘I’ll just make the decision now’. “It was a pretty tumultuous time, so I think there’s some truth to that.” The Electric Vehicle Council’s (EVC) 2026 ‘State of EVs’ report found buyers purchased one EV every 100 seconds in the first half of 2026. Electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle sales contributed to more than a quarter of all new car sales in the first half of the year, compared to roughly one in every 10 in the first half of 2025. Where there are competitive EV choices, buyers are making the switch, such as the mid-size SUV segment. The BYD Sealion 7, Geely EX5 and Tesla Model Y have consistently featured among the best-selling cars in Australia in 2026, and have experienced unprecedented growth. There hasn’t been the same growth in some other large segments of the market, and this is because competitive EV choices are still emerging, according to Electric Vehicle Council Chair and Origin Energy E-mobility GM Chau Le. “In each of these segments, EVs are becoming competitive, but we're not quite there yet in some of the segments,” Le told CarsGuide. “We're still a bit out, but with more EV models coming in and improvement in battery technology, it's only a matter of time until we're competitive across all segments.” There are no electrified utes that reach the balance of affordability, capability and driveability that their diesel counterparts have yet. Diesel-powered utes like the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux continue to be a significant component of the new car market. Once competitive electric ute choices emerge, the ute segment will likely follow a similar transformation to the rest of the new car market. New car buyers' priorities have shifted permanently, and there's nothing fuel prices or supplies can do to change it.

It’s 60 years since Nissan of Japan set up shop in Australia, initially assembling the Pininfarina-penned 410 Bluebird in Sydney. A huge success, that came after third-party distributor, and key figure in the creation of Holden, Lawrence Hartnett, started importing Datsun 310 Bluebirds here from 1959. The popular 510 Bluebird (badged 1600 here) really hit big from 1968, and was joined by the pretty B10 Sunny (or 1000) soon after. The following years were Datsun’s halcyon days, with the 810 Bluebird (180B from 1972, when manufacturing moved to Melbourne) and B210 Sunny (120Y from 1974) helping Datsun beat Toyota in Australia. But fierce competition, including from Mazda, Honda and later Mitsubishi, and some poor product choices dragged Nissan down, with only a few bright spots into the ‘80s. By 1992, Nissan ended local manufacturing, leading to further ups and downs that, if nothing else, prove how supremely resilient the brand is. Today it is the only carmaker still with an Australian manufacturing presence here, albeit as a supplier of original equipment mechanical parts exported to other factories globally. Never underestimate Nissan. To celebrate its 60 anniversary, here are the best and worst models that Nissan officially sold in Australia. These are the Datsuns and Nissans that were the best in their class, pushed boundaries out for the betterment of automotive kind, or are/were critically acclaimed. They needn’t have commercially succeeded to be on this list. And if you’re reading this from outside of Australia, sadly we never officially saw the S13 Silvia, R34 Skyline GT-R, Primera or any of the Pike cars like the influential Be-1 or S Cargo in Australia. The 12 Skyline since 1957, the V36 from 2007 was the last of the analogue models, before fly-by-wire electronics ruined its successor. Combining Nissan’s thunderous V6, sat behind the front axle for a front mid-engined rear-drive layout dubbed the FM platform, with an elegant 2+2-seater body, created Japan’s true BMW 3 Series alternative in the opulent Infiniti G37 – the sole version we saw in Australia. A short-lived masterpiece. Seven years before Ford stepped up with the Australian designed and engineered T6 Ranger of 2011, the third-gen Navara, the D40, created the blueprint of the modern mid-sized ute. Modern and car-like inside and out, the D40 drove, steered and rode far better than any previous body-on-frame ute, while still providing the rugged solidity required from a workhorse. The fact that this series lived on essentially unchanged until 2021 in North America as the Frontier is proof of how ahead of its time the D40 was. Teased for half a decade before finally breaking cover in 2002, the 350Z was the much-anticipated back-to-basics two-seater grand touring coupe in the style of the original Datsun 240Z, and it did not disappoint. This was a blunt, boisterous and bombastic American-style hairy chested muscle car on one hand, and – thanks to Nissan’s ubiquitous FM platform – an involving and rewarding sports car on the other. A true modern classic. The first modern electric vehicle – and history’s best-selling EV until swiftly overtaken by the Tesla Model 3 – the original Leaf was proof of concept, in a soft, dorky and easy package. High prices and cheap petrol meant only a few hundred made it to Australia, and battery degradation has tarnished the model’s reputation ever since. But the Leaf was a true Ford Model T moment. It started the EV revolution. It’s just a pity Nissan could not capitalise on such momentum, though today’s Ariya is a fine electric SUV. Nissan’s innovative