A smaller pickup could join the Titan and Frontier without a combustion engine.
Datsun’s first compact pickup truck was introduced in America with the 220 chassis in the late 1950s. The name Datsun was used for small trucks until 1984, when Nissan Datsun was introduced. This D21 series was known as the Nissan Hardbody. It was retired from the US market in 1997 in order to make way for the Frontier.
The workhorse has grown in size over the years. There’s now space in Nissan’s lineup to offer a compact truck that can compete with the Ford Maverick.Hyundai Santa CruzCiting a “person knowledgeable in the matter”, it claims that the all-electric powertrain would replace the gasoline engine.
Although Judy Wheeler (Nissan’s Vice President of Sales and Regional Operations in the United States) did not confirm the rumor, Automotive News asked her. She said that there were many things being discussed. I don’t believe there is any serious discussion at the moment. That was something I could have predicted. It’s kind of fascinating to see the pickup area. A consumer who is looking for a vehicle to live a luxurious lifestyle and can take all of their gear off-roading will probably be interested in this model.
The US has no other EVs larger than Nissan, so Nissan’s heritage is certainly there to support the launch of a compact truck. Rivian R1T Rivian GMC Hummer EV and Ford F-150 Lightning are all larger than Nissan, leaving the Maverick, Santa Cruz, and GMC Hummer EV as close rivals in terms if footprint.
Apart from these alleged discussions regarding developing a small electric vehicle, Nissan has been in internal talks about bringing back Xterra. Although the nameplate is present in certain markets, such as the X-Terra, it takes the form of a three-row, Navara-based SUV. However, dealers claim that a decision has not been made regarding a US launch.