- Chinese authorities have revealed a new mid-size pickup truck from Nissan, the Yuanye Z9.
- It’s significantly larger than the current Navara and is bigger than the Mitsubishi Triton.
- It’s uncertain if the Yuanye Z9 will replace the global Navara or remain exclusive to China.
Americans were recently treated to a facelifted Frontier, but Nissan fans overseas have been feeling neglected as the Navara dates back to 2014. That’s about to change, at least in China, as the country’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has unveiled what seems to be the new generation of this mid-size pickup, tentatively named the Yuanye Z9, according to our translation.
As highlighted in our Future Car piece, where Carscoops’ longtime artist Josh Byrnes accurately predicted the design of the Nissan truck shown here, it remains unclear whether the Yuanye Z9 is a China-exclusive model or part of the Mitsubishi Triton-based Navara intended for global consumption. Either way, it may still offer clues about the styling of the upcoming Western-market Navara.
Future Cars: What We Know About China’s 2026 Nissan Navara That Might Go Global
Looking like a futuristic version of the BYD Shark, China’s Yuanye Z9 thinks it’s hip to be square. As a result, the truck embraces a boxy design with sharp lines and subtle curves. The front end is dominated by a large mesh grille, which is flanked by vertical headlights. Further below, there’s a black plastic bumper with a faux silver skid plate.
Moving down the sides, we can see plastic body cladding and blacked out A-pillars. The crew cab pickup also has side steps and an available sport bar. The mid-size truck also appears to offer a panoramic moonroof, a tonneau cover, and an assortment of different wheels.
The rear end isn’t particularly exciting as the Nissan pickup has vertical taillights as well as large reflectors that reside above a fake skid plate. We can also see a practical bumper with a wide step that should provide easy access to the bed.
In terms of size, the pickup measures 217.3 inches (5,520 mm) long, 77.2 inches (1,960 mm) wide, and 76.8 inches (1,950 mm) tall with a wheelbase that spans 129.9 inches (3,300 mm). That means the model is quite a bit larger than the current Australian-spec Narava SL Dual Cab, which is 207.1 inches (5,260 mm) long, 72.8 inches (1,850 mm) wide, and 71.3 inches (1,810 mm) tall.
It’s also worth noting the model is 7.9 inches (200 mm) longer than the Mitsubishi Triton and has an extra 6.7 inches (170 mm) between the wheels. That’s a huge difference and one that suggests the two models are unrelated despite both companies being part of the same alliance.
Under the hood, there’s a 2.0-liter gasoline engine that appears to have outputs of 244 hp (182 kW / 247 PS) and 255 hp (190 kW / 258 PS). They’ll enable the model to hit a top speed of up to 99 mph (160 km/h). Chinese customers will also be able to get a 3.0-liter diesel engine producing 188 hp (140 kW / 190 PS). Despite being less powerful, this version has a higher top speed of 106 mph (170 km/h).
Moreover, Chinese Nissan officials have previously confirmed that the upcoming pickup truck will also introduce a plug-in hybrid variant down the line.