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Welcome to The Downshift, or TDS for short—this morning’s car news from around the globe, organized for your quick-look convenience.

Here are the automotive industry and culture stories worth having on your radar as we spin up this Friday, May 22.

Australia is set to become home to one of the first NISMO Performance Centers outside Japan. “These centers will provide a direct link to NISMO’s Omori Factory in Japan, support advanced vehicle restoration programs, and feature factory-certified NISMO Meisters backed by NISMO’s global expertise,” the brand announced. They’re basically OE-supported speed shops—pretty cool! [Nissan]

Bosch will be supplying Mercedes-Benz with a “large volume” of electric motors “into the 2030s.” [Just Auto]

Toyota is playing around with the idea of a hydrogen fuel cell scooter. [CycleWorld]

The Citroen 2CV, an oddball car in America, ubiquious people mover elsewhere, and iconic design everywhere, is being revived as an inexpensive EV to be made in Italy. [Stellantis]

Charlotte Motor Speedway shared a statement from its CEO Marcus Smith on the sudden passing of Kyle Busch, calling him a “champion among champions” and a “once-in-a-generation competitor whose grit, unmistakable driving style and relentless pursuit of excellence elevated him to a place among the very best drivers in our sport.” [Charlotte Motor Speedway]

The biggest car news and reviews, no BS

Our free daily newsletter sends the stories that really matter directly to you, every weekday.

I’m never upset to get a Nissan Murano as a rental car. Beyond that, I don’t really give it much thought. But after test-driving the new 2026 model, I had stronger opinions than I expected to. In fact, I found myself missing the old V6.

I don’t have an issue with four-cylinder engines on spec. There are plenty of turbocharged four-bangers out there that do their jobs well. On top of that, Nissan’s variable-compression turbo design is pretty cool. In today’s heavily homogenized market, it’s rare to find cars that actually do things differently, even if those differences don’t contribute anything tangible to the experience. It’s unique, sure, but I can’t say it’s necessarily better for it.

Hey, I’m no engineer. Maybe this design is a percentage point or two more efficient than a garden-variety turbo-four. And the engine’s variable compression tech certainly made sense in Nissan’s era of sticking a CVT in everything with front-wheel drive. It’s like Algebra II: the more variables, the better. Or something. Middle school was 30 years ago, OK?

But here’s my point: As impressively sophisticated as the variable compression/variable ratio synergy may have been, nothing about that combination actually contributed positively to the driving experience. It was first introduced in the Infiniti QX50 back in 2016—a perfectly fine engine mated to a perfectly “meh” transmission; the smaller version likewise does an OK job in the Rogue.

But here’s the thing: the Murano is not a Rogue. Yeah, it’s a two-row, just like the Rogue, but it’s on a wider platform and caters to a buyer looking to spend $40k-plus on a two-row SUV. It’s bulkier than its compact sibling, just like the Honda Passport and Subaru Outback it competes with. That’s why previous iterations easily accommodated the V6; there has always been plenty of room under the hood.

For its part, Honda is still holding on to the V6. Subaru ditched the flat-six in the Outback years ago, and the wagon now ships with a stout, 2.4-liter turbo-4. Despite still being paired with a continuously variable transmission, it feels quite a bit livelier than the 2.0-turbo in the Murano. Our pals over at Car and Driver back up my butt dyno; they clocked the Subaru to 60 mph a full second quicker than the Murano.

The raw speed itself isn’t really the issue here; a Murano has no need to sprint to 60 as quickly as a sport compact. But around town, the Murano’s engine simply feels small in a way its V6 predecessor didn’t. It’s not any faster (or any slower) than the V6 in terms of flat-out-performance (our friends at C/D once again have the receipts); it’s simply better for emissions—at least the way regulators calculate things.

If you ask Nissan, they’ll tell you that the Murano’s target buyer isn’t necessarily clamoring for the V6 back. I’m not surprised; this car has always been more about the package than the performance, and the new one, with its crisp, futuristic styling is every bit as avant-garde as the original was more than 20 years ago.

As the punchy and confidence-inspiring Outback proves, this isn’t simply a matter of cylinder count. Nissan says it’s going to stick to the V6 in its body-on-frame products simply because customers want them. Reading between the lines, one might take that to mean customers don’t want a turbocharged four-cylinder.

Would they still feel that way if Nissan had a better one to offer? I mentioned Subaru already, but it’s not alone. Look at Mopar’s new Hurricane I4, or Toyota’s 2.4-liter turbo. Both have their flaws, but they’re still far better suited to “SUV” duty than the VC-Turbo.

In the context of the Xterra, the situation is made more complicated by the fact that Nissan has no rear-wheel-drive four-cylinder engine at all. The Frontier ditched the I4 with its recent redesign; only the 3.8-liter V6 is offered. Work your way up the ladder to the Armada, and you’re looking at a turbocharged V6 built on the same architecture.

