Nissan was once a company on the ropes with the Japanese automaker facing an uncertain future and rumors of its