e-Power EV-first petrol range-extender powertrain had been a success in other models elsewhere prior to the current X-Trail launching with it in Australia back in 2022, so we’re late to the party. In dual-motor all-wheel drive "e4orce" guise, this handsome largish mid-sized family SUV transforms into a frugal yet fast grand tourer, bringing sophistication and refinement, in an electrified package with no range anxiety issues. Along with the related Qashqai e-Power, today’s electrified X-Trail is the perfect middle ground between hybrid and EV. This year’s fabulous Honda Prelude hybrid is a stunning revival of the genre. We’d love Nissan to do the same. Its last effort, the stunning S15 200SX, capped off six generations of wildly differing rear-drive 2+2 sporty coupes, melding sensual design and thrilling performance, at an attainable price. Highly collectable nowadays. The Micra started life as a timid city car way back in 1982, but then blossomed into a bold, Euro-focused supermini for its second outing a decade later, blending advanced engineering with daring, original design. In an era where Nissan seemed hellbent on taking over the world, this version helped it succeed, becoming the first Japanese car to win European Car of the Year, and remained a class leader for most of its production run. However, sourced from the UK for Australia, the K11 Micra was too expensive to succeed here, but people who know ‘em love ‘em. Such a brilliant little baby. It seems amazing that Nissan in Japan allowed its Skyline sports sedan to be manufactured in Australia as a rival to the Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore, but that’s exactly what the boxy seventh iteration became. While we missed out on the high-performance versions of Nissan’s feted RB30 series engines, including the turbo version that helped make Holden’s unrelated VL Commodore an instant legend, the Skyline brought a mix of performance, refinement and class lacking from its local rivals. Plus, fun fact, the wagon was designed and engineered in Australia. But the four-cylinder R31, badged Pintara, wasn't so feted. The fourth-gen Patrol pretty much ushered in the modern big 4x4, with its chunky proportions, independent coil-spring suspension that allowed for more car-like driving dynamics, and civilised interior. The GQ was a rude wake-up call for arch rival Toyota. Better still, none of that progress diminished the nameplate’s hard-won reputation for toughness and capability. The gentrification of the 4WD but still with a punk attitude, for many fans, no Patrol is more beloved today than the GQ. Small hatchbacks were big business the moment the original Volkswagen Golf popularised the concept in the mid 1970s, with Nissan trying but not-quite-succeeding with two generations of Pulsar from 1980 (N11) and 1983 (N12) respectively. But third time’s the charm, it seems, with the N13 benefitting from a larger and stronger architecture, pleasing Euro design and a pair of gutsy powertrains, shared with the Holden Camira. The Holden connection came about as part of the government’s move to make Australian vehicle manufacturing more efficient, under the controversial "Button Plan". This was one of its few commercial successes, and helped make the N13 Pulsar – along with its Holden LD Astra twin – a uniquely Australianised small car. Meanwhile, the N13’s replacement stepped up big time in technology and sophistication, gaining a European feel and look, thanks to Saab-esque styling. But while these elevated the Pulsar to a new benchmark for small cars in Australia, the N14 failed to save Nissan manufacturing from ceasing locally in late 1992. An elegant, understated twin-turbo all-wheel drive powerhouse developed primarily for Group A motorsport, the R32 GT-R of the early 1990s was Nissan in full flight, developed during Japan’s bubble economy, to beat Porsche and others at their own game. An instant legend, nearly 44,000 GT-Rs were built, but only 100 came to a recession-ravaged Australia in 1991. Whichever badge you know Datsun’s first superstar by – Fairlady Z, 240Z, 260Z or (not for Australia) 280Z – the S30 series killed off the ruling British two-seater roadster market worldwide, defined by the MGB, Triumph TR6 and Austin Healey, in one fell swoop. But it meant much more than that. Desirable to drive and drop-dead gorgeous to behold, the original Z was the first mainstream Japanese car to really rise above being merely cheap and economical. It became the world’s best-selling sports car, until the Mazda MX-5 came along two decades later. Japanese cars were already popular before the 510 Bluebird/1600 arrived in Australia in early 1968, but the Datsun became that country’s first great mainstream family car. Along with being well made, low priced and highly equipped, the boxy rear-drive sedan brought an exhilarating change to its class, with sophisticated engineering matching the crisp styling and willing performance. A glittering career in motorsport quickly followed. So good was the 1600 that, from a critical and commercial perspective, every subsequent Nissan family car has lived in its shadow. While the R32 GT-R was inspired by the seminal Audi Quattro and Porsche 959 of the 1980s, the R35 from 2008 was its own supercar phenomenon. An incredible technological powerhouse, with forceful performance topping off outstanding dynamic capabilities, it looked and went like