Nissan South Africa says it is “evaluating” a replacement for the NP200 after the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance confirmed plans to develop a new half-tonne bakkie…

Nissan South Africa has confirmed to Cars.co.za it is in the process of conducting a “product feasibility study” on a possible replacement for the locally built but long-in-the-tooth NP200 half-tonne bakkie.

The news comes after the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance – which is in the process of completing a global restructuring – confirmed it has plans to develop a new half-tonne bakkie.

In a broad statement issued by its global press office, the Alliance references various plans for Latin America, including an intention to launch a “new half-tonne pick-up, developed by [the] Renault Group and shared with Nissan in Argentina”. Of course, Renault already offers the Oroch – which has long been in the planning for a South African introduction, with the latest information suggesting a 2023 launch – in certain South American markets.

Whether the new (likely unibody) model will serve as a direct replacement to the Oroch remains to be seen, with the statement not including any information on the project’s timeline (nor the planned body styles, for that matter). Regardless, the new Renault and Nissan bakkie twins will surely be pitched against the likes of the Fiat Strada and Volkswagen Saveiro sold in that part of the world.

While the statement makes absolutely no mention of Africa, it’s certainly not inconceivable the Nissan-badged version of the new bakkie could serve as a replacement for the NP200, which is produced at Nissan’s Rosslyn factory here in South Africa and has been on the local market for a whopping 15 years. That is, of course, if Nissan South Africa gets the green light to produce a successor. So, we asked the firm’s local division for a statement on the future of the NP200.

The NP200 has been in production since 2008, when it replaced the Nissan 1400 bakkie.

“As part of normal business, the replacement model for NP200 is being evaluated in line with Nissan’s ongoing product feasibility study for Africa. We will share more updates upon the conclusion of the study,” Nissan SA told us.

When production of the Nissan 1400 ended in 2008, the Japanese firm’s local division started building the NP200. Based on the Dacia Logan Pick-Up and sharing much (including a production line) with the first-generation Sandero, the little Nissan has survived to this day, outlasting every single local rival (remember the Chevrolet Utility and Ford Bantam?) and thus having the half-tonne segment all to itself over the past few years.

Despite the range having been whittled down to just a pair of petrol-powered derivatives (currently priced at R212500 and R230900), the single-cab-only NP200 remains popular, with the 12 859 units registered around the country in 2022 proving more than enough for it to secure 4th place on the list of SA’s best-selling bakkies for the year (a ranking it retained in January 2023).

Interestingly, the Alliance statement also confirms the Navara-based Renault Alaskan will “continue” (seemingly suggesting a 2nd-generation Alaskan is on the cards, based on the upcoming new Navara, which itself is set to share much with the next-generation Triton), with the Renault Group set to build both versions in Argentina.

In India, for both that domestic market and for export, Renault and Nissan plan to “collaborate on several new vehicle projects”, including new SUVs and a “new Nissan car derived from the Renault Triber”. The companies are furthermore considering “common A-segment electric vehicles”.

Related content

10 best-selling bakkies in South Africa: January 2023

Winners & losers: SA’s best- and worst-selling bakkies of 2022

Refreshed Renault Oroch bakkie debuts with turbo power