Nissan is considering offering its upcoming Navara Pro PHEV with a choice of leaf-spring or coil-spring rear suspension, much like the previous D23 Navara offered the two different types.
The Chinese-built plug-in hybrid (PHEV) ute is receiving further development for the Australia and New Zealand markets, with Nissan engineers still evaluating both suspension configurations ahead of its local launch in 2027.
The company has yet to confirm which setup will make production, but engineers have told CarExpert that offering both remains a possibility.
“We’ve got two suspension types that we’ve been evaluating, so both leaf spring and coil spring, and various iterations of each as part of that evaluation,” Nissan engineers said during a technical briefing.
The approach could allow Nissan to cater to different priorities among ute buyers, from those who regularly carry heavy loads and tow trailers to customers who want a more comfortable vehicle for everyday driving.
“Traditionally, light commercial vehicles were a work vehicle, and that’s what the customers used them for,” the engineers said.
“But actually, now these customers sort of expect this Goldilocks-like system where it rides like a passenger car, has really strong posture at high payload, but has a secure and confident feeling when towing big loads.
“That’s what the suspension needs to do in light commercial vehicles these days in our markets, and that’s why we’ve got the two suspension setups that we’re evaluating.”
Asked whether both suspension types could eventually be offered to customers, the engineers said: “That is an option. We haven’t decided which options we’re going to have, but that is an option.”
In the previous D23 generation of Navara, replaced by the Mitsubishi Triton-based D27 series earlier this year, leaf springs were fitted to single-cab and King Cab models, while dual-cab variants used coil springs.
All D27 Navaras, like the Triton they’re based on, use leaf-spring rear suspension.
Offering both configurations on the Navara Pro PHEV could therefore bring back a point of difference for Nissan, although the company has yet to indicate whether any future suspension choices would be linked to particular grades or body styles.
Leaf springs are commonly used in work-focused utes because of their suitability for carrying heavy loads, while coil springs can offer different ride and handling characteristics. However, the outcome depends on the overall suspension design and tuning, rather than the spring type alone.
Nissan is also evaluating a range of other hardware and calibration options for the Navara Pro PHEV, including tyres, differential configurations, towing performance, payload capability and off-road driving modes.
The Australian-market Navara Pro PHEV will be powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine – instead of the 1.5-litre engine used in China – paired with an electric motor integrated into an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Nissan is targeting combined outputs of 300kW and 800Nm, although these figures remain subject to final homologation.
It will use a mechanical four-wheel drive system, and Nissan is targeting a 1000kg payload and 3500kg braked towing capacity.
Those figures would put the electrified ute closer to the working capabilities of conventional diesel-powered rivals, although final payload and towing ratings have yet to be confirmed. It’s also unclear whether those ratings would vary between suspension configurations if both make production.
The Navara Pro PHEV is due to launch in Australia during 2027. Final specifications, equipment and pricing will be announced closer to its arrival.
