The Rich grew from a Nissan platform into a family of diesel, petrol and electric trucks, and the Z9 now carries Nissan, Santana and DFSK badges on three continents.
Dongfeng Nissan has built the Rich pickup for years in compact and mid-size forms, including diesel, petrol and electric versions. The Z9 is a newer, larger mid-size truck from Zhengzhou Nissan, sold as the Nissan Frontier Pro, the Santana 400 in Spain, and under ZNA and DFSK badges elsewhere.
Nissan's Frontier Pro, a mid-size ute for Australia, is built in China by Zhengzhou Nissan, a joint venture of Dongfeng and Nissan. A gala dinner in Adelaide on 20 November 2025 gave it its Australian preview, and sales are projected for 2027. Behind it sits a family tree that starts with an old Nissan D22 and takes in Peugeot, Santana and the Philippines.
What are the Dongfeng Rich and Z9 pickups?
The Rich is a long-running series of Chinese pickups built by the Dongfeng Nissan joint venture, in compact and mid-size sizes. Zhengzhou Nissan builds the Z9, the newer and bigger mid-size model, which is sold as the Nissan Frontier Pro and, in Spain, as the Santana 400. Some markets use ZNA or DFSK badges.
The Frontier Pro for Australia is a China-built truck, shown at a gala dinner in Adelaide, with sales projected for 2027.
What was the first Dongfeng Rich?
The first-generation Rich is a pickup and an SUV, both based on the Nissan D22 pickup design. Dongfeng-Nissan built it on the Nissan F-Alpha platform. The SUV is essentially the pickup with a long cover over the load bed.
Two engines were offered. The diesel is a 2.5-litre turbo with a six-speed manual gearbox, putting out 140 hp (104 kW) along with 305 N.m (225 lb ft). The petrol is a 2.4-litre with a five-speed manual, making 139 hp (104 kW) and 217 N.m (160 lb ft).
How did the second-generation Rich develop?
The second generation sat on the same Nissan platform with the powertrain carried over, and in some markets it was later sold with a Peugeot badge. It launched in December 2014 with completely restyled front and rear ends and an updated interior.
A March 2017 update met the National V emissions standard. The 2.5-litre turbo diesel made 140 hp (104 kW) and 305 N.m (225 lb ft) through a six-speed manual.
The 2018 facelift left the engines alone but redesigned the interior around a 7-inch touch screen. It listed Bluetooth, phone connection, tyre pressure detection, reverse radar and ESP, and four-wheel-drive models were available from the 2018 model year.
The 2021 model-year facelift was launched in January 2021, with a redesigned front end and revamped cabin. Inside, a 3.5-inch screen was joined by a 7-inch colour display in the centre console, which carries a reverse camera, navigation, online music and Baidu CarLife. Electronic stability control was added. The diesel is a 2.4-litre turbo, code YCY24165-61, producing 350 N.m (258 lb ft) and 165 hp (123 kW), and the petrol is a 2.4-litre ATZD at 235 N.m (173 lb ft) and 158 hp (118 kW). Both use a five-speed manual.
Did Peugeot sell a Dongfeng Rich?
In July 2017 it was revealed that Dongfeng, through its joint venture with PSA, would build a badge-engineered Rich double cab as the Peugeot Pickup. The rebadged truck was to go on sale in Africa from September 2017. At the beginning of 2021 the Peugeot Landtrek took its place.
What is the Dongfeng Rich 6?
The Rich 6 is a more upmarket mid-size model launched in 2017, sold alongside the regular Rich. It is built on the third-generation Navara from Nissan, and only the nose was restyled. A five-door SUV body called the Palazzo was also offered.
There are two engines. The 2.4-litre petrol makes 158 PS (156 hp; 116 kW) and 230 N.m (170 lb ft) with a five-speed manual. The 2.5-litre turbo diesel makes 140 PS (138 hp; 103 kW) and 305 N.m (225 lb ft), with either the five-speed manual or a ZF six-speed automatic that has economy, sport and snow modes.
The four-wheel-drive system comes from BorgWarner but has no rear differential lock. Suspension is double wishbone at the front and leaf springs at the back, using five-piece variable-section steel plates. For off-road work the approach angle is 31 degrees, the departure angle 20 degrees and the ground clearance 207mm. The wheels are shod with 255/70 R16 tyres, and the brakes are discs at the front and drums at the rear.
What are the electric Rich 6 and Rich 7?
In March 2023 Zhengzhou Nissan launched an electric Rich 6 in two versions, both rear-wheel drive with one motor. The Rich 6 350 has 420 N.m (310 lb ft) and 163 hp (122 kW), with a top speed of 100 km/h (62 mph) and a 60.16 kWh LFP battery from CATL that gives 350 km of CLTC range. The Rich 6 450 makes 177 hp (132 kW) and 450 N.m (332 lb ft), reaches 120 km/h (75 mph), and has a 77.28 kWh CATL LFP battery for 453 km on the CLTC cycle.
Launched in June 2022, the Rich 7 moves further upmarket than the Rich 6 and has a more civilian front end. With the M9T 2.3-litre turbo diesel it delivers 166 hp (124 kW), with 420 N.m (310 lb ft) of torque, an increase of 3 hp (2 kW), plus 40 N.m (30 lb ft), compared with the Rich 6 using the same engine. A ZF eight-speed automatic handles the shifting. The Rich 7 also led to a facelift for the Palazzo in 2022.