In other words, before Nissan could even consider offering a turbocharged four-cylinder in any of its trucks, it would first have to build one—either from the ground up, or by re-engineering the VC-Turbo to the standards required of Nissan’s trucks. I’m not going to begin to speculate as to which would ultimately cost Nissan more. The V6, on the other hand, is right there.

And look, it works—even if it does sound like an appeal to old fuddy-duddies who are simply afraid of what has become the new normal. And fair warning to that crowd: This isn’t a Stellantis situation. Nissan is laying out plans for hybrid truck powertrains already.

But if you’re cash-strapped Nissan, the pragmatic choice to make in this moment is pretty obvious.

So in the end, maybe I don’t really miss the V6 so much as I miss the days when it felt like Nissan was really having fun. Remember the Supercharged Xterra? How about the 3.5-liter V6 that made the Altima a stoplight menace years before every other midsize caught up?

Nissan’s on a quest to consolidate its lineup and just keep “the good stuff.” That’s a step in the right direction. But let’s not forget about what comes next. There’s still plenty of fun to be had.

Got a news tip? Let us know at tips@thedrive.com!

NISSAN is planning to muscle in on the growing electrified ute segment with the Frontier Pro plug-in hybrid shaping as a pivotal model in its response to tightening emissions rules and a rapidly shifting market.

 

While not yet formally locked in for Australia, the Chinese-made dual-cab is widely expected to join the just-arrived new Navara in local showrooms – and it could even wear a Navara badge.

 

Australia’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) is already reshaping product plans across the industry, forcing brands to reduce fleet-wide emissions or face financial penalties. For utes – traditionally powered by diesel – that presents a particular challenge.

 

But a recent wave of electrified rivals has laid the groundwork for hybrids that team an engine (typically petrol-powered) with an electric motor or two.

 

They include the BYD Shark 6, GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV and Ford Ranger PHEV, with more on the way from brands such as Geely, JAC and Chery, the latter set to make waves with a diesel hybrid set-up.

 

The result is a clear shift: the once diesel-dominated ute segment is cautiously embracing plug-in hybrid power.

 

Little wonder Nissan wants in on the action, with soon-to-depart Nissan Oceania managing director Andrew Humberstone suggesting the Frontier Pro could play a leading role, while also allowing the just-arrived D27 Navara – essentially a rebadged Mitsubishi Triton – to appeal to the Nissan faithful.

 

“We have JVs with Dongfeng, we have JVs with Renault, we have JVs with Mitsubishi – we have options,” he said when questioned about where Nissan could source a hybrid ute.

 

At the same time he ruled out a hybrid version of the D27.

 

“For us, it’s about what makes sense and what serves our market, that provides us with that technology.”

 

It also appears the Frontier Pro could at least in some way leverage the Navara name.

 

“If you’re still running Navara, then is that a Frontier?” Humberstone said. “Or if you’re not running a Navara, is it a Navara? You’re probably running them parallel. So do you have a Navara and a Frontier?”

 

He hinted that the naming question would be answered within a couple of months.

 

Then there’s how such a radical new model would be positioned, something that looks set to create a split strategy for Nissan.

 

“You’ve got the hardcore ute driver… and you’ve got the other who maybe wants to take their dogs to the beach,” Humberstone said.

 

“They have different requirements. So are we able to cater for both?”

 

Wherever it sits, the Frontier Pro is an important step in the ute segment for Nissan.

 

Plug-in hybrid utes are emerging as a crucial stepping stone between traditional diesel workhorses and full electric vehicles, offering lower emissions without sacrificing towing, range or refuelling convenience.

 

For Nissan, the Frontier Pro represents a chance to quickly close that gap.

 

The model has been developed with joint-venture partner Dongfeng and is effectively a twin to the Chinese-market Z9, sitting on a ladder-frame platform with independent suspension up front and a live axle at the rear.

 

Under the skin, the Frontier Pro combines a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor, delivering a combined output of around 320kW and 800Nm.

 

That’s significantly more than the circa-150kW/500Nm common in the diesel ute world.

 

Crucially, the Frontier Pro can drive purely on electricity, utilising its 32.9kWh battery for 135km of claimed EV range, at least according to the optimistic CLTC Chinese standard (expect less in the real world).

 

Throw in the petrol tank and the Frontier Pro is claimed to travel more than 1000km.

 

If it can get close to the high equipment levels and sharp pricing of the hybrid utes already in the market it’s easy to see the potential.

 

With more rivals on the way – as well as full battery electric versions of the Toyota Hilux and Isuzu D-Max – the window to respond is narrowing.

 

For Nissan, if the Frontier Pro lands in Australia – and all signs suggest it will – it’s set to mark the beginning of a very different era for Nissan utes, and for Nissan’s place in the country’s most hotly contested market.

 

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