Nissan Navara Pro PHEV: 800Nm, 3.5-tonne towing ute coming to Australia in 2027

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Nissan’s first-ever plug-in hybrid vehicle, a PHEV version of the Navara ute – called the Navara Pro PHEV – will go on sale in Australia in 2027, in the brand’s most focused effort yet to fight back against an influx of new Chinese rivals.

Described as a genuine workhorse first and electrified ute second, Nissan is looking to side-step fears of compromised capability by offering a mechanical 4×4 system along with baseline figures of 3.5-tonne towing and circa-one-tonne payload expected of a traditional diesel ute.

Similar to the recently launched diesel Navara based on the Thai-sourced Mitsubishi Triton it will park alongside of in showrooms, the Navara Pro PHEV sits on the bones of the Dongfeng Z9 and will be sourced from China.

Importantly, however, Nissan insists its Navara Pro PHEV – known as the Frontier Pro PHEV in other markets – has been shaped with our market in mind, with over 20,000km of testing carried out in Australia since the first of five prototypes landed locally in 2025.

Engine and drivetrain 

Taking a leaf out of the book of the BYD Shark 6, Nissan has looked past the globally available 1.5L four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine to a larger displacement 2.0L unit to boost capability when towing and carrying heavy payload.

The petrol engine works in conjunction with an electric motor mounted alongside the eight-speed automatic transmission. Interestingly, Nissan quotes combined outputs of 300kW and 800Nm with the larger displacement engine, which is slightly below the 320kW/800Nm rating of the 1.5T setup seen overseas, though this could be down to how outputs are measured in different markets.

Similar to the GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV, the Navara Pro PHEV features a genuine low-range transfer case, backed up by front and rear locking differentials and seven terrain-specific off-road models to enhance capability.

Overseas, an SUV version of the ute known as the Nissan Terrano PHEV has been shown off, and is also said to be under consideration for Australia.

Suspension setup still undecided

Nissan Australia says it has been testing multiple configurations of the new PHEV ute for our market and still hasn’t made up its mind on exactly what it wants, including the suspension setup.

Both leaf-spring and multi-link coil-spring rear configurations are under consideration and will be confirmed along with the broader list specification, closer to the on-sale date in 2027.

Nissan says it has refined the suspension setup for our market during its local evaluation program, along with the choice of tyres, off-road ability and – perhaps critically – the ADAS calibration.

Battery and range

Still unconfirmed is the size of the battery and how much electric range it will offer, with the 1.5T setup overseas featuring a 33kWh lithium-ion battery offering 131km of combustion-free motion, albeit according to the lenient NEDC standard.

Most plug-in dual cabs such as the BYD Shark 6, GWM Cannon PHEV and incoming Chery Stockman offer roughly 100km of EV range, which is about what is expected from the Nissan.

Tech-heavy interior

Nowhere does the PHEV version of the Navara separate itself from its diesel counterpart more than inside the cabin, with a massive 14.6-inch infotainment screen dominating the cabin.

It’s paired with a 10-inch digital drivers display in a highly modern design, complete with creature comforts like leather upholstery across the five-seat layout and a panoramic sunroof.

Few specifics have been confirmed about the cabin for Australia, other than the inclusion of a vehicle-to-load (V2L) ability, which can output up to 6kW in other markets.

Chasing Cars will soon get hands-on with the new Narara Pro PHEV, so stay tuned for more details.