Nissan has announced that it has officially entered pre-production on one of its new SUVs for South Africa.
The new SUV will be assembled at the Japanese carmaker’s advanced Chennai manufacturing plant in India and will be built in partnership with its long-term partner Renault.
Thanks to this, the new SUV is set to be built on the Renault-Nissan CMF-B platform, the same architecture used in the next-gen Renault Duster.
Based on this, motorists will have the option of either a five or seven-seater model.
The CMF-B platform also provides improved structural strength and will allow the SUV to support hybrid powertrains.
In terms of powertrains, the new SUV will probably offer petrol engine options, with the potential for a turbocharged model, alongside hybrid versions in certain markets.
The new SUV will likely fall within the compact to mid-size SUV range, competing with models such as the Toyota Urban Cruiser or Hyundai Creta.
Nissan plans for the new SUV to debut sometime in 2026 and help with the company’s goal to re-establish itself in the South African market and corner the Indian market.
Given this, the new SUV is being designed with South Africa and India in mind, blending urban comfort with off-road capabilities.
South Africans can therefore expect the new SUV to come with standard modern conveniences, like modern infotainment systems, driver assistance features, and high ground clearance.
This new SUV is one of two planned vehicles Nissan intends to develop and bring to South Africa.
Plan for South Africa
Nissan’s current presence in South Africa has seen substantial declines with its product line-up seeing far fewer sales in recent years and dropping down to include only four models.
This includes the ultra-exclusive R1.7-million Patrol, the X-Trial, the Magnite, and the Navara.
The X-Trial’s sales have dropped to an average of less than 100 monthly units sold, which has placed the strain of maintaining the carmaker’s local presence on the Magnite and the Navara.
Given that the Magnite is a crossover and the Navara is a bakkie, the two new SUVs will help the brand re-enter the larger passenger vehicle market.
The decision to manufacture the new SUVs at the Chennai plant is also significant, with lower local costs allowing Nissan to target more affordable international prices.
This should help position the new Nissan SUVs with competitive pricing in South Africa once they hit local showrooms.
Related to this, the Renault Duster currently sells for between R397,999 and R465,999, so the new SUVs will likely fall within a similar ballpark given the shared platform.
While this is exciting news and a positive change for Nissan, concerns remain around the company’s presence in South Africa.
Chiefly, the Nissan Rosslyn Plant, which had been producing the popular NP200 up until March, and with the NP200 having no confirmed successor, the plant’s fate is up in the air.
It should be noted that as a part of its worldwide ‘recovery’ strategy launched in early 2025, the company will reduce its production facilities from 17 to 10 and cut over 20,000 jobs over the next two years.
Nissan has made no official statements on the plant and its future, but has indicated it has been conducting a detailed assessment.
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