- Nissan’s Frontier Pro has gone on sale in China from just $24,800.
- It’s available with a choice of gasoline, diesel and plug-in engines.
- The PHEV model makes 410 hp and has an 84-mile electric range.
With its retro-futuristic face and electrified powertrains, and its status as Nissan’s first global model to be designed and built in China, the new Frontier Pro had already turned our heads. But there’s another reason to pay it some attention, and that’s a price that would make US automakers blush.
Related: Nissan Is Considering A Rugged New Frontier Pro-Based SUV
The Frontier Pro, which Nissan developed in partnership with China’s Dongfeng, has just gone on sale with a starting sticker of just ¥176,900 or about $24,800 at current exchange rates.
Western Price Shocker
That’s well below what we expect the bare-bones Slate Auto EV truck to cost (if all the stars align, it will kick off at $28,000) and that’s a vehicle that skips essentials like speakers and powered windows. Meanwhile, a similarly sized Frontier in the States goes for $32,150 before you even start counting taxes and fees.
That base price (¥176,900) gets you an entry-grade Frontier Pro with a 2.0-liter gasoline engine, ZF eight-speed automatic and BorgWarner Mlock four-wheel drive transmission. A second petrol model costs ¥196,900 ($27,600).
Two diesel versions are also available, each packing a 2.3-liter engine and priced from ¥179,900-199,900 ($25,200-28,000). But most interesting of all, given the absence of electrified options in Nissan’s current truck lineup in the US, is the PHEV.
Also: Nissan’s $17K Maxima-Sized EV Took Off In China And Now It’s Going Global
The plug-in is easily recognizable by the segmented LED light bar connecting its two headlights, and the band of body-color plastic below it. Straight combustion models lack those features and don’t look anywhere near as good, though a dash of extra style is not the main reason you’d pay ¥219,900-249,900 ($30,800-35,000) for one.
No, more likely you’d do it because the the 1.5-liter PHEV’s 402 hp (408 PS) output is more than twice what the petrol and diesel versions offer, and it can reportedly run for 84 miles (135 km) purely on electric power.
The Frontier Pro’s 3,300 mm (130 inches) wheelbase makes it fractionally longer between the axles than the short-bed version of America’s totally unrelated Frontier.
And the Chinese truck looks far more modern inside with a 14.6-inch tablet-style infotainment screen, an LCD instrument cluster and an electronic gear selector.
Truck fans outside of China might soon be able to jump into a Frontier Pro because Nissan plans to export them to other markets.
The Chinese version will remain off-limits to American buyers, though a different version of it could well be built in the US, Nissan’s CEO recently confirmed that a hybrid Frontier is in the works for the North American market.
Nissan
