Nissan Dongfeng Z9 pickup truck launched in China, expected to sell 435 units

Nissan has launched a new model in its family, although this latest offering isn’t one of its standalone projects, but rather comes through its Chinese joint venture with Dongfeng. While the Japanese automaker continues to struggle with serious financial problems, it has been able to co-develop a new pickup truck called the Z9.

The truck uses a new architecture and is 5,520 mm (217 inches) long, 1,960 mm (77.1 inches) wide, 1,950 mm (76.7 inches) high, and has a wheelbase of 3,300 mm (130 inches). It features a dual-cab design and a surprisingly eye-catching exterior design. Nissan and Dongfeng have been able to design the Z9 to stand out from its rivals without having to throw out the rulebook and adopt weird and controversial styling like Kia’s new Tasman.

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The front end of the truck features a large light bar and Z-shaped LED daytime running lights. It also features a split grille design with the lower bumper area finished in silver and black elements. Viewed from the rear three-quarters, the Z9 reminds us a bit of the latest Toyota Tundra, which is certainly not a bad thing.

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Looking inside, the Z9 has a two-spoke steering wheel with silver controls in front of a small digital instrument panel. The large central infotainment display sits in the center of the dashboard, and while many of the controls appear to be located exclusively in this screen, there are still some physical switches below the central air vents.

Available powertrains include a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder (258 hp) and a 2.3-liter turbodiesel (190 hp), both paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. A hybrid model is also in development to compete with the popular BYD Shark. Although many details about this version are still unknown, it is expected to deliver 435 horsepower and 590 pound-feet (800 Nm) of torque, and have a range of 1,100 kilometers (683 miles) by NEDC standards.

Production of the pickup began in China earlier this month. There is no word yet on whether Nissan and Dongfeng plan to export it to overseas markets, but several other cars from the joint venture are also sold in Russia, so it is possible that the Z9 will be sold in Russia as well.