Nissan has confirmed plans to launch its China-built Frontier Pro pickup in international markets, starting with Mexico this month.
Nissan is preparing to take its new Frontier Pro pickup beyond China, with Mexico becoming the first international market to receive the truck. Sales are scheduled to begin there this month, while the Philippines is expected to follow in November. According to Nikkei, the pickup will then expand into the Middle East, Central and South America, and Oceania before the end of the year.
Despite sharing its name with the Frontier sold in the United States, the Frontier Pro is an entirely different vehicle. Developed by the Zhengzhou Nissan joint venture, it is based on the Dongfeng Z9 platform. The pickup is also the first Nissan model developed and manufactured in China specifically for global export.
The Mexican-market Frontier Pro will be offered with a plug-in hybrid powertrain combining a 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine, an electric motor, and a 20-kWh battery pack. The system produces a combined 350 horsepower and 487 lb-ft of torque.
According to China's NEDC testing cycle, the truck can travel approximately 47 miles on electric power alone. With a full fuel tank and a fully charged battery, its total driving range approaches 621 miles.
The Frontier Pro is also a sizable pickup. It measures approximately 217.3 inches long, 77.2 inches wide, and 76.8 inches tall, with a 129.9-inch wheelbase. Ground clearance comes in at 9.1 inches. Combined with four-wheel drive and a locking rear differential, those figures suggest the truck should be capable of handling rough terrain.
In Mexico, the Frontier Pro PHEV will be available in two trim levels. The entry-level LE starts at 900,000 Mexican pesos, or approximately $50,000, while the range-topping Platinum costs 970,000 pesos, equivalent to about $54,000.
Those prices are lower than earlier reports suggesting that the pickup would start at 970,000 pesos. The revised figures put the base model roughly $4,000 below that initial estimate.
Nissan plans to expand the Frontier Pro into additional international markets before the end of the year. Middle Eastern buyers are expected to receive conventional gasoline-powered versions, while other regions will get plug-in hybrid models.
Australia and New Zealand are scheduled to receive the pickup in 2027, where it will be sold under the Navara Pro name. Those markets will also get a different engine: a 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline unit instead of the 1.5-liter engine used in Mexico.
The decision follows local testing, during which Australian engineers reportedly concluded that the smaller engine would not adequately meet local expectations for towing and payload capability.
The Frontier Pro is part of Nissan's broader effort to make greater use of its Chinese manufacturing facilities and engineering resources. The strategy is intended to help the Japanese automaker develop competitive vehicles more quickly and challenge manufacturers such as BYD in international markets.
Earlier this year, Nissan also launched the Primera electric sedan in the Philippines. The model is based on the N7, a vehicle developed through the Dongfeng-Nissan partnership.
The approach combines China's manufacturing capacity and development speed with Nissan's established global sales network and brand recognition. Expanding the Frontier Pro's reach could also help Nissan strengthen its position in the pickup segment, one of the automotive industry's most commercially important categories.