Key Points
- Nissan NX7 PHEV previewed for China.
- The five-seat SUV is 4.8m long and offers up to 225km of CLTC electric range.
Nissan is expanding its Chinese-market range with the NX7, a new five-seat plug-in hybrid SUV that could eventually join the brand's Australian line-up.
Revealed by Nissan's Chinese joint venture Dongfeng Nissan, the NX7 appears to be the production version of the Urban SUV PHEV Concept shown at the Beijing motor show earlier this year.
While Nissan Australia has not confirmed the NX7 for local sale, the brand is increasingly looking to its Chinese joint venture for vehicles that could fill gaps in its Australian range.
The NX7 could therefore become another candidate for Australia, alongside the larger NX8 and other Chinese-developed Nissan models.
NX7 brings a sizeable PHEV package
The NX7 has made the transition from concept to production with relatively few visual changes.
It retains the concept's split-level LED daytime running lights and a LiDAR sensor mounted above the windscreen, linking its design with newer Nissan models such as the Leaf and Ariya. Conventional exterior mirrors and door handles have been added for production.
The SUV measures 4785mm long, making it around 95mm longer than Australia's Nissan X-Trail. It is also wider and slightly lower, while its 2815mm wheelbase is 110mm longer than the X-Trail's.
Despite its size, the NX7 is currently configured exclusively as a five-seat SUV.
Nissan NX7 key specifications
Specification | Nissan NX7 PHEV | Nissan X-Trail Australia | Nissan NX8 |
Powertrain | PHEV | Petrol / e-Power | BEV / EREV |
Petrol engine | 1.5L 4-cyl | Varies | 1.5L 4-cyl EREV |
Petrol engine output | 73kW | — | 109kW |
Electric motor | 170kW | — | 195kW EREV |
Battery | 40.9kWh | — | 20.3–43.2kWh EREV |
EV range | Up to 225km CLTC | — | Up to 310km CLTC |
Length | 4785mm | 4690mm | 4870mm |
Width | 1920–1932mm | — | 1920mm |
Height | 1660–1665mm | 1725mm | 1680mm |
Wheelbase | 2815mm | 2705mm | 2917mm |
Seating | 5 | 5 or 7 | 5 |
Drive | Not yet detailed | FWD/AWD | RWD |
The NX7's PHEV system combines a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine producing 73kW with a 170kW electric motor.
Power comes from a sizeable 40.9kWh battery, giving the SUV a claimed electric-only range of up to 225km on the CLTC test cycle.
That figure is measured using China's more generous testing regime, so the NX7's eventual WLTP or Australian-certified range could be significantly lower.
The NX7's interior has not yet been revealed by Dongfeng Nissan. However, the larger NX8 offers a useful indication of what Nissan's newer Chinese-market cabins could look like, with a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, twin 15.6-inch displays and a large augmented-reality head-up display.
How the NX7 fits into Nissan's Chinese SUV strategy
The NX7 is part of a broader expansion of Nissan products developed with Dongfeng.
Interestingly, Nissan is taking a different approach with the NX7 and NX8.
The NX7 is PHEV-only, while the larger NX8 is offered in China with both battery-electric and range-extender powertrains.
The NX8 measures 4870mm long and sits between Australia's X-Trail and the recently discontinued Pathfinder in overall size. It is also exclusively a five-seater.
Its range-extender version uses a 43.2kWh battery at its largest, with a 195kW rear electric motor and a 109kW 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine acting purely as a generator. Electric versions use 73kWh or 81kWh LFP batteries and produce between 215kW and 250kW.
The NX8 can travel up to 310km on electric power in EREV form, while the pure-electric versions claim up to 650km CLTC.
Nissan has already adopted a similar split with its N6 and N7 sedans, with the N6 available as a PHEV while the longer N7 is electric-only.
Could the Nissan NX7 come to Australia?
The NX7 is not confirmed for Australia, but there is a clear pathway for it to reach the local market if Nissan Australia decides there is a business case.
Nissan is increasingly looking to its Chinese joint venture as a source of vehicles for right-hand-drive markets. The Frontier Pro PHEV ute has already been confirmed for Australia and has been spotted undergoing local testing in Melbourne.
The N7 sedan, NX8 SUV and a production version of the Terrano PHEV concept are also among the Chinese-developed Nissan vehicles being considered for Australia.
Nissan Oceania managing director Steve Milette has previously indicated that Australia is interested in these products, while stopping short of confirming individual models.
“At least our hands are up; whether we get them or not, that remains to be confirmed,” Milette said.
That makes the NX7 an intriguing possibility for Australia, particularly given its large battery and claimed 225km of electric range.
For now, however, there is no confirmed Australian launch date or local specification. Nissan Australia will need to decide whether the NX7 fits its local product strategy and whether right-hand-drive production will be made available.
If it does make the trip, the NX7 could give Nissan a much more competitive electrified SUV to sit between the X-Trail and larger Chinese-sourced models, while giving buyers the flexibility of a petrol engine for longer journeys.
