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- Nissan’s first-ever plug-in hybrid pickup truck revealed in China.
- 300kW output, 800Nm torque, 135km EV-only range.
- Australia not confirmed, but global markets are targeted.
- Solid axle 5-link rear suspension, AWD, and four selectable drive modes.
- Interior tech includes dual screens, massage seats, V2L charging.
Whoa! The first of many bombshell announcements from the Shanghai Autoshow is here, and surprisingly, it’s Nissan that has landed the first blow with the reveal of the Nissan Frontier Pro Plug-in Hybrid. While it’s yet to be confirmed for the Australian market, it has been confirmed for export markets, and with Australia being a hotbed of new Chinese utes, we wouldn’t be surprised to see it arrive here in the future.
With the outright success of the BYD Shark 6 and the arrival of the Ford Ranger PHEV, Nissan would be silly not to offer the new Nissan Frontier Pro Plug-in Hybrid to the Australian market. However, once again, it has not been confirmed. It will first go on sale in China at the end of 2025, and when it does, the Frontier Pro will become Nissan’s first-ever plug-in Hybrid and the first-ever electrified pickup truck.
What we do know is that the Nissan Frontier Pro Plug-in Hybrid is a five-seat, dual-purpose pickup that has been designed around the concept of “Rugged Tech.” It was designed in Nissan’s Shanghai studio, and the design team was quite clearly inspired by the three-slot opening in the hood of the 1980s Nissan D21 hardbody pickup. To create this design, the team used LEDs to reimagine this design element for the new Frontier Pro PHEV, and we reckon it works quite well. There’s certainly a cookie-cutter design language for these PHEV utes from China, but it’s not ugly.
Like the BYD Shark 6 (from AUD$57,900 plus on-road costs), the new Nissan Frontier Pro Plug-in Hybrid is powered by a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder internal combustion engine. However, it uses a transmission-mounted, high-output electric motor instead of the Shark’s dual motor setup.
This powertrain produces a combined system output of 300kW of power and up to 800 Nm of torque. If you didn’t believe we’re entering a new era for utes, let this be another example of where we’re heading! The Nissan Frontier Pro Plug-in Hybrid is certified to provide up to 135km of EV-only range in China, and we wouldn’t expect that to change much for global markets.
Compared to the BYD Shark 6, the Nissan Frontier Pro Plug-in Hybrid produces slightly less power and torque, but it offers more EV-only range when referencing the Chinese domestic market figures. The BYD Shark 6 uses a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine with two electric motors and produces 321kW of power and 650Nm of torque, which is good for a 0-100km/h sprint time of 5.7 seconds.
However, where the Nissan Frontier Pro Plug-in Hybrid sets itself apart from the Shark 6 is with the solid-axle, 5-link rear suspension that will surely provide increased wheel articulation and capability off-road when compared to the Shark 6. It combines this with an Intelligent All-Wheel Drive system to automatically control torque distribution between the front and rear wheels and an electromechanical rear differential lock.
The Nissan Frontier Pro comes with four drive modes: Hybrid, Pure electric, Performance and Snow.
Technology inside the cabin is fairly standard-issue for Chinese vehicles at this point. There’s a large 10-inch LCD instrument panel for the driver, and this is combined with a 14.6-inch infotainment screen. Comfort is then provided by front seat heating, ventilation, and seat-back massage in select overseas variants. Again, these specifications have not been confirmed for Australia, but unlike Europe, they tend to mirror those found in China.
Other high-end ute features are here, including roof rails and an electronic retractable cover for the cargo area. Finally, household devices can be charged using the Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) port, which leverages the plug-in hybrid battery to supply up to 6kW of power.
The new Nissan Frontier Pro Plug-in Hybrid is co-developed with Zhengzhou Nissan (ZNA) and will first go on sale in China before the end of 2025. Overseas markets have been confirmed, but Australia is yet to be confirmed as one of these destinations.
