Nissan axes Pathfinder and Juke as brand bets everything on hybrids

Nissan Australia is dropping the Juke and Pathfinder with outgoing Oceania managing director Andrew Humberstone confirming both models are gone as the brand restructures around high-volume, efficient vehicles.

Sales had been dwindling for both. Fewer than 740 examples of each were delivered locally in 2025, and with Nissan's overall Australian sales down 22 per cent last year and a further 45 per cent in early 2026, maintaining slow-selling models was no longer viable.

The Pathfinder's fate was sealed by two factors: its North American production base and a 3.5-litre V6 engine with no hybrid option in sight. Under Australia's New Vehicle Efficiency Standard, that's a liability Nissan couldn't justify carrying.

The Juke simply never found its footing in a fiercely competitive small SUV segment.

Humberstone was direct about the reasoning: exchange rates are "diabolical" and keeping niche, low-volume product on Australian shores no longer stacks up financially.

In their place, Nissan is doubling down on e-Power hybrid tech which it expects to account for 75% of local sales in coming years. The next-generation Leaf has also been paused indefinitely for Australia.

Looking further ahead, Nissan's Chinese joint-venture partner Dongfeng is flagged as a likely source of future product, potentially including a Pathfinder successor. The Dongfeng-Nissan NX8, a large five-seat SUV with EV and plug-in hybrid options, and the MHERO 1 off-roader are both in the frame.

A smaller Juke replacement hasn't been ruled out either. The Nissan Kicks, currently sold in Japan as a hybrid small SUV, is a candidate, though nothing has been confirmed for Australia.

There's also been internal discussion about sedans and hatchbacks making a comeback, with Humberstone hinting at the Dongfeng-sourced N6 plug-in hybrid sedan as a possibility.

For now, Juke and Pathfinder stock is in run-out. Buyers chasing either model should move quickly.