• Nissan’s Senior Design Director, Ken Lee, discusses balancing 40 years of Navara heritage with modern Australian expectations ahead of November 19 global unveiling.

30/10/2025, MELBOURNE: Nissan today released an intimate look at the design philosophy behind the new Navara, featuring insights from Nissan’s Senior Design Director, Ken Lee.

The second film in Nissan's "Defy Ordinary" campaign, the teaser reveals the thinking behind the Navara's exterior design, which draws deeply from Nissan's pickup truck heritage while incorporating contemporary sophistication that resonates with today's Australian and New Zealand buyers.

"When designing the new Navara, we’re honouring nearly 40 years of heritage while creating something completely fresh for today's Australian and New Zealand buyers," said Lee, Nissan’s Senior Design Director.

“Living and travelling across Australia gave me deep insight into its diverse landscapes and passionate car culture. Utes are more than work trucks; they’re part of life. They haul tools during the week and carry surfboards or tow caravans on weekends.

“Reliability is critical too. With long distances and remote areas, drivers need a ute that won’t let them down. Strength and stability for towing caravans, horse trailers, or boats are everyday necessities.

“That’s why the Navara is designed to be rugged, trusted, versatile, and built for the long haul.”

Heritage DNA with Modern Execution

The Navara's design incorporates signature elements that connect it to previous generations, including Nissan's heritage headlamp and grille design.

However, these elements have been reinterpreted through a contemporary lens, ensuring the vehicle looks equally confident on construction sites and suburban driveways.

Key design elements include:

Authentic Nissan DNA – incorporating recognisable heritage design cues

Modern sophistication – balancing rugged capability with contemporary appeal

Pro-4X differentiation – unique styling cues for the range-topping variant

Local relevance – design language that resonates with Australian and New Zealand buyers' expectations

"We needed to deliver a pickup that looks confident on a construction site but sophisticated enough for weekend family adventures," Lee explained.

"The design had to be both capable and aspirational, rugged yet refined."

Understanding Australian Buyers

The Navara design team's approach was guided by research into the Australian pickup market and knowledge of local ute buyers' evolving expectations.

The new Navara is optimized to serve both commercial and lifestyle applications while maintaining the authentic capability that has defined the nameplate for nearly four decades.

Unique styling cues distinguish the Pro-4X as the range-topping Navara, with design elements that communicate enhanced off-road capability while maintaining the sophisticated appeal modern buyer’s demand.

Global Unveiling Imminent

The design film is the next in Nissan's teaser campaign, building anticipation for the November 19 global unveiling of the new Navara.

The vehicle will officially launch in Australian and New Zealand markets in the first half of 2026, beginning the next chapter of the Navara success story.

Full specifications, model line-up details, and pricing information will be revealed toward the vehicle’s launch.