Mitsubishi to provide Nissan with new Middle East 4×4
Nissan and Mitsubishi has announced that the two companies agreed to “expand their current scope of co-operation towards new projects that will further strengthen mutual competitiveness.” Apparently this deal will lead to a new Nissan model provided by Mitsubishi.
Nissan and Mitsubishi already have several agreements for vehicles in the Japanese market for mini cars and commercial vehicles. The additional new agreement will have Nissan provide a light van or wagon to Mitsubishi for sale in Japan only. But more importantly, the deal means that Mitsubishi Motors will provide an SUV to Nissan for the Middle East market.
No other information is available about which Mitsubishi 4×4 will provide the underpinnings for a new Nissan model, but if we had to guess, we’d think the X-Trail is due for a replacement, and the Mitsubishi Outlander would be the perfect candidate for a rebadge job, considering it already forms the basis for the Peugeot 4007 and the Citroen C-Crosser in Europe. It is unclear why the new-generation X-Trail, which debuted in Europe and Japan in 2008, in not available in the GCC, with the old model continuing to be on sale here. Other than a modern compact crossover, Nissan’s SUV line-up is overwhelmingly complete.
Or we could be completely wrong, and the next Pathfinder will be a rebadged Pajero!
Comments
Ahmed
Is nissan going nutz! in Europe, some infiniti model will be using MB engines and now will have mitsu outlander re-badged as nissan suv(do not tell me it will have a mitsu engine!)
i mean VQ engine has made it in the WARD’s top 10 list for a number of years consecutively.
Mashfique Hussain Chowdhury
The Outlander bit is just guessing on my part!
alvin
this marketing strategy may club the two companies together, but may not flare well among buyers.
nissan already sells the samsung sm3(sunny) which is built in korea.this led to more people buying corrolas and civics, which totally wiped of sunny from buyers list
JV
interesting that the two companies are jointly trying to make a combination.\\
waiting for the outcome, n hope it rocks the SUV world…. a complete change is required…
ROJ
Heck, carmakers r getting too commericalized.. Jeremy Clarkson once mentioned in an article on the Top Gear site.. That he wouldnt be suprised if all of the cars of the world are going to be built in like 5 plants with no difference except in the design and the badge.. How far will they go to save cash? at least give it a nissan-ish facelift for decency’s sake..
spyke
if the next pathy is a rebadged pajero i will shoot my self!!! literally!!
eli
i guess that the new peugeot suv is annother copy of the outlander
royer
Totally wrong opinion about Sunny. Nissan itself replaced Sunny with ugly but worthy competitor called Tiida. Tiida has enjoyed top sales for multiple years in its segment and price range, its the only car that comes with so many accessories, six airbags , insurance , cruise for less than 60,000 AED, more space than full size suv’s in rear seat, try comparing sales figure of Tiida with Coralla and Civic.
Now back to Sunny. The old workhorse still sells well and even with Korean badge people are there to buy it, so that’s why you see new Sunny’s often, surely less than the old ones…
Remember, Mitsu also sells the old Lancer and Nativa side by side, what to do if there are customers who want to buy a proper old model car instead of buying a small Suzuki or Spark, so the old Sunnies and Lancers and Nativa’s will still sell till people are willing to buy it.
alvin
ur right i just bought a sunny
royer
Spyke as far as next Pathfinder is concerned, most of the forums say, it will still be body on frame , infact use the frame of old Patrol with new engine and new tech and lots of leather here and there, now, whenever comfort thing comes in, as in case of new Murano, Patrol and Maxima, Price will increase, so i think the next one will be more offroad capable, loaded with gadgets and at same time pricey…
royer
A new SUV with New Nissan Patrol engine, Navara pickup’s stiff chassis and Pajero’s Dakar rally bred 4×4 system would make a perfect combo.
M. Riyas
I would like to hear it as a Joke…. Mitsu to Nissan!!