July 2024 brought the Rich 7 Electric, powered by a 180 kW (241 hp) motor with a 77.28 kWh LFP battery from CATL. The rear-wheel-drive version has a CLTC range of 451 km, and the all-wheel-drive version 431 km. It measures 5287 mm long, 1880 mm wide and 1860 mm high, on a wheelbase of 3150 mm. DFSK exported it as the D1 EV, a rebadged version limited to rear-wheel drive and a 60 kWh battery.
The longer Palazzo Electric measures 5520 mm and stands 2010 mm tall. It has the same motor, all-wheel drive and a range of 410 km (CLTC).
What is the Gold Rich?
The third-generation Rich, called the Gold Rich, was launched in 2026. It is essentially a cheaper variant of the Rich 6, with similar dimensions. The power comes from a Renault-supplied 2.3-litre turbo diesel, the M9T, developing 108 kW and 350N.m through an eight-speed automatic. Official fuel consumption is 6.8L/100 km.
What is the Dongfeng Z9?
The Z9 is a four-door mid-size pickup that is bigger than the Nissan Frontier sold in North America. Before production it was commonly known as the Nissan Yuanye Z9. It was officially unveiled on 16 December 2024, initially with petrol or diesel power, and production started in January 2025.
The Zhengzhou Nissan Z9 GT comes with four-wheel drive as standard, and a Z9 GTS is expected to target off-road enthusiasts. Styling features blacked-out pillars, Z-shaped daytime running lights and taillights, body cladding, rounded wheel arches and a grille with a hexagonal pattern.
Every model rides on 18-inch wheels with 265/65R18 tyres. The seats are covered in faux leather, a 10.25-inch digital cluster is standard, and the touchscreen is 12 inches on lower trims and 12.8 inches on higher ones.
What is the Nissan Frontier Pro?
The Frontier Pro is the Nissan-badged Z9. Nissan revealed it at the 2025 Shanghai Auto Show as a plug-in hybrid, next to the N7. A full-width light bar inspired by the D21 Hardbody separates it from the Z9, and the Nissan wordmark in the tailgate doubles as a taillight.
In May 2025 a Nissan engineer told Australia's Drive that an SUV version was being considered. The internal-combustion version was unveiled at Dongfeng Nissan's 40th anniversary event on 16 October 2025, where only the diesel was shown, with the M9T engine and an eight-speed automatic.
Pre-sales opened on 30 October 2025. At that point a petrol version joined the line-up, and the plug-in hybrid's output rose from 402 to 410 horsepower. Four-wheel drive is standard. Showroom sales started on 27 November 2025, and by April 2026 Nissan had confirmed Middle East exports under the name Navara Pro.
What engines does the Z9 use?
Buyers can choose a 2-litre turbocharged four-cylinder making 258 horsepower, or a 2.3-litre turbodiesel four-cylinder making 143 or 190 horsepower. A six-speed manual is available only with the diesel, while an eight-speed automatic is standard on petrol models and optional on the diesel. In Chile the manual diesel is rated at 148 horsepower.
Plug-in hybrids range from 322 to 429 horsepower, with torque at 590 lb-ft throughout. The Z9 GE has two battery options, 17 kWh and 32.85 kWh. The Frontier Pro takes only the larger, since four-wheel drive is standard, and it makes less power than the Z9 GE with 4WD. The hybrids use a four-speed dedicated hybrid transmission.
What is the Dongfeng Z9 GE?
The Z9 GE is the plug-in hybrid Z9, and it shares its drivetrain with the Frontier Pro. Dongfeng launched it on 31 May 2025. The GE, unlike the Frontier Pro, comes with two power outputs and two battery sizes, in rear-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive forms.
What is the Santana 400?
Europe gets the Z9 as the Santana 400, the first vehicle of the revived Santana Motor brand. It comes as the 400D diesel and the 400 PHEV. Production began on 30 October 2025, the day the Santana plant at Linares, in Jaen, restarted overall production.
Spain was the first European market to receive the Z9, even in rebadged form. The Spanish version is assembled domestically at the reactivated Linares plant, and its plug-in hybrid powertrain is based on the Frontier Pro rather than the Z9 GE. Other European markets are expected to follow.
Z9 Launches by Market
| Market | Name | Date | Powertrain |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | Dongfeng Z9 | 10 January 2025 | Petrol, diesel; GE plug-in hybrid from 31 May 2025 |
| Chile | DFSK Z9 | 10 September 2025 | Diesel only |
| Bolivia | ZNA Z9 | 11 September 2025 | - |
| Philippines | ZNA Z9 | 3 October 2025 | Plug-in hybrid |
| Spain | Santana 400 | Production from 30 October 2025 | 400D diesel, 400 PHEV |
| United Arab Emirates | Z9 | Showrooms January 2026 | Petrol only |
| Australia | Nissan Frontier Pro | Sales projected for 2027 | Plug-in hybrid confirmed |
When will the Frontier Pro reach Australia?
Adelaide hosted the preview on 20 November 2025, a gala dinner that essentially confirmed the truck for Australia. Only the plug-in hybrid has been named as confirmed, and sales are projected to start sometime in 2027, with the Frontier Pro sitting beside the D27 Navara.
Other markets are already taking deliveries. Chile gets only the diesel, with the manual at 148 horsepower and the automatic at 190. Buyers in the Philippines are known to have only the plug-in hybrid. The UAE saw the Z9 revealed in October 2025, and it reached showrooms there in January 2026 with petrol power alone.
How do the Rich and Z9 families compare?
The family splits into two eras. The Rich, with its Nissan D22 origins, is a compact and mid-size pickup that has moved from basic petrol and diesel engines to M9T diesel and battery power. The Z9 is the larger, more modern truck, sold under Nissan, Santana, ZNA and DFSK names depending on the country, and its plug-in hybrid versions are the ones heading to Australia.
