2023 Nissan Z is coming to PH showrooms
New generation Z planned for mid 2023 launch in PH
If there’s one vehicle from a major manufacturer that took a ridiculously long time to get into an official showroom in the Philippines, it’s the Nissan Z.
The previous distributor of Nissan teased the 350Z when it was still around and they did sell a few of those. A several years later they also teased the 370Z in roadster form and even flew in the designer of the Z to talk to us, but they didn’t launch the 370Z. Even the current national sales company took its time before launching the Z; the company was established in 2013, but the 370Z was only launched in 2020.
By then, the 370Z was already quite dated. Yes, it was still incredibly fun to drive, but the car has been around since 2009.
For the next generation Nissan Z, we won’t have to wait so long.
We have it on good authority that Nissan Philippines, Inc. (NPI) is going to launch the all-new Z car. And we won’t have to wait a decade after the generation’s debut; if all goes well, we won’t even have to wait a full year. The plan is to have a launch for the all-new Z (dubbed “400Z” by some) sometime around mid-2023.
So what can we expect from the Z? The production model of the new generation was revealed in August of 2021 online to succeed the success of the 370Z. The new model echoes the styling of the original 240Z/Fairlady Z with modernized details like the headlights, the wide rectangular front intake, the long hood/bonnet, the cabin that has been pushed back, and the fastback outline and retro taillights.
The interior has been fully redesigned and is intended to be very driver-centric with the layout. The instrument cluster is a performance digital dashboard that has been designed with the input of one of NISMO’s Super GT drivers. There’s also a triple gauge cluster on top of the dash which has become synonymous with the two-door. The Z is purely a 2-seater sports car; there is no rear seat nor are there any child seat anchors.
The key for the Z will be the driving thrills. The engine is a 3.0L twin-turbo V6 that is part of the VR family that also includes the 3.8L unit in the GT-R. The VR30DDTT in the Z (AKA: Fairlady Z in Japan) produces 406 PS and 475 Nm of torque; significantly more than the 3.7L naturally aspirated V6 in the 370Z.
In other markets, the transmission choices include a 9-speed automatic or a 6-speed manual with a high-performance clutch. Both transmissions are rear-wheel drive, and the manual has the neat SynchroRev Match feature that simulates heel-and-toe downshifting.
The local spec, however, is still not yet final by our understanding. The pricing is also unclear, but we can make some inferences. The outgoing 370Z is priced at PHP 2,779,000 to PHP 2,879,000, and we think the next generation Z will be much higher than that. If we were to guess, somewhere closer to PHP 4 million or even more.
The reasoning behind that guess is the improvement in technology, parts costs, shipping costs, and exchange rates, but more importantly is the fact that the engine in the new Z will not qualify for JPEPA/PJEPA tariff reduction because the 2997cc displacement does not meet the minimum 3000cc or more. That’s why the 370Z was priced relatively well.
