Nissan Frontier: one name, three pickups

Nissan Frontier is a nameplate used on three different pickup truck models. Depending on the market it has meant the NP300 or Navara under another name, the North American Frontier, or a rebadged Chinese truck. That is why two vehicles called Frontier can be completely different.

Nissan Frontier at a glance

based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Nissan Frontier, which is a short nameplate page; the article is therefore short.

History of the Nissan Frontier

International use

In several markets Frontier has been simply another name for the NP300 or Navara, the same truck sold under different badges. That means a Frontier sold outside North America may share nothing but its name with the American model.

North America

In North America the Frontier was a rebadged NP300/Navara from 1997 to 2021. From 2021 it became a separate model rather than a version of the global truck, which is why the modern American Frontier looks different from a Navara.

From 2025

A third use of the name arrived with the Nissan Frontier Pro, a rebadged Dongfeng Z9 that became available in 2025.

Design and features

• Market-dependent: the same badge covers three different trucks.
• Navara link: most Frontiers have been versions of the NP300 or Navara.
• Separate since 2021: the North American model is now its own design.
• Chinese base: the 2025 Frontier Pro comes from the Dongfeng Z9.

Nissan Frontier versions

• Nissan Frontier (international): the NP300 or Navara under another name.
• Nissan Frontier (North America, 1997–2021): a rebadged NP300 or Navara.
• Nissan Frontier (North America, from 2021): a separate model.
• Nissan Frontier Pro (from 2025): a rebadged Dongfeng Z9.

The main pickup line is described under the Navara, and the older trucks under the Datsun truck. More cars are in the Nissan collection.

Sources

• Nissan Frontier, English Wikipedia: the three models that use the name