The head of Nissan South Africa says he thinks it would be “quite easy” to convince local bakkie buyers of the benefits of a next-gen Navara with a hybrid powertrain…
The man at the helm of Nissan South Africa says he believes it would be “quite easy” to convince local bakkie buyers of the benefits of a next-gen Navara with a hybrid powertrain.
Maciej Klenkiewicz, Nissan South Africa and Independent Markets Africa Managing Director made the comments to Cars.co.za during an interview at the South African Auto Week 2024 in Cape Town.
When asked whether Nissan was indeed working on electrifying the next-generation Navara, Klenkiewicz was initially somewhat cagey.
“You’ll see the news. Everyone is working on electrification for the future. Is it going to be a hybrid solution or full EV [electric vehicle]? It depends on the brands. We have our proposals and it’s coming,” he said.
But when quizzed further on whether the typical South African bakkie buyer would be interested in an electrified pick-up of some sort, Klenkiewicz was a bit more forthcoming.
“I think it’s going to be quite easy to convince customers about the advantages that solution will bring, especially when the load-shedding issue disappears and the price of electricity becomes stable – it’s the perfect solution. If you need to drive 20 km or 50 km, definitely a … hybrid solution would be much better.
“And, if you need more power or if you need, for example, longer [range], you will be equipped with the normal ICE [powertrain]. So, I think we will not go, within that segment, straight to the EV solution – sometimes that happens with passenger cars – but there will be a step forward with the hybrid solution,” Klenkiewicz said, seemingly referring to a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) powertrain.
The next-generation Navara – which is expected to share much with the new Mitsubishi Triton under the global Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance – seems likely to be unveiled at some point in 2025, though Nissan has yet to confirm a reveal date.
While official information on this new model is decidedly thin on the ground, the Japanese automaker did suggest in March 2024 that its “next-gen 1-tonne pickup” would be available in both plug-in hybrid and fully electric forms – seemingly in addition to a conventional turbodiesel powertrain.
Though Alliance partner Mitsubishi has yet to confirm a plug-in hybrid option for the new Triton – which is expected to launch in Mzansi at some point in November 2024 – it’s thought to be in the brand’s planning. And it’s likely this powertrain that the Navara range will eventually inherit, too.
As a reminder, the local bakkie market already includes a 48V mild-hybrid option offered in the Toyota Hilux range as well as a parallel-hybrid GWM P-Series P500 HEV, while the plug-in hybrid BYD Shark is set to launch in South Africa early in 2025. Ford, meanwhile, will soon start building the new Ranger PHEV at Silverton for export, though this derivative has technically yet to be confirmed for Mzansi.
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