Nissan revealing rugged off-roader concept in China alongside sleeker SUV

Fresh from previewing a slew of new models, Nissan is heading to this week's Beijing motor show with a pair of concepts – one of which is a very rugged-looking off-roader.

For now, the Japanese automaker has released a single shadowy teaser of the concept duo, which appear to follow broad SUV design trends in the Chinese market – one's boxy, bluff and tough-looking, the other is sleeker and more car-like.

The off-roader appears to have flared wheel-arches, chunky off-road tyres, plus intriguing lighting like little cube-shaped pods on the front fenders and matching amber lights above the windscreen.

The other concept, in contrast, has C-shaped LED daytime running lights resembling those on the latest Leaf and the facelifted Ariya.

They'll be displayed alongside the new NX8 developed by the Dongfeng Nissan joint venture, which could come to Australia in 2027.

This year's Beijing motor show runs from this Friday (April 24) to May 3.

The off-roader concept is separate to the revived Xterra teased by Nissan last week, which will be built in the US and is expected to use petrol V6 and hybrid powertrains.

It's unclear what will power this Chinese off-roader concept, but given the market it's debuting in we'd expect some form of electrification.

It could preview an expected SUV sibling to the plug-in hybrid Frontier Pro dual-cab ute, which is also expected to come to Australia.

The styling heavily hints at off-road capability. Nissan's partner Dongfeng is no stranger to rugged off-roaders, as it offers a range of them under its M-Hero brand.

The other concept could be a sibling for the two-row NX8 large SUV, which will be offered as either an electric vehicle (EV) or extended-range electric vehicle (EREV).

Dongfeng Nissan already offers two similarly sized sedans – the plug-in hybrid N6 and electric N7 – so this concept could preview a slightly smaller NX8 sibling, potentially with plug-in hybrid power.

"Adhering to its strategic commitment of ’In China, For China, Global‘, Nissan has established a dual role for its three major markets, including China, within its overall global market strategy: they are both pillars of performance and core engines driving global competitiveness and industrial capabilities," the company said in its press release.

"This dual positioning in the Chinese market allows it to both contribute to domestic market growth and strengthen Nissan's global product lineup."

Indeed, Nissan is expected to launch at least two vehicles in Australia sourced from its Chinese joint venture: the NX8 and Frontier Pro. The mid-size N7 electric sedan could also come to Australia.

Even as Chinese brands become ever stronger, Nissan had China's sixth-best selling model last year with the Sylphy sedan.

It offers a wide range of vehicles in China, including the Qashqai and X-Trail sold here – both current and previous generations of the two SUVs. There's also the Ariya; an overhauled version of the Pathfinder; the Teana (aka Altima); and even the last generation of Pulsar sold here, which serves as a price leader for the range.

Nissan also offers the premium Infiniti brand in China – albeit with only two models – plus the more cost-conscious Venucia brand with a range of sedans and SUVs.

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