Nissan Is Finally Giving The Frontier Its Missing Ingredient, But Not Soon

Nissan may have been one of the first to bring a fully-electric model to market, but it has long lagged behind when it comes to hybrids. Especially of the plug-in variety. That’s about to change, but it’s not the model you would expect that will be the next to become a PHEV. The honor goes to the Frontier pickup, with a new report saying electrification is crucial for the model to continue in the future.

The Nissan Frontier might not get the glory of the Toyota Tacoma or hit the volumes of the Ford Ranger and Chevrolet Colorado, but this old-school pickup is in many ways the last of its kind. Simple, well-sized, and affordable.

But, “for its lifecycle to make sense and be compliant, it will have to be electrified,” Ponz Pandikuthira, chief planning officer for Nissan in the Americas, told MotorTrend.

Frontier Needs A Plug To Stay Relevant

Pandikuthira said, “To keep that full spectrum of use, I think a plug-in hybrid would be the ultimate solution. We’re still working on it.” Nissan knows its pickup customers want rugged and durable. That means it will need to stay on a body-on-frame platform, and a conventional hybrid might not be enough.

The current truck makes 310 horsepower and 281 lb-ft of torque from a 3.8-liter V6. A 4×4 V6 rated at 17 mpg city and 21 mpg highway doesn’t look great against a Ranger with 20/24 or a Tacoma Hybrid at 23/24.

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A hybrid would probably make fuel economy a little better, in line with the Tacoma. But moving to a PHEV setup could give the truck 30-50 miles of all-electric range. It could also give it much more torque, which is helpful in a vehicle meant for work.

Frontier Could Get Its Plug In The Next Three Years

Expect it around 2028, Pandikuthira said. “We need to have a solution by then. Three years from now.”

That solution could be a whole new truck, not just new power. Pandikuthira said that Nissan would like to combine the Navara, a truck it builds for Latin America and some Asian markets, with the Frontier. “Ideally, we’d like to have a global convergence solution,” Pandikuthira said. A global truck that could help Nissan improve economies of scale, not just efficiencies of fuel consumption.

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While other trucks now have turbocharged engines, the Frontier still goes old-school simple with a V6.

The Navara is built in multiple countries worldwide, including Thailand, Spain, Argentina, Mexico, and South Africa. The Frontier is made at Nissan’s plant in Canton, which is not likely to change. U.S. production allows the truck to avoid the latest 25 percent tariffs as well as the Chicken Tax on foreign-built trucks.

Source: Motor Trend