nothing before or since. The GT-R seemed to inhabit its own, timeless, eccentric orbit. Given the sheer mediocrity of most other Nissans sold alongside it on the showroom floor, it’s as if all of the company’s finest resources were poured directly into this one transcendental car. A towering achievement. Nissan’s answer to the Toyota Crown was meant to be a dignified and conservative luxury sedan. But the third-gen series from 1975 reflected its American influences by being an over-styled and under-performing barge. Garish and tasteless, it struggled to find an audience in Australia. Two years late and with dated styling and coarse engine choices, the second Pintara was based on the 11-gen Bluebird, which had switched to front-drive by then. It wasn’t bad, just terminally dull – though the glassy five-door liftback version was unique to Australia and briefly exported to Japan as the Bluebird Aussie. Under the Button Plan, there was also a Ford Corsair version. Both were massive flops, with their failure contributing to Nissan’s manufacturing shutdown in 1992. As a follow up to the phenomenal 1600, the 180B oozed early ‘70s chic, and sold up a storm, but lacked its predecessor’s style and verve. Yet the 200B of 1977 was worse, with a vocal drivetrain, dreary handling and a cramped, dated interior. Nissan even swapped out the sedan’s independent rear suspension for a more basic set-up. Buyers abandoned Datsun in droves, many buying the Chrysler Sigma instead. Marketed as the spiritual successor to the much-missed 1600, the Stanza looked only vaguely similar. But it was anything but to drive, with inferior engineering negatively impacting performance, dynamics and refinement. Creaky and outclassed, the Stanza as sold in Australia was crude and uncomfortably noisy, at a time when Honda was showing the way with the original Accord that seemed infinitely superior. Everything about the K13 Micra-based Almera sedan felt cheap, from its nasty plastics and coarse driveability to the bloated styling and fixed rear backrest that wouldn’t even fold to allow embarrassed passengers to escape into the oversized caboose of a boot. Ugly and shamefully awful. How did Nissan's global boss, Carlos Ghosn, allow such garbage to happen?

BYD has smashed through a sales milestone. The brand said it has made more than 50 per cent of its total revenue from export markets, rather than from its domestic sales in the Chinese market. This is due to BYD’s efforts in the last several years growing both its exports and its overseas manufacturing efforts in order to escape a stagnant Chinese new car market, which has contracted after a long period of explosive growth. The brand’s sales in China declined by 12 per cent, but it grew its exports by a whopping 137 per cent, to well over half a million units, according to BYD’s third quarter numbers for 2026. The Chinese market has reached a level of saturation and stagnation after several years of a bruising price war, which many competitors have pointed the finger at BYD’s aggressive domestic pricing strategy, overseas markets have become a crucial battleground for their future growth aspirations. Profit margins on vehicles sold in Australia, Europe and South America are exponentially higher than cars sold domestically in China. This is part of the reason sticker prices in the Chinese market are significantly lower than those we see in other markets. Price tags for the Australian vehicles generally attract a 15 - 20 per cent premium over the equivalent spec offered in China. Part of this will be down to right-hand drive conversion costs, and higher compliance costs for vehicles to meet Australia’s notoriously strict design standards and high bar for a maximum five-star ANCAP score. One analyst, as quoted in Nikkei Asia’s analysis of BYD’s latest sales numbers, said the company earns “roughly 10 times more profit per vehicle abroad than in China”. A part of this is vehicles sold in developed markets like Australia are offered in higher trim levels than they are in the Chinese domestic market, although the slew of larger, more expensive 4WDs and growth of luxury sub-brands like BYD’s Denza or Geely’s Zeekr are also massively helping to buff profit margins. GWM proclaims that it has doubled its average sale price in the last seven years in Australia as it has introduced pricier, better-featured vehicles, both from its Haval SUV brand and its Tank off-road brand further up the price scale. “The year-on-year increase in volume has also come with new cars at more expensive price points. If we can do that at the same time as showing customers value no matter the price then we’re on the right track." the brand’s Executive General Manager of Marketing and Communications Steve Maciver told CarsGuide recently. GWM is set to introduce its dedicated luxury arm Wey into Australia before the end of 2026. While Chinese brands continue to dominate the sales charts in Australia, where the barrier to entry is significantly lower, automakers like BYD, Geely, and Chery are facing tariffs in Europe and the USA as those jurisdictions move to protect their own domestic automaking capabilities. This is putting a cap on their respective ambitions, but each brand is also moving to diversify and acquire manufacturing capacity not only across Europe, but also in other strategic markets like South Korea and closer to home in South East