Next Nissan Navara and Mitsubishi Triton will have broader than expected separation

While only due in 2022, the next generation Mitsubishi Triton will reportedly be different from the equivalent Nissan Navara as opposed to being a rebadged exercise reported until now.

This is according to Yokohama’s Global Product Planning Head Ivan Espinosa, who told Australia’s motoring.com.au via a virtual meeting after the launch of the facelift Navara that it will still have input of the newcomer anticipated to premiere two years after the Triton.

Back in May, Nissan, as part of its global restructuring plan involving alliance partners Renault and Mitsubishi, stated that a leader/follower approach would be adopted in which the marque with the strongest standing would take the lead of a certain segment regarding development, with the remaining two playing a supporting role.

Under this strategy, the undertaking of a new pick-up would fall to Mitsubishi with Nissan offering limited assistance, bar in the design stages in order for a slight differentiation to made in the looks departments. According to Espinosa though, Nissan will retain control of the Navara project in spite of the Mitsubishi foundations.

“The way we look at the leader/follower approach is leveraging on what the alliance partners have, but the focus is on each company’s strategy. If in the future we find the need to do something different or unique because the customer is demanding we do so, this is what we will do,” Espinosa said.

Newly facelifted Nissan Navara

“We will always be flexible. If we need to do something specific or unique to address either company direction or customer requirements we will do so, while at the same time we keep leveraging from the alliance partner. If we have something unique we at Nissan need, we think of having that in our own truck and not following fully the other alliance partners will be doing.”

At the same time, Espinosa stated that Nissan is still studying prospects of introducing a rival for the Ford Ranger Raptor despite the presence of the Navara N-Trek Warrior, which remains an Australian market exclusive model developed in partnership with Melbourne-based engineering firm, Premcar, and Mitsubishi’s ruling out of an off-road focused Triton earlier this year.

“It’s something that we are considering and monitoring. It’s not so easy to execute, because obviously you need to plan it from the very beginning; having maybe some frame countermeasures, some suspension travel changes. We’re talking about next generation… It’s something that we are considering seriously,” Espinosa confirmed to caradvice.com.au.

No mentioning was however made of the rumoured all-electric Navara or the speculated V8 model that would fill the slot left vacant by Ford’s decision earlier this year to cancel the still-born Ranger Raptor V8.

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