Key highlights:
- Frontier Ronin gets twin-turbo V6 power and race-spec suspension
- Armada Jungle Patrol features an open-top design and 37-inch tyres
- Pathfinder XE-V6 combines retro styling with off-road accessories
Nissan has brought three heavily modified off-road concepts to this year’s SEMA Show in Las Vegas, based on the Frontier, Pathfinder and Armada. While the brand has also revealed a special Sentra concept and two Z car concepts, these three builds focus on tackling extreme terrain rather than chasing track performance.
The concepts showcase what Nissan and aftermarket specialists can achieve with custom suspension, off-road equipment and performance upgrades. Some of their ideas could eventually influence accessories for future Nissan trucks and SUVs.
Why Nissan brought these concepts to SEMA
The SEMA Show is a major automotive aftermarket trade event that connects manufacturers of custom components, including wheels, tuning technology, off-road kits, etc., with automotive buyers, retailers and distributors.
Although Nissan’s three vehicles remain concepts, the company has previously turned ideas from SEMA builds into production offerings, and its current Rock Creek lineup is one example.
That leaves room for some of the equipment showcased here to eventually reach customers. A roofless Armada is unlikely to enter production, but similar off-road accessories could feature on future models, including the next-generation Xterra.
Kim Less, Nissan Americas’ Vice President of Aftersales and Customer Loyalty, said the concepts would help the company explore ideas for future trucks and SUVs.
“As we look toward a future of even more capable trucks and SUVs, including an all-new Xterra, these SEMA Show concepts allow builders to unleash their creativity, while also exploring ideas and innovations that can help inform the direction for accessorising future Nissan trucks and SUVs,” Less said
Nissan Frontier Ronin Concept
Of the three concepts, the Frontier Ronin is the one that looks most suitable for a future dealership accessory package. Nissan has fitted it with a range of Nismo Off Road equipment, including:
- Rock sliders
- Roof rack and spare tyre carrier
- Six-inch driving lights
- Four-inch A-pillar lights
- Prototype front and rear flared fenders
- Custom high-clearance front and rear bumpers
The suspension has also received a major overhaul. It now uses Bilstein Black Hawk M 9400 four-way adjustable coilovers, with high- and low-speed compression adjustment, adjustable rebound and bypass damping.
Other chassis upgrades include race-spec upper and lower control arms, new race spindles, extended axles and custom rear shock absorber mounts. Nissan has also added 17-inch wheels and a big brake kit.
The Ronin retains the Frontier’s familiar 3.8-litre VQ38DD V6 engine, but Nissan has added two turbochargers sourced from a GT-R Nismo.
| Specification | Frontier Ronin Concept |
|---|---|
| Engine | 3.8-litre VQ38DD V6 |
| Forced induction | Twin turbochargers from GT-R Nismo |
| Engine management | ECUTEK |
| Intake | Custom air intake |
| Suspension | Bilstein Black Hawk M 9400 four-way adjustable coilovers |
| Wheels | 17-inch |
| Brakes | Big brake kit |
The engine also gets an ECUTEK engine management system and a custom air intake, but Nissan has not provided an output figure for the modified engine.
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Nissan Armada Jungle Patrol Concept
The Armada Jungle Patrol is the most extensively modified vehicle in Nissan’s trio. Even after the Armada Nismo, Nissan has found another way to make its full-size SUV look more extreme.
The biggest change is its roof: Nissan has removed the standard structure and replaced it with a black tubular roll cage, and the open-top setup gives the Armada an off-road layout similar to the Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco. Other exterior changes include:
- Tubular steel front and rear bumpers
- Custom fender flares
- Nismo off-road rock sliders
- Nismo off-road six-inch front lights
Nissan has also stripped out the standard interior and replaced it with new bench seats.
Unlike the Frontier Ronin, the Armada Jungle Patrol retains the standard model’s twin-turbocharged 3.5-litre V6.
| Specification | Armada Jungle Patrol Concept |
|---|---|
| Engine | Twin-turbocharged 3.5-litre V6 |
| Power | 317kW |
| Torque | 700Nm |
| Exhaust | Nismo cat-back |
| Wheels | Prototype Nismo 18-inch |
| Tyres | 37-inch Yokohama Geolander |
| Suspension | Long-travel racing suspension |
The concept also wears prototype Nismo 18-inch wheels wrapped in 37-inch Yokohama Geolander tyres, and its long-travel racing suspension and adjustable coilovers with remote reservoirs complete the off-road package.
Nissan Pathfinder XE-V6 Concept
The Pathfinder XE-V6 is the most restrained of the three concepts, but it could also offer ideas Nissan might eventually bring to production. It pays tribute to the first-generation WD21 Pathfinder and wears a retro red, grey, silver and black paint scheme, and the colour combination gives it a distinct look compared with the regular Pathfinder.
Nissan has added several off-road accessories, including:
- Custom front and rear bumpers
- Unique rock rails
- Roof rack
- Swing-out spare tyre carrier
- Rack-mounted Molle panels
- Warn winch
- Large ice box
- Nismo storage case mounted on the roof
The Warn winch could help recover the vehicle if it gets stuck during off-road driving.
The Pathfinder XE-V6 retains the regular model’s naturally aspirated 3.0-litre V6, and in Rock Creek package guise, this engine produces 213kW and 366Nm of torque. Nissan has also fitted a Nismo cat-back exhaust.
| Specification | Pathfinder XE-V6 Concept |
|---|---|
| Engine | Naturally aspirated 3.0-litre V6 |
| Power | 213kW |
| Torque | 366Nm |
| Exhaust | Nismo cat-back |
| Suspension | 4-inch lift kit |
| Wheels | 18-inch |
| Tyres | Yokohama Geolander mud-terrain |
A four-inch lift kit gives the Pathfinder extra ground clearance, while 18-inch wheels with Yokohama Geolander mud-terrain tyres add to its off-road focus.
Could these Nissan concepts influence future models?
Nissan has not confirmed production plans for any of the three builds. However, its previous SEMA concepts have helped shape production offerings, including the Rock Creek lineup.
The company is also looking towards an all-new Xterra, making the accessories and engineering ideas showcased at SEMA particularly relevant to its future truck and SUV range.
While the roofless Armada is unlikely to reach showrooms in this form, the Frontier’s suspension upgrades and the Pathfinder’s off-road equipment offer a glimpse of what Nissan could develop for customers.
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