Asia. Legacy automakers are feeling the crunch. Domestically this means household names like Subaru and Nissan dropping out of the race to be a top-10 automaker by sales, but internationally it means a massive squeeze in profit margins, big expenditure in research and development, and a large reduction in market share. This has resulted in many large international brands like Volkswagen and Nissan resorting to closing factories or cutting jobs by the thousands, with some brands needing to embrace Chinese joint-venture partnerships more closely to build more competitive models for export. Nissan, for example, shut down its historic Oppama factory in Japan as part of its Re:Nissan business overhaul, as it looks to reduce its capacity by a million units. As of the end of September 2026, the top-10 rankings in Australia are: Toyota (152,944 units) BYD (76614 units) Ford (61104 units) Kia (60800 units) Mazda (58865 units) Hyundai (56009 units) GWM (44959 units) Tesla (41705 units) Chery (38022 units) MG (36832 units)

Nissan will commence deliveries of the new Y63-generation Patrol in the first quarter of 2027 and many Australians have already put in orders. Speaking with CarsGuide, Nissan Australia Managing Director Steve Milette said 2500 people have registered their interest for the new Y63 Patrol. It’s claimed these have so far converted into “over 500 firm orders”. “This is probably higher than we would have thought. It just shows how powerful the product is,” said Milette. Milette added that 70 per cent of the orders are skewing toward the two higher grades - the Pro-4X and Ti-L Reserve. When the Y63 Patrol launches in Australia in the first quarter of 2027, it will be just around two and half years after it was first revealed. Australia is the first right-hand drive market the Y63 Patrol is launching in. It’s around two years after it launched in left-hand drive markets as the Armada. Six grades of the Y63 Patrol are being offered in Australia. They’re priced as follows: Power in the Y63 Patrol comes from a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 engine that produces 317kW and 700Nm. This is 19kW and 140Nm more than the Y62’s 5.6-litre naturally aspirated V8. The V6 engine is mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission with drive sent through a full-time four-wheel drive system. There’s a low-range transfer case, an electronic-locking rear differential, as well as eight drive modes. Braked towing capacity is 3700kg across the line-up, as well as trailer blind-spot warning.

Nissan’s Chinese partner, Dongfeng, is rolling a new tough-looking SUV off the production line in China. Dubbed the X700, this new rig hasn’t spawned from the Dongfeng-Nissan partnership, but Dongfeng’s tough M-Hero sub-brand. It shows just what the Chinese giant has in its arsenal that it could share with the wider motoring world, and it could plug a mighty big hole in Nissan’s line-up left by the departed Pathfinder large SUV. It is a big, butch SUV that looks more like a rough-and-tumble off-roader than a family-hauler. Boxy styling is complemented by chunky guards that run along the bottom of the vehicle, black wheels and side-hinged tailgate with spare wheel-like storage box on the tailgate. It may look like it can handle some tough trails, but it is more suited to gravel tracks and urban commutes. The X700  has ditched the ladder frame that underpins other M-Hero vehicles and uses monocoque underpinnings that is better suited to SUVs. Sophisticated multilink rear suspension paired with double wish-bone suspension up front, along with dual-chamber air suspension means it will be better at smoothing out pockmarked streets than rock-hopping. It is a big unit, measuring 5035mm long, 1999mm wide, 1890mm tall with a wheelbase of 2920mm. Under the bonnet is a plug-in hybrid set-up that pairs a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine with two electric motors for a combined 405kW sent to all four wheels. This allows it to spring to 100km/h in less than five seconds. In China it comes with two battery options, a circa-51kWh or 68kWh unit that deliver an electric driving range of 285km and 360km, respectively. Both of the driving ranges are calculated by the more lenient Chinese test cycle. Nissan has confirmed the Nissan Navara Pro plug-in hybrid ute is coming to Australia next year, which is based on the Dongfeng Z9. But more are coming, according to Nissan Australia boss Steve Milette. “There’s a lot of vehicles that were revealed at the Auto China [motor show this year],” he said. “I mean, we have our hand up for many of those and it’s just a matter of going through the proper business cases, just like we went through on the Navara Pro PHEV, but there definitely is a need for us to continue down the electrification of our portfolio and expanding the line-up and so more to come in the future.” Nissan showed a range of vehicles including the NX8 electric and range-extender hybrid large SUV, Nissan Terrano PHEV concept, Nissan Urban SUV PHEV concept. The Terrano is an SUV version of the Navara Pro PHEV and it has been caught testing in Australia already. The Chinese EVs are likely for Australia as the company has ruled out the new Leaf and Juke electric SUVs that likely won’t be price competitive if they were sold here. Time will tell if Nissan reaches deeper into Dongfeng’s portfolio to plug more gaps in its line-up.

