Nissan recently announced that it will sell its Rosslyn bakkie factory to Chery, marking the end of nearly 60 years of local manufacturing.
“Subject to the fulfilment of certain conditions, including regulatory approvals, Chery South Africa will purchase the land, buildings and associated assets of the Nissan facilities, including of its nearby stamping plant, in mid-2026,” it said.
“External factors have had a well-known impact on the utilisation of the Rosslyn plant and its future viability within Nissan,” said Jordi Vila, President of Nissan Africa.
However, the company stated that this does not signal the end of Nissan’s operations in South Africa, and that it will continue to sell cars in our market.
The Japanese automaker went on to reassure consumers that it is committed to South Africa, and that it will launch two new models in the near future.
“Following the acquisition of the plant by Chery SA, Nissan will continue to offer vehicles and services to customers in South Africa, as before, with several new vehicle launches planned for fiscal year 2026 including the Nissan Tekton and Nissan Patrol.”
Nissan’s product offensive for 2026
Nissan’s selection of cars has dwindled over the past few years to just three models – the Magnite crossover, Navara bakkie, and X-Trail SUV.
This roster will soon be bolstered by the arrival of the new Tekton and Patrol, which will cater to two very different audiences.
The Patrol is, of course, Nissan’s flagship SUV, and will sit alongside other luxury 4x4s like the Toyota Land Cruiser 300 and Land Rover Defender 130 when it goes on sale in South Africa.
Now in its seventh generation, the new Patrol (Y63) features one of two V6 petrol engines, though Nissan has yet to confirm if we will receive both options.
The first is a 3.8-litre naturally aspirated block with 232kW and 386Nm, while the second is a 3.5-litre twin-turbo monster with 313kW and 700Nm.
In both cases, the SUV uses a nine-speed automatic gearbox and a permanent four-wheel-drive system with driving and terrain modes for Standard, Eco, Sport, Sand, Rock, and Mud/Rut.
It also has adaptive air suspension for improved comfort, and a 4WD transfer mode interlock system that lets the driver seamlessly switch modes on the fly.
Visually, the Patrol has a new body with a V-motion grille, C-shaped LED headlights, 22-inch alloy wheels, and new puddle lamps that project the car’s profile onto the ground along with the words “Since 1951.”
Inside, the premium off-roader boasts new quilted leather seats and panel detailing traditional Japanese wood craft, Kumiko.
It also has a panoramic sunroof, massage seats, and two 14.3-inch screens for the driver and infotainment displays.
There’s also an option to install two 12.8-inch entertainment screens for the rear seats.
On top of this, the SUV comes with Nissan’s ProPILOT driver assistance package, which adds things like adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, a 3D camera system, a digital rearview mirror, pedestrian detection, and automatic emergency braking.
The second Nissan coming to South Africa is much more down to earth, relatively speaking, as it is the Indian-made Tekton crossover.
The Tekton is set to go on sale in India within the next few months, but we already have a good idea of what to expect because the Nissan shares the CMF-B platform with the Renault Duster – a result of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance.
The automaker has yet to provide a detailed breakdown of the car’s specifications, but if the Duster is anything to go by, we can expect a 1.3-litre turbo-petrol engine with 113kW and 250Nm, which connects to the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.
The Duster also has a four-wheel-drive model with a 1.2-litre turbo-petrol mild hybrid plant, which produces 96kW and 230Nm.
While the company will only announce the Tekton’s pricing closer to launch, it should be fairly similar to the Duster’s R489,999 sticker.
This would position the Tekton as a mid-range compact SUV above the Magnite and allow it to compete with similar models such as the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, and Toyota Corolla Cross.
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