NISSAN Australia was fast to spruik its standing because the model with the freshest showroom portfolio within the nation at this month’s launch of the all-new Qashqai in Melbourne.
Taking to the stage on the mannequin’s Australian debut, Nissan Australia managing director Adam Paterson mentioned, “We imagine that the latest introduction of the Z, Pathfinder, X-Path and Qashqai give us the freshest showroom in Australia with our new fashions averaging simply 14 months.”
Nevertheless it appears Mr Paterson was fast to excuse Patrol and Navara from his sums…
The Y62-series Patrol was launched in 2010 making it 12 years previous on the time of publication. Though up to date in 2014 and once more in 2019, it’s primarily the identical automobile that arrived to tackle Toyota’s LandCruiser over a decade in the past.
As for the D23 (NP300) Navara, it first arrived in Nissan showrooms again in 2014, and went on to ship the now defunct Mercedes-Benz X-Class in 2017 (which was cancelled in 2020 as a consequence of poor gross sales).
The utility vary was up to date in 2020 and enhanced with Warrior off-road equipment the identical 12 months, however just like the Patrol retains its unique chassis, driveline and cabin gear, and has no signal of a alternative in sight.
When requested in regards to the apparent hole in Nissan Australia’s refreshed line-up, Mr Paterson mentioned the age of Nissan’s off-road duo didn’t detract from the very fact the native portfolio is likely one of the youngest out there.
“I believe the Navara continues to be fairly contemporary. We’re slightly over a 12 months and a bit into the present replace – that’s in showrooms right now – so I nonetheless suppose that’s comparatively contemporary in automotive phrases,” he mentioned.
“So far as Patrol is anxious, we’ve bought product choices with Patrol arising within the second half of subsequent 12 months, and I believe that’s a giant step ahead, or an enchancment, so far as that providing is anxious.”
Whereas four-wheel drive and lightweight business autos normally face longer product cycles than their passenger rivals, it’s apparent that when measured towards its direct rivals, the Navara certainly squares up as one of many oldest mild business utilities out there Down Below.
Wanting via the LCV playlist, we discover the T6.2 Ford Ranger was considerably overhauled for 2022, making it the latest providing within the strong-selling market phase till the all-new Volkswagen Amarok lands subsequent 12 months.
The Ford/Volkswagen twins sit forward of the TF-series Mazda BT-50 (2020) and RG01-series Isuzu D-Max (2019), and facelifted Mitsubishi Triton (additionally in 2019, however with underpinnings courting again to 2015).
Toyota’s best-selling HiLux was up to date in 2020 and beforehand in 2017, however just like the Navara and Triton share origins that date again to the center of final decade.
Nissan is predicted to replace the Navara fully for 2024 with a mannequin that can share its framework with alliance companion Mitsubishi, however Mr Paterson mentioned that timeframe has not but been confirmed.
“I don’t suppose we’ve introduced when there’s going to be an absolute full ground-up redesign,” he mentioned.
Because the second-best promoting mannequin for Nissan behind the X-Path, it’s truthful to say the Navara varieties an essential a part of the model’s native playbook. Nevertheless, year-to-date gross sales present the Navara is falling effectively in need of its phase rivals in each the 4×2 and 4×4 portion of the class.
To the tip of November, Nissan offered simply 1650 examples of its two-wheel drive Navara, effectively behind the phase main Toyota HiLux (15,903), and nonetheless in need of contemporaries together with the Isuzu D-Max (4031), Ford Ranger (3801), Mitsubishi Triton (3343) and Mazda BT-50 (2230).
The four-wheel drive portion of the phase exhibits an excellent better discrepancy towards Navara’s direct opponents.
Yr-to-date, the phase is led by the Toyota HiLux (44,217) and Ford Ranger (39,015) with the Mitsubishi Triton (23,039) and Isuzu D-Max (18,744) performing effectively. Regardless of being formally on hiatus, the 79-series Toyota LandCruiser (10,452) additionally outsells the Navara, as does the Mazda BT-50 (9472).
Nissan ranks seventh within the phase with YTD gross sales of 8348 items – and simply forward of the Chinese language-made GWM Ute (6760) and LDV T60 (5361).
As for the ageing Patrol off-roader, we discover YTD gross sales of lower than half that of its solely direct competitor, the LC300 Toyota Land Cruiser. Once more, regardless of vital provide restrictions, the extra trendy Toyota (11,608) outsells its Nissan modern (4997) by a convincing 6611 items.
However Mr Paterson believes forthcoming electrification applied sciences could assist proper the course for Nissan’s off-road fashions.
Mr Paterson informed GoAuto Information that Nissan’s newly developed E-Energy hybrid driveline expertise might be readily tailored to present Patrol and Navara a important benefit over its diesel-powered rivals, providing consumers a petrol-electric resolution higher suited to long-distance and distant journey than BEV utilities just like the LDV eT60.
“In precept, E-Energy expertise will be utilized to different displacement engines and powertrains – it isn’t one thing that’s remoted to mid-sized SUVs and beneath,” he detailed.
“The opposite level is that the Widespread Module Household (CMF) platform has been engineered to include a variety of powertrains; and whereas we haven’t introduced that there’s a connection between these fashions at this particular time, it’s one thing that’s theoretically doable from an engineering perspective.”