15:15 07-06-2026

Nissan Primera is back — now as a Chinese-built EV based on the N7

Nissan brings the Primera name back from the 1990s, but the new sedan is a rebadged Chinese N7 EV launched in the Philippines as part of the From China export strategy.

Nissan has revived the Primera name, but this is no longer the Euro-Japanese sedan remembered from the 1990s. The new Primera made its debut at the Philippine International Motor Show and is effectively an export version of the Chinese Nissan N7 electric sedan.

The car is built on the Tianyan platform, developed in China together with Dongfeng for EVs and plug-in hybrids. Visually, the Primera mirrors the N7: a clean, aerodynamic body, a calm front end and a cabin focused on comfort and digital tech. Exact specifications for the Philippines will be revealed closer to launch, but the hardware will likely match the N7.

In China the sedan comes in two flavours. The entry version has a 58 kWh battery and an electric motor rated at 215 hp and 305 Nm, with 510–540 km of CLTC range. The higher trim uses a 73 kWh pack and a 268 hp motor, pushing range to 625–635 km. Real-world figures will be lower, but for a family sedan that is still a serious cushion.

The Primera was unveiled alongside the new Navara Pro Plug-in Hybrid pickup. Both models are part of the Nissan From China export strategy: cars designed and developed in China, then shipped to selected global markets. Europe remains a question mark, which feels symbolic — the original Primera was strongest there, selling well over 100,000 units a year at its peak.

Pricing for the new Primera has yet to be announced, and that is what will ultimately decide the car’s fate: the name is familiar, the tech is modern, but buyers will look past the nostalgia and judge it on price, real range and trust in a Chinese platform wearing a Japanese badge.