The rejuvenated brand will end 2026 with the arrival of the facelift Navara before focusing on its SUV roll-out.
Long awaited Y63 Patrol will make its debut in South Africa early next year. Picture: Nissan
Nissan South Africa has confirmed the arrival of no less than two new models for the local market next year, with another three being considered for possible introduction.
Navara first
Announced at the launch of the Tekton this week, the brand will end 2026 with the arrival of the facelift Navara in the fourth quarter.
Once again sourced from Thailand following the sale of its Rosslyn plant outside Pretoria to Chery in April, the Navara will, initially, have three trim levels – SE Plus, LE Plus and Pro-4X – and retain the 2.5-litre YD25DDTI turbodiesel engine.
While seemingly unchanged externally from its most recent update in 2021, which saw production from Thailand to Rosslyn, the interior has been given extensive refresh, albeit only on the LE Plus and Pro-4X.
More detail will, however, be made in due course related to final pricing and specification.
2027
Patrol
Arriving next, the onset of 2027 will see the debut of the Y63 Patrol that made its world debut in Abu Dhabi two years ago.
Premiering at the end of Nissan’s fiscal year, a launch date could happen around March or April, although nothing has been approved.
As in Australia, where sales kick-off before the end of the year, the Patrol will solely be powered by the 3.5-litre VR35DDTT twin-turbo V6 outputting 317kW/700Nm.
An uptake of 19kW/140Nm over the Y62’s normally aspirated 5.6-litre V8, the new turbo-petrol – a first for the Patrol in its 75-year history – will be paired to an equally new nine-speed automatic in place of the former model’s seven-speed ‘box.
X-Trail Rock Creek
Arriving either after or at the same time, the X-Trail will follow the example of the Australian version and its now discontinued North American sibling, the Rogue, in receiving the off-road-inspired Rock Creek.
In what will be a nameplate first for South Africa, the Rock Creek mainly brings aesthetic and interior changes, with no mechanical alterations expected.
Visually, these include a new gloss black grille with rounded imitation alloy slots, gloss black mirror caps and door handles, black 18-inch alloy wheels and a new front bumper with an imitation skidplate underneath.
Rounding the exterior off are Rock Creek badges and what Nissan calls Lava Red accents on the wheels, on the skidplate, wheel cap badges and on the Nissan logo itself.
As it will be based on the flagship seven-seat, four-wheel drive Acenta+, the Rock Creek will retain the updates applied to the X-Trail in July, but further receive a Lava Red Nissan badge on its steering wheel, nylon seat material, orange stitch work and Rock Creek embroidery on the seats.
Likely to be the final special edition of the current T33 X-Trail following the reveal of the all-new T34 this week, up front, the South African market Rock Creek is set to remain unchanged.
This means outputs of 135kW/244Nm from the normally aspirated 2.5-litre petrol engine, which will go to all four wheels through a CVT.
For the moment, Nissan is yet to announcing pricing. However, expect the Rock Creek to have a noticeable premium over the Acenta+, which retails at R770 900.
