Does Nissan’s new ute foreshadow the next-generation Navara?

A new Nissan Navara Coming soon, a new pickup truck for the Chinese market could herald the arrival of a new global pickup truck.

Automobile Information Network The Nissan Tono Z9 has reportedly appeared in a document from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

It is reported that the Yuanye Z9 offers a choice of a 2.0-liter gasoline engine with a power of 182kW or 190kW, or a 3.0-liter diesel engine with a power of 140kW.

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At 5520mm long, the car slots in between the current double-cab Navara (5260mm) and the US-market double-cab long-barrel Frontier (5692mm).

It is also longer than the dual-cab Mitsubishi Triton (5320mm) and has a longer wheelbase (3130mm). The next-generation Navara is expected to be based on the Triton that was launched here earlier this year.

It’s unclear what platform the Chinese pickup will be based on, and if it’s unrelated to the current Triton, then we’ll at least see a similar design language on the next-generation Navara.

While it looks larger and boxier than the current Navara, the Tono Z9 is still much smaller than the recently discontinued Titan pickup, Nissan’s US-built rival to the Ford F-150.

Here’s how the Yuanye Z9 compares to the current Navara and Triton dual-cab pickups.

It’s unclear where the car fits into Nissan’s plans.

The brand does not yet offer a pickup truck in China, but its joint venture partner Dongfeng does offer a current Navara model – called the Rich 6 – through its namesake brand, which is also available with electric power.

The current Navara is approaching the end of its life cycle, with a new generation due in 2026. Nissan intends to offer a plug-in hybrid model, relying on alliance partner Mitsubishi, but will also offer conventional diesel powertrains.

While Nissan has launched a new Ford Ranger rival in North America for 2022, the D41 series Frontier, it’s a significant update to the old D40 Navara that it replaced here in 2014.

As far as we know, this Frontier will not replace the existing Navara in markets like ours.

MORE: Everything about the Nissan Navara