Blame Russia: Invasion slammed brakes on Nissan NP200 successor

Nissan South Africa has officially confirmed that it is looking into a replacement for the NP200 once the half-ton’s production run wraps-up in March next year.

Plans halted

Despite earlier this year announcing the end of the locally made NP200, based on the underpinnings of the original Dacia/Renault Logan and Sandero – both made at the Rosslyn Plant outside Pretoria – a successor was not mentioned despite it being rumoured as far back as 2020.

In a statement on Friday afternoon (6 October), Nissan South Africa admitted it had been looking into sourcing a replacement for the now 15-year old NP200 from Russia, but ultimately decided against it based on the current “geopolitical situation” involving the invasion of Ukraine.

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Along with alliance partner Renault, formal withdrawal from the Russian market took place last year, a move reported by Reuters as having cost Nissan $687-million.

Similar to its partner, operations and all of its factories were sold for €1 with an agreement of a buyback within the next six years should the situation improve.

In a continuation of its announcement, Nissan said the securing of a second model alongside the Navara for the local and export markets from Rosslyn remains a propriety it is determined to fill before production of the NP200 ends.

It said: “Until our future plans are confirmed, the business will be operating at reduced production volumes and needs to act responsibly to maintain its long-term competitiveness and be ready to secure future opportunities.

“Nissan South Africa has now entered into a formal consultation phase to restructure the business, which could result in a reduction in the number of employees across the company”.

It concluded by saying, “during the consultation phase we will work with our employees, their representatives, and our partners to minimise the impact on our people and investigate other opportunities for them and for the business to ensure a sustainable future for the brand in South Africa”.

Earlier this year, Nissan renewed its partnership with Renault as part of a wider plan projected to spawn four new projects, one being a new bakkie for the South American market positioned below the Navara known there as the Frontier

“Nissan” Oroch maybe?

According to the report uncovered by motor1.com Argentina, the alleged half-ton would not be based on the current Renault Oroch, but feature a unibody platform and sold as both a Nissan and Renault.

Shown as a “prototype” at the Nampo Agricultural Expo in Bothaville in the Free State in May, the Oroch, which had been on the drawing board for South Africa for more than four years, is expected to be replaced in 2025 by an all-new model speculation has alleged will be based on the forthcoming Dacia Bigster the Romanian brand intends on positioning above the Duster.

Facelifted in South America last year, which saw the Duster prefix being dropped in favour of the Oroch name only, the possibility of Nissan South Africa considering local production wasn’t mentioned either, with the same applying to possible rebadging similar to what had been taking place with the Logan/NP200.

Watch this space

As it stands, nothing else about the NP200’s replacement is known as besides the Oroch, no other small bakkie below the Navara/Frontier and its rebadged twin, the Renault Alaskan, is known to exists within the alliance, which also includes Mitsubishi.

Expectations, however, are that Nissan will provide clearer details next year either before or after NP200 production finally concludes.

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