After the popular pick-up Navara left the European market, there was a noticeable gap in Nissan’s offer. It seems that the Japanese manufacturer now has a candidate to fill it – the Chinese-made Frontier Pro with a plug-in hybrid drive could arrive in Europe. While it may not have the status of the larger American version, it offers enough assets to merit serious consideration.
The Frontier Pro, developed in collaboration with Chinese partner Dongfeng, premiered in China about a year ago, with confirmation that it will be a global model. Although it appeared in the Chinese market at the end of 2025, it is still not available in other markets. But that could soon change. Vice President of Nissan, Jordi Vilaconfirmed that Europe is still in the plans.
“The Frontier Pro PHEV is a pick-up that we are currently studying. We believe that it is a vehicle that has potential for Europe,” Vila told Carscoops.
Of course, selling in Europe requires more than a green light from the company’s headquarters. The vehicle would have to be adapted to strict European standards at Nissan’s UK engineering centre. This means meeting local safety requirements and ensuring that the plug-in hybrid system passes all regulatory hurdles, an investment estimated at more than 10 million euros.
Impressive figures and Chinese foundations
Under the hood, the Frontier Pro has a 1.5-liter four-cylinder turbo gasoline engine paired with an electric motor integrated into the transmission. The system delivers a total power of 402 hp and even 800 Nm of torque, which are numbers that put it next to the popular model BYD Shark 6. It is also equipped with intelligent all-wheel drive and an electromechanical rear differential lock. According to Chinese test cycles, it can travel up to 135 kilometers on electricity alone.
It is important to note that the Frontier Pro is not a completely new model developed from scratch. It is basically a slightly redesigned version of the Dongfeng Z9 model, which debuted in early 2025. If the Frontier Pro does make it to Europe, it could open the door for other models from the Dongfeng Nissan partnership.