Style Check: 2026 Nissan Navara vs Mitsubishi Triton
Different skin, same underneath
A few days ago, Nissan rolled out the Rogue PHEV for the US market, which is essentially a badge-engineered Mitsubishi Outlander. This time, they’ve launched another vehicle for the Australian market and leveraged its alliance with Mitsubishi once again.
Say hello to the 2026 Nissan Navara for the Land Down Under. And yes, much like the current-generation Isuzu D-Max and Mazda BT-50, the Nissan Navara has now gone platform sharing with the latest-generation Mitsubishi Triton.
This badge engineering approach has rather reduced development time for Nissan as it tries to overcome its financial struggles, all while ensuring that they can keep up with the ever-competitive midsize pickup truck segment. But how much Triton did Nissan take away for the all-new Navara? Well, let's dive in and have a look.
Nissan clearly did more than just a badge swap if you take a look at the all-new Navara’s front end. The brand has successfully removed any traces of Mitsubishi’s Dynamic Shield and incorporated their own squared-off design, along with the three-slot motif which is a nod to the D21 Pathfinder. This makes the all-new Navara look closer to a USDM Frontier Warrior than the Mitsubishi it was based from.
Still, the two pickups share a split headlight design with the daytime running lights in line with the grille and the main beams placed under.
The all-new Navara gets similarly-shaped taillights on the rear end with clear lenses, unlike the Triton's red units. The rest of the body is basically copy-pasted from the Triton, indicating both pickup trucks being made in the same stamping factory in Thailand.
As for the underpinnings, the all-new Navara has given up its rear coil spring suspension, and carried over the Triton’s leaf spring setup. However, Nissan Australia enlisted the help of Premcar to ensure a different ride from the Triton while being able to comfortably haul and handle local conditions.
At launch, Nissan mainly presented the Pro-4X version of the all-new Navara, which has lava red interior accents. Lower-spec models, however, share the same black and silver motif just like the Triton's. The infotainment screens, the gauge cluster, and most of the interior features are exactly like the Triton’s, but comes with different graphic interfaces.
As expected, the all-new Navara is powered by the Triton’s 2.4-liter biturbo diesel, producing 204 PS and 470 Nm of torque. Mitsubishi allowed Nissan to put its typeface in the engine cover, but the 6-speed automatic transmission is likewise carried over, along with the 4WD system with rear diff locks and drive mode options.
Lower variants of the D27 Navara get an Easy 4WD system, while the ST-X and Pro-4X come with Super 4WD. Both are basically a rebranded versions of Mitsubishi's Easy Select and Super Select II 4WD system. The Triton Athlete, along with the ST-X and Pro-4X Navara share a Torsen limited slip center differential and 7 terrain modes.
Nissan is also working on a Warrior version of the all-new Navara, which is based from the Pro-4X but comes with a lifted suspension developed by Premcar, steel bumpers, driving lights, additional underbody protection and 32-inch tires mounted on 17-inch wheels.
While this is now the case for the all-new Navara in the Australian market, the same cannot be said just yet for the Philippine market and the rest of Southeast Asia going forward. There could be another facelift coming for the existing D23 Navara based on previous reports, so we’ll be keeping a close eye on the upcoming developments for Nissan’s midsize pickup truck.
