Is this the end of the ute era? Nissan X-Trail SUV expected to overtake Navara as brand's best-seller in 2023

Dual-cab pick-ups are huge business in Australia and some of the biggest automotive brands rely heavily on their ute offerings to make up a large chunk of their sales.

The HiLux is the top-selling Toyota model, likewise the Ranger is by far Ford’s best seller, while it’s the same story for the Mitsubishi Triton and Nissan and the Navara.

But not for long.

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Nissan this week formally kicked off its massive 2022 new model rollout that includes the new Z sports car mid-year, followed by three key SUVs in the second half.

Of the new-generation Qashqai, Pathfinder and X-Trail arriving this year, it is the latter that’s expected to bring an end to the Navara’s reign as Nissan’s top model.

Speaking at a media event announcing the new-model extravaganza, Nissan Australia managing director Adam Paterson told CarsGuide that the critical new-gen X-Trail would become the brand’s new number one in 2023.

“Assuming free demand for us, our plan would be that X-Trail is the number one volume car for Australia,” he said. 

Last year Nissan sold 15,113 Navaras compared with 13,860 X-Trails. In the first four months of this year, the Navara is even further ahead, 4856 compared with 2790 X-Trails, but that is largely to do with stock.

Mr Paterson confirmed that the outgoing third-generation X-Trail is still being built for the Australian market, just in lower numbers.

“There's still accessibility to them (outgoing X-Trail). I mean, there's not as many as we would like, but they're still arriving at our dealers.”

Not only does Mr Paterson expect the X-Trail to be Nissan’s biggest seller, he is also targeting a return to the top-selling models in the super competitive medium SUV segment. 

“We have consistently been the third volume player in that segment from a (sales) standpoint. And our aspiration is to get back to that spot with that car.”

The other two volume players over the past few years have been the Toyota RAV4 and the Mazda CX-5. 

In 2021 the RAV4 was the clear winner on 35,751 sales compared with 24,968 for the CX-5. So far this year it’s a little closer, with the Toyota still out front on 13,862 versus the Mazda’s 10,951.

Last year and this year, the third biggest medium SUV player has been the Mitsubishi Outlander, which shares a platform and a powertrain with the upcoming new X-Trail.

Mr Paterson said he does not think buyers care that the X-Trail and Outlander share underpinnings, adding that there hasn’t been any challenges in other markets where the two brands share tech. 

“I think the cars look quite different. I think Nissan customers are drawn to the Nissan brand. And while there may be some similarities underneath the sheet metal, I do think they appeal to unique customers that are buying them for specific reasons.”