Nissan axes Pathfinder and Juke; new Leaf delayed “indefinitely” in Australia amid waning sales

Nissan Australia has announced it will discontinue offering its Pathfinder medium SUV and Juke small SUV in Australia, ending a combined 62-year tenure of the models in Australian showrooms.

Nissan Australia managing director Andrew Humberstone explained the decision comes down to economics, as the outfit looks to refocus its energy and resources amidst waning local sales and global uncertainty.

“Duke will exit, Pathfinder will exit… with immediate effect,” Mr Humberstone told Open Road.

The Pathfinder’s demise has largely come down to unfavourable exchange rates on the US dollar, according to Nissan Australia, with the model’s Tennessee-based production making it even less viable for Australian importation.

Both models notably trailed their segment’s leaders in 2025 – the Toyota Kluger in the Pathfinder’s case, and the Mazda CX-3 for the Juke (which was also down 56.3 per cent on 2024 sales figures).

Further to pulling the plug on the Juke and Pathfinder, Mr Humberstone confirmed that the updated Leaf electric car – which was expected to arrive here sometime in 2026 – has been “deferred indefinitely”.

“At the moment, we see much more activity and scale in the hybrid space [than the EV space],” Mr Humberstone explained. “What you’re seeing in the EV space is a very difficult downhill spiral in terms of cost.”

The decisions to axe the Juke and Pathfinder and defer the Leaf come during trying times for Nissan Australia, as well as Nissan globally. Down Under, Nissan has recorded dwindling sales, moving just 35,511 units in 2025 compared to 45,285 in 2024.

The next-generation Navara, Qashqai and Patrol – historically strong sellers for the brand – remain on the horizon in 2026 through 2027.