The Spanish Santana brand, founded in the 1950s, is now progressing with confirmed specifications and pricing for its first pickups under a Chinese-Japanese joint venture, according to Auto-home. Santana previously licensed production of Land Rover vehicles in 1958, began manufacturing Suzuki Jimny models in 1986, and later produced its own off-road vehicles, which received military contracts. Production ceased in 2011 due to declining sales and financial difficulties.
The revival will first introduce two pickup models: the 400D diesel and the 400 PHEV plug-in hybrid, both based on the Dongfeng Z9 platform, produced by the Zhengzhou Nissan joint venture. Both models share the same exterior and interior designs as the Z9, including a 14.6-inch central touchscreen, heated and ventilated seats, and a driver-assistance system. The diesel 400D is priced at 370,300 yuan (approximately 47,100 USD), while the plug-in hybrid 400 PHEV costs 247,700 yuan (approximately 29,900 USD). For comparison, the Ford Ranger is priced at 257,200 yuan (approximately 31,050 USD) in Spain.
The 400D model is powered by a 2.3-litre turbocharged diesel engine producing 190 horsepower (140 kilowatts) and 500 newton-meters of torque, paired with either a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission. The 400 PHEV combines a 1.5-litre turbocharged gasoline engine with an electric drive system, producing 315 kilowatts and 800 newton-meters of torque. It accelerates from 0–100 km/h in 6.5 seconds and offers a pure electric range of 120 kilometres.
In addition, BAIC will participate by assembling the BJ40 and BJ30 off-road models from mid-2026 and plans to develop Santana-exclusive vehicles based on BAIC platforms in the future. The Nissan Frontier Pro is the Nissan-branded version of the same Dongfeng Z9 platform. The rebadged Santana pickups and future BAIC-based models will enter the European and Chinese off-road segments, with specifications and pricing comparable to those of established competitors.
The front view of the Santana 400 pickups shows Dongfeng Z9 design features.
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