by Pickup battle: Nissan closes the door on Nismo Navara, while Mitsubishi opens it for Ralliart
Competition in the mid-size pickup segment in Australia continues to grow. Models like the upcoming Nissan Navara Warrior and the Mitsubishi Triton Raider are leading this race. However, there is both bad and good news for dedicated fans. Those who were hoping for the arrival of a Navara Nismo can stop waiting — this project appears to be closed. Instead, at Mitsubishi, an alliance partner, the emergence of a Triton Ralliart is becoming a very real prospect.
Navara Nismo: Project closed
Over the past ten years, senior Nissan officials have repeatedly hinted at the possibility of creating a Baja-style Navara. These statements were made so regularly that it seemed as if production was about to be approved. Given Nissan’s plans to expand its global Nismo lineup to 10 models by 2028, the logic was there. However, this will not happen. The pickup will never receive the famous Nismo badge.
Read more: Every new Nissan Navara loses its factory shock absorbers while still at the dealership
According to Drive.com.au, Nissan Australia’s Director of After Sales, Michael Hill, stated:
I would love to see everything with a Nismo badge, but there are no plans for a Nismo Navara.
This effectively closes the door on any more extreme version beyond the upcoming Navara Pro-4X Warrior. The latter is being developed in Australia by engineering company Premcar and will receive off-road exterior updates and an improved chassis.
Nissan Navara Warrior concept
The new generation Nissan Navara is based on the Mitsubishi Triton platform, which recently received a special Raider version, also developed with the participation of Premcar. This rugged pickup features special suspension tuning, different wheels, and underbody protection, but retains the standard turbo-diesel engine, like its Nissan Warrior sibling.
Read more: Mitsubishi confirms return of Pajero and Montero
Triton Ralliart: The prospect becomes reality
This is where the paths of the two brands diverge. Nissan is abandoning the ‘hot’ Navara, but Mitsubishi seems ready to create a Ralliart. Bruce Hempel, General Manager of Product Strategy at Mitsubishi Australia, described the Triton Raider as:
the first step in a journey we are embarking on to try and bring the Ralliart brand back to Australia.
He added:
If this program resonates with customers and is successful for us, and we can demonstrate to Mitsubishi Motors Corporation that there is a market for such vehicles, the next step will be to move up one level and revive the Ralliart brand.
Nissan Triton Raider
In other words, Mitsubishi could give the green light to a flagship Triton Ralliart if Triton Raider sales are successful. This would be a worthy addition to the Ralliart-branded rally truck, which has already secured two wins at the Asia Cross Country Rally.
Read more: Mitsubishi builds a Pajero kei car and a Nissan pickup for America
A Mitsubishi representative acknowledged that while the Triton Raider ‘has great suspension and off-road capabilities’, it ‘doesn’t quite deserve the Ralliart brand’ because it needs ‘greater uniqueness’ to qualify for that designation.
These comments suggest that the Triton Ralliart will likely receive not only unique styling and chassis changes but also performance enhancements to justify its position at the top of the lineup. Such characteristics could help it compete with the Ford Ranger Raptor, which remains the undisputed king of Baja pickups.
Triton from the Mitsubishi Ralliart team at the Asia Cross Country Rally.
Thus, the Australian pickup market is on the brink of interesting changes. Nissan’s refusal to build the Nismo Navara clears the way for Mitsubishi, which could make a bold move and release a truly powerful and unique Triton Ralliart. The success of the ‘performance’ versions will now depend on how well the Triton Raider sells, and whether Mitsubishi can convince management in Japan that demand for such vehicles exists. If this happens, the Ford Ranger Raptor will have a serious competitor, and fans will get the long-awaited return of the legendary Ralliart name to production off-road vehicles.
