Perhaps Nissan Should Enter New Segments - Compact Trucks and Hypercars, Anyone?

In the first place, they already have a great mix of passenger cars, SUVs, and trucks. For example, the ailing car sector is dutifully represented by the cheap Versa ($16k starting MSRP), Sentra, Altima, or Maxima – which are more sedan options than perhaps what the Big Detroit Three have combined. Crossovers and SUVs also range from the little Kicks to the humongous Armada, while electrics are getting a jolt from the long-awaited arrival of the Ariya crossover EV.

As for trucks, the Frontier is so new that it almost looks futuristic compared to the long-running Tacoma best-seller. Alone, the Frontier and Frontier XD nameplates are having trouble and might not survive the popularity of the F-Series, GM rivals, Ram foes, or even the brash Toyota Tundra. But the greatest news potentially comes from the sports car division where the 2024 Nissan GT-R flagship grand tourer was just thoroughly upgraded, and the eager fans of the Nissan Z lifestyle are waiting for the promised arrival of the Nismo variant.

Alas, that does not mean Nissan could not do better – especially considering the influx of novelties from Honda and Toyota. As such, maybe the corner office head honchos should devise a strategy to introduce the Nissan lifestyle to fresh segments. And no worries, thanks to a little help from the imaginative realm of digital car content creators, we already have a few ideas on how to proceed. First, let us hook up with Kleber Silva, the Brazil-based virtual artist known as KDesign AG on social media, who has decided to have a CGI go at imagining more pickups for the Japanese carmaker.

These design proposals for “unlikely pickup versions” of the smallest Nissan SUVs do hit the sweet spot for one of the fastest-growing segments – the unibody compact truck sector. Over in America, the latter had been abandoned for a while because automakers feared customers were not interested in them anymore and also because larger models brought heftier profits. But the arrival of the posh Hyundai Santa Cruz and the affordable yet electrified Ford Maverick proved the appetite for pocket-sized trucks had never vanished – it probably just lay dormant, instead.

Now, just about every self-respecting brand involved with the U.S. car market is mulling – in secret if not out in the open – a rivaling compact truck for the Santa Cruz and Maverick pair that have no other unibody pickup truck competitors aside from the larger Honda Ridgeline. Including Toyota, which may be on the verge of bringing back the Stout nameplate, according to the rumor mill.

So, why not Nissan, as well, shouldn’t it be thinking about a potential entry into the field? Well, if the OEM doesn’t want to, the CGI expert is more than willing to create options – both the Kicks and Juke-based variety, so perhaps the attack would be coordinated both on a regional and international level.

Secondly, meet London, UK-based virtual artist Al Yasid, famously known as al.yasid on social media, who is usually so busy that fresh CGI creations are now very few and far in between. This time, he did find a few spare moments to envision the hypothetical Nissan GT-R ‘X,’ which is a highly extreme take on the legendary nameplate. And, rather than acting as a proposal for a futuristic take on a new R36 generation – like many others, this feels more like an expansion of the range into hypercar territory. Interestingly, some fans quickly pointed out that it might be a little too close to the Americana ways for comfort, but the author seemed all right with that thought.

As for the attention to detail, that is on a bonkers level, as always. Notice the ‘turbofan’ wheels (aka Aerodiscs), the slammed atmosphere combined with the extra-widebody aerodynamic treatment, the elongated body, as well as the crazy rear setup that is in stark contrast to the minimalistic fascia. Now, we know, of course, all three of these CGI projects are merely wishful thinking – but come on, wouldn’t it be cool if Nissan had such a wide range to incorporate both affordable unibody compact pickup trucks and a hypercar flagship?

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A post shared by Al Yasid - car designer / concept artist (@al.yasid)