The Ruiqi 7 is the Nissan Navara’s more premium cousin, what X-Class?
Eric · Mar 15, 2022 10:25 AM
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The Ruiqi 7 is a reskinned Navara
More upmarket than the Navara
Will it succeed where the X-Class faltered?
Many manufacturers have toyed with the idea of luxury pick-up trucks. Mercedes-Benz attempted that with the short-lived Mercedes-Benz X-Class, but sales did not exactly, pick up.
The Mercedes-Benz X-Class was a short-lived luxury pick-up truck
Now however, yet another manufacturer is attempting to pick up where the X-Class left off. Enter Zhengzhou Nissan, a subsidiary under Nissan’s Chinese joint venture with Dongfeng. Zhengzhou Nissan showcased the Ruiqi 7 recently, a more upmarket version of the Nissan Navara.
Right off the bat, the Navara’s design elements are evident on the Ruiqi 7’s exterior. Like the Navara, the Ruiqi 7 gets a massive front grille, albeit without Nissan’s emblem. The Navara’s underpinnings are also evident with the Ruiqi 7’s window line, with the signature kink visible towards the rear.
Perhaps the biggest departure from the Navara isn’t the exterior, but the interior. The sole photo provided by Zhengzhou Nissan showcases a cabin that surprisingly upmarket, with tasteful dual-tone, brown-beige leather swathed inside.
The updated Navara's interior is far more utilitarian
The brown-beige leather can be found on practically every touch point of the Ruiqi 7, including on the seats, centre console, dashboard, and even door trim.
Powertrain-wise, the Ruiqi 7 is said to get a choice between petrol and diesel engines. The latter will be a turbodiesel 2.3-litre unit that does 166 PS and 420 Nm, mated to an automatic transmission. Two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive versions will also be offered.
Zhengzhou Nissan could debut the Ruiqi 7 during April’s Beijing Auto Show before going on sale in May.
Started from the IT industry but somehow managed to find his way into the automotive industry. If he’s not gaming, he’s constantly tinkering with his daily/weekend car.
