Nissan reveals NP300 Navara pickup, is it the next Frontier?

UPDATE: Statement from Nissan added, below.

After plenty of teasing, Nissan has finally revealed the NP300 Navara pickup, previewing America's next Frontier. Now, before we dive into all the info on this new midsize pickup, it's important to note that we don't quite have the official details on the American-spec truck, so there's quite a bit of information here that might not carry through to the North American market.

Depending on the market, the Navara will offer either a four-cylinder diesel or a four-cylinder gas engine, both of which displace 2.5 liters. Nissan claims both engines have been improved, with the oil-burner producing 188 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque. There aren't specific figures on the gas engine, although we should expect that it will see a nice bump from the current Frontier's four-cylinder, which offers up 152 hp and 171 lb-ft of torque. It's not clear if a V6 will be available in the US, as there's no mention of it in the Navara's literature.

A seven-speed automatic or a six-speed manual are the sole gearbox options, marking the first time in quite a while that a new Nissan wasn't sporting a continuously variable transmission. Regardless of gearbox, power is fed to a shift-on-the-fly four-wheel-drive system. Once again, it's unclear if there will be a two-wheel-drive model for the North American market.

The styling, meanwhile, is fairly typical of Nissan nowadays, with a subtle evolution of the current Frontier's grille and headlamps. The front fascia is taller, which along with the shorter hood kind of gives the Navara an out-of-proportion look that isn't too flattering. It's a similar story around back, where Nissan has taken an evolutionary approach to the new design.

Inside, we can see plenty of typical Nissan fare, with a number of items we recognize from the brand's other products. Like the exterior, Nissan didn't go too crazy in redoing the pickup's cabin.

We've got a huge gallery of images of the NP300 Navara, as well as a pair of videos and a press release, which are available below. As for the Frontier, we've reached out to Nissan's American operations to see what the deal is regarding the US-spec truck. Naturally, as soon as we hear from them, we'll update this post.

UPDATE: Nissan North America spokesperson Dan Bedore reached out, saying, "The Navara, which is designed for global markets, including Thailand, is not an indication of an impending launch of a new Nissan Frontier for the US market." Bedore added that "we cannot comment on future plans for Frontier," nothing that the midsize truck "is a very important part of the Nissan lineup and of our truck growth strategy for the US." In the meantime, the automaker is "​focusing on selling our current Frontier and gearing up for next year's launch of the all-new full-size Nissan Titan."