No doubt influenced by its successful Chinese joint-venture operations in an otherwise struggling global footprint, Nissan has announced its upcoming new vehicle platform will be optimised for ultra-fast development times. In comments quoted in Japan’s Kyodo, Nissan’s Deputy General Manager of Product Planning Hidemi Sasaki said the company’s new platform strategy would help Nissan “become a company that responds to changes and delivers good cars in a timely manner.” The new common platform will underpin an entire family of new SUVs and will shorten development time down to just over three years, according to Kyodo. Derivatives then based on this platform will have their subsequent development time shortened by 40 per cent. The new platform strategy will reportedly cover 80 per cent of the company’s global sales footprint, and will debut in the North American market. At this stage, it is unclear whether Nissan’s new platform will be a derivative of the current Common Module Family (CMF) architecture it shares with Renault, or an entirely self-developed platform. Regardless, there are several new products, including the next-generation X-Trail which are already plotted to launch on the existing CMF toolkit. Meanwhile, Nissan has been clear that products from its Chinese joint-venture, like the Frontier Pro PHEV and NX series SUVs will be exported for global consumption. The first of which in Australia will be the BYD Shark 6-rivalling Frontier Pro PHEV ute, which will be badged as the Navara Pro when it arrives locally in 2027. The new platform project is the next step for Nissan after its dramatic Re:Nissan project which saw the company close down some of its most historic factories, reduce its global footprint and headcount significantly and re-orient its resources in order to survive. Effectively a re-boot of the Nissan brand, recent developments also included re-negotiating its complex alliance with Renault and announcing further investments in next-generation products. Its short-term focus in Australia is on hybrids, which local executives say make up the bulk of Nissan’s opportunity locally. To that end, the brand has even cancelled plans to launch its new-generation Leaf EV, despite Nissan struggling to meet its commitments under our market’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standards (NVES) which impose a Euro-style penalty scheme for emissions. The Japanese giant has also not abandoned its more historic nameplates, betting heavily on a new-generation Nissan Patrol 4WD for Australia, and launching a majorly updated hybrid Kicks small SUV for right-hand drive markets, which could be on the radar for our market as a replacement for the slow-selling Juke. Regardless, the Nissan of 2028 could be significantly different from the Nissan of today as its rapid development cycles play out, the first of which will be the next-generation X-Trail due before the end of 2027.

Nissan’s new local boss has outlined the direction the brand will take in the face of increasingly strict emissions regulations and changing market forces. Nissan’s Managing Director for Oceania Steve Milette says the first priority for new models won’t be to simply meet emissions targets, but to provide products that customers are asking for. The brand has just confirmed it will launch the (already expected) Nissan Navara Pro PHEV ute in 2027, there’s also a new-generation Nissan X-Trail on the way for 2027. The pressure is on for Nissan to sell more efficient cars to customers, too, as it reached the second-highest place for NVES (New Vehicle Emissions Standard) fines in 2025, an amount totalling $10,763,050. CarsGuide asked if there’s a path out of the NVES challenges facing the brand and if a refresh of the brand’s line-up is on the cards as part of that. “In terms of product introductions, yeah, yeah, for sure,” Milette told CarsGuide. “We have a pipeline, a robust pipeline.” “We can't talk about the details of those products, but all I can say is, it's going to be positive for us because the product resonates with the needs of Australians, and especially from a diversity of powertrain.  “Not just the vehicles themselves and the segments they play in, but the diversity of powertrains.” With the new X-Trail and the Navara Pro, Nissan isn’t confirming a move into any new (or previously served) segments, meaning passenger cars may still not be part of Nissan's plan. “There's some dominant segments: medium SUV, obviously. The utility market, the ute market, is huge. And traditionally, we've been, you know, we've been pretty strong at the SUV segments in general, like from smaller to to Patrol size,” Milette said. “And so I think for us, you can expect that we're going to be introducing products in the big segments that really are aligned with our history in terms of what we stand for, like very capable SUVs, very capable four by fours, innovative in terms of powertrains.  “That's where we're going.” This could point to the Nissan Terrano plug-in hybrid 4WD, and several electric and range-extender or plug-in hybrid SUVs from China, such as the NX7 and NX8. This would give Nissan an answer to the Denza B5 4WD and Toyota RAV4 plug-in hybrid. Nissan’s new addition to the X-Trail line-up, a more efficient front-wheel drive version of the e-Power hybrid system, could be considered a move in the right direction for its daunting NVES fines, but Milette says that wasn’t the primary reason for it. “Two-wheel-drive e-Power is a positive contributor to NVES, but its main purpose is to meet a need of the market,” Milette told CarsGuide. “I mean, 25 per cent of the sales in Australia so far this year are hybrid. Half of those are two-wheel drive, so we've only participated in half of that.  “So I think from a consumer preference, now we're in all of that segment.” “But from an NVES perspective, I think the north star is that as a brand we become self-sufficient… the portfolio that balances the negatives with the positives, if you will.” If Nissan sells more low-emission hybrids and electric cars, it will reduce the total amount of fines brought on by its ‘dirtier’ models like its Navara ute and its petrol SUVs. For reference, its second place ($10,763,050) in the 2025 list of brand fines saw it behind Mazda’s whopping $25,425,850 but well ahead of Subaru's $6,981,750. “But until we get there, we're well aware that we'll have to trade for credits, and there are published numbers. Like you saw, it was a public number in 2025.  “All I can say is that that's not the real cost.” Brands that find themselves with credits (likely through selling mostly EVs) rather than fines can agree to sell those credits to brands that have racked up fines, though Milette didn’t specify where those credits would come from. “For us, it's ‘what does the consumer want?’ We have a very powerful brand in Patrol as an example. If consumers want to buy Patrols, and they do, we're going to sell them Patrols. “No matter what the NVES impact there might be.”

Nissan has confirmed the new-generation X-Trail mid-size SUV will launch locally late next year. This means that the Australian launch of the new-generation Nissan X-Trail will follow about 12 months after the US launch of the Rogue, which is the same car but with a different name. “This current generation that we’re in, I think we were two model years after the launch of the first left-hand drive ,” said Nissan Australian Managing Director Steve Milette to CarsGuide. “With the way the platform principles are now working at the global level from a product development , between the first left-hand drive and first right-hand drive, it’s been condensed quite significantly. “It’ll be a year or less, which is good news.” In contrast Nissan has taken more than two years to bring the Patrol to Australia after it went on sale in left-hand drive markets. Nissan already offers one e-Power hybrid-only model in Australia, the Qashqai small SUV, and it’s unclear whether the brand will expand this to include the X-Trail to further reduce the fleet CO2 emissions. “It’s a possibility,” said Milette when posed with the question. “I can’t confirm that that is definitely going to happen, but we know that the hybrid market has expanded globally, but especially here. “I would say even in our current-generation X-Trail, we’ve gone from very low percentages to now 33 per cent is e-Power, and by the end of December, it’ll be closer to 50 per cent.” At this stage Nissan Australia hasn’t confirmed the local specifications for the next-generation X-Trail, however the new US-specification Rogue gives an indication of what to expect. There’s a new e-Power hybrid powertrain that’s claimed to be quieter and more efficient. The dual-motor, all-wheel drive e-Power is also 11kW more powerful than the current version, with a total system output of 168kW. A 1.5-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine will also be offered as a pure-combustion engine option in the US. A version of this engine is already offered in the outgoing model. In addition to the e-Power hybrid all-wheel drive, the current, outgoing X-Trail is offered with a 2.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine in Australia, as well as a new front-wheel drive e-Power hybrid powertrain. Nissan Corporate Executive of Family, Products & Components Strategy Richard Candler previously told CarsGuide there is a “very large amount of new”, despite still being underpinned by an iteration of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance CMF-CD platform the current model rides on, For example, the structure is claimed to be completely different and much stiffer than before. Additionally, there is a fresh design and a reworked strut front, multi-link rear suspension set-up with a wider track width. All Rogue trims feature 90-degree opening doors, LED headlights, dual 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and touchscreen multimedia system (14.3-inch on higher grades), a wireless charger, 64-colour interior ambient lighting, as well as multi-zone climate control.