Dongfeng Nissan’s upcoming pickup for China, the Yuanye Z9, has been leaked ahead of its official release. While there’s speculation that this model might replace the Navara globally, we believe the Z9 will be exclusive to China. The Navara was discontinued in the UK in 2021 and is not slated to make a return.
Show in detail by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Yuanye Z9 is expected to replace the D23 Navara, which has been on the market since 2017. With a length of 5,520mm, width of 1,960mm, and height of 1,950mm, the Z9 is notably larger than most pickups in its class, including the new Mitsubishi Triton that is expected to form the underpinnings of the next-gen Navara.
The design of the Z9 features a boxy silhouette, contemporary LED lighting, and unique styling cues such as black trim under the rear windows and rounded wheel arches, which could inform the future design direction of the Navara.
Under the hood, the Z9 is expected to offer both petrol and diesel power options. A plug-in hybrid variant is also rumoured to be in the pipeline for future release.
While the new pickup underscores Nissan’s commitment to China and its joint venture with Dongfeng, the styling and design could hint at the direction of the next global Navara, which is expected to merge with the US-market Frontier.
