The much rumoured “third model” of Nissan’s three SUVs planned for unveiling outside Europe, Japan and North America has reportedly been confirmed as now debuting in the first half of next year.
Second of three
As is well-known by now, the brand will unveil the first model, the Tekton, on 9 July as the second Nissan-badged Renault model after the Gravite based on the Renault Triber.
Joining the Magnite and Gravite, the Tekton will be assembled at the Chennai plant in India and come to South Africa later this year.
First announced in 2022, the Tekton will use the underpinnings and powertrains of the Indian-market Renault Duster, which itself will replace the current Romanian-sourced model sold in South Africa sometime this year.
Destined for India only next year but still on the cards for South Africa in 2026, is the Y63 Patrol that made its world debut in Abu Dhabi two years ago.
Renault based
Surrounded in comparative obscurity, the third option will be a three-row version of the Tekton according to a report from India’s gaadiwaadi.com.
As such, this effectively confirms the newcomer as being Nissan’s version of the Renault Boreal that premiered last year for mainly export markets such as India, South America and the Middle East.
The Boreal, meanwhile, is in fact a rebadged version of the Dacia Bigster sold in Europe, which in effect serves as a three-row version of the Duster on which the Tekton is ultimately based.
Coming to South Africa
While not seen undergoing testing, or even teased, the still unnamed sibling Nissan sibling of the Boreal will also be made at the Chennai plant, as will the Boreal itself.
As with the Tekton and Patrol, the Nissan equivalent of the Boreal has already been approved for South Africa, but seemingly now only from 2027 instead of this year.
“In terms of the positioning of the vehicle and pricing, and technology, it won’t cannibalise sales [of the X-Trail],” Nissan Africa boss, Jordi Vilas, told the media at the launch of the Navara Stealth last year.
As such, Nissan, whose time as a local manufacturer ended last month after 60 years, will become an importer, with an eventual SUV line-up comprising five models; Magnite, Tekton, the Boreal equivalent, X-Trail and Patrol.
More later
For the time being, no details about the “three-row” Nissan are still known. However, with an estimated time of reveal now known, expect more to emerge before the end of the year.
