Nissan has announced its global model plans for 2025 and 2026, including the third-generation Leaf that morphs into an SUV, and the sixth-generation Micra that becomes an EV, both of which were revealed overnight.
At an event held last night Australian time, Nissan’s global chief product planning officer and soon-to-be CEO, Ivan Espinosa, teased six new models for release in various markets by the end of the 2027 Japanese financial year (March 2027).
Five of them will come to Australia within that timeframe, excluding the new Micra but including the new Navara, Patrol, Leaf, and Qashqai e-Power in 2026, following the launch of the Ariya later this year.
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Australia
For Australian market, Nissan reconfirmed it will finally launch the Ariya mid-sized electric SUV later this year to rival the top-selling Tesla Model Y.
In the second half of 2026, Nissan Australia will launch the seventh-generation Patrol (Y63), powered by a turbocharged petrol V6 engine in place of the Y62’s V8. Nissan boasts Australia will be the “first right-hand drive market” to receive the new Patrol.
Joining the Patrol in Australian showrooms next year will be an “all-new one-ton pickup” that builds on “Nissan’s partnership with Mitsubishi Motors”.
In addition to these two body-on-frame models will be the third-generation Leaf, which ditches its hatchback body for a crossover design, and a new Qashqai small SUV powered by more efficient “third-generation e-POWER technology”, which could also bring price parity with petrol variants.
Both models will be built at Nissan’s Sunderland plant in the UK and launched here next year, despite the fact the third-generation Qashqai was only recently released here.
Navara
The new Mitsubishi Triton-based Navara arrives in Australia next year and is yet to be revealed. The image below is of the facelifted NP300 Navara/Frontier model that will arrive in Latin American markets during the 2026 Japanese financial year.
Nissan’s announcement regarding the Latin American Navara/Frontier makes no mention of Mitsubishi connections. Instead, it talks up its “evolved design, enhanced infotainment and impressive suite of advanced driver assist technologies”.
This indicates the Latin American Navara/Frontier will be a significant facelift of the current D23 model.
That would mean Nissan will be producing three different mid-size pickups globally.
Of most importance to us is the upcoming Thai-built Navara, which is destined for Asia, Australia, and other global markets. This vehicle will share its underpinnings with the Mitsubishi Triton, and will be the most advanced of the three utes.
Then there’s the the Frontier sold in the US, Canada, and Mexico. This Mississippi-built model is a heavily revised model based on the second-generation (D40) Navara, launched back in 2004.
Latin America’s D23-based Navara (also sold as the Frontier or NP300 depending on the country) pictured here sports a new front-end design with three LED light bars integrated into the sides of the large grille, and squared-off wheel-arches, but carryover wing mirrors.
Juke and Micra EVs
In overseas markets, Nissan’s comeback plan includes the new Renault-based Micra hatchback and the third-generation Juke. Due to hit Europe in 2025 and 2026 respectively, both pint-sized models will be reborn as EVs, but no plans for these models were announced for the Oceania region, which includes Australia.
New Rogue/X-Trail
During the 2026 Japanese financial year, Nissan will begin producing the fourth-generation Rogue in the US. Ever since the second-generation model, unveiled in 2013, the Rogue and X-Trail have been paired together, and there’s no indication at this stage that the two nameplates will be uncoupled.
Despite offering a X-Trail e-Power hybrid variants in Australia and other markets, there is no hybrid version of the Rogue sold in North America.
With hybrid drivetrains making up a large chunk of Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V sales in the US, the Rogue has fallen behind.
The new model seen above will rectify this by being available with both hybrid and plug-in hybrid options.
There’s no word yet on when the next-generation X-Trail will go on sale in Australia, but with the current model, production in Japan lagged a year behind the US.
Rogue Plug-in Hybrid
While it readies its next-generation Rogue/X-Trail, Nissan USA needs an electrified Rogue now. Instead of importing and homologating the X-Trail e-Power, Nissan will instead rebadge the Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid as a Rogue.
The current Outlander is based on the Rogue/X-Trail’s underpinnings, but has a completely unique exterior and interior.
Aside from badging and a redesigned grille, the Rogue Plug-in Hybrid looks just like its mid-sized SUV twin from Mitsubishi.
Sentra
Nissan Australia may no longer offer a sedan in its range, but the four-door-with-a-boot body style continues to live on quietly in other markets.
So for North America (and presumably China too), there will be a new Sentra.
Due on sale later this year, the ninth-generation model will have a new design with a sportier profile, a wider stance, and swoopier roof line.
While the Sentra name has never been used in Australia, our Pulsar often shared much under the skin. The seventh-generation (B17) Sentra also did duty in Australia as the Pulsar sedan.
Pathfinder facelift
Also due to launch in the US some time in 2025, the updated Pathfinder features a new grille, and revised headlight design. The design differs from the substantially different front-end seen on the China-market model.
There’s no mention of hybrid power for the revised Pathfinder, so presumably it will stick with the company’s 3.5-litre petrol V6.
Perhaps tellingly, there’s no mention of the facelifted Pathfinder among the model launches listed for Nissan Australia. Given the Pathfinder’s slow sales Down Under, that’s unsurprising.
MORE: Everything Nissan Navara | Qashqai | Juke
