Hoping the next-gen Nissan Navara will switch back to a V6 motor? Well, comments from a company executive suggest a “bigger engine” is not on the cards…

Will the next-gen Nissan Navara be available with a V6 engine to battle the likes of 6-cylinder Ford Ranger and Volkswagen Amarok derivatives? Well, a high-ranking executive at the Japanese firm has suggested a “bigger engine” is not on the horizon.

As a reminder, the D23-series Navara has been on the market for nearly a decade, with the next-generation version – which is expected to share much with the new Mitsubishi Triton – likely to break cover in 2024.

The current SA-built Navara range uses a 2.5-litre, 4-cylinder turbodiesel engine.

Fans of the D40-gen Navara that preceded the current model will no doubt remember the 4.0-litre V6 petrol engine (VQ40DE) and 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel mill (V9X). With Ford now offering 6-cylinder power – likewise in petrol and diesel flavours – in its new Ranger (with the oil-burner also available in the Ford-built Amarok), what are the chances of Nissan following suit?

The folks over at carsales.com.au asked Pierre Loing, Nissan’s Global Vice President for Product Strategy & Planning, that very question.

“Today, the global trend is not toward bigger engines – yes, toward more power through electrification – but bigger engines not so much,” Loing told the Australian publication.

The new Mitsubishi Triton is offered with 2.4-litre 4-pot available in 3 states of tune.

Based on his comments, the next-gen Navara seems likely to instead either stick with an updated version of its current 2.3-litre, 4-cylinder turbodiesel engine – or indeed the older 2.5-litre mill available in the Rosslyn-built version – or perhaps even switch to the 2.4-litre 4-pot turbodiesel from the new Triton. Some form of electrification seems likely, too.

Separately, Ivan Espinosa, Nissan’s Senior Vice President for Global Product Planning and Programme Management, suggested to the publication that diesel would remain the fuel of choice for the Japanese firm’s bakkie.

A replacement for the D23-gen Navara is set to be revealed at some point in 2024.

“Diesel has very good qualities for pick-ups; towing, because of the torque delivery, and other things,” Espinosa said, though added the company had several powertrain options from which to choose.

“We have diesel engines available, petrol engines available, the wonderful e-Power and we have battery EV, as well as plug-in hybrid with Mitsubishi. The beauty we have is choice.”

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