We’ll be straightforward and say that the Nissan Navara is in dire need of an all-new model. Granted, the current generation is still capable enough, but time has since caught up with it.
To put things into perspective, the truck has been around since 2014. That makes it even older than the current Toyota Hilux, itself an aging model. At 11 years old at the time of writing, change is a must for the Navara.
A few months ago, Nissan did confirm that it’s working hard to reveal the next-generation model within the year. The company has taken the first steps by showing a teaser of its future pickup.
OTHER STORIES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED:
What first-time car buyers should know about getting car loans
What the Mazda Miata means to my family despite never having owned one
Mind you, the pickup you’re looking at here isn’t referred to as a Navara per se. As it was previewed for the Latin American market, it might become the Frontier for that region. That’s not to say the Navara will be axed, but rather, it comes with a different name over there.
But one thing that did catch our attention was the rear door. As far as we can tell, the window looks identical to the present model. The same goes for the front doors, and even the shape of the side mirrors. Does this mean the Mitsubishi Triton-based model will no longer reach production? Not quite, but we do have a theory.
There’s a good chance that there will be different versions of the next-generation Nissan Navara, for Latin America and the rest of the world. What we’re seeing here might be a heavily facelifted version of the present model, as seen by the new headlights, hood, grille, and fenders. There might be some suspension changes, and it might even revert to leaf springs.
As for the second version, the Triton-based Navara will likely be for Asia and Oceania markets. Nissan themselves have confirmed the Mitsubishi parts sharing, and are insisting it will have its unique identity from the Triton and not being a mere rebadge.
So, this might not be the totally new Navara just yet. While it’s a bit of a downer, there’s still a lot to look forward to over at Nissan. Besides, the company has already committed to showing the redesigned pickup before the end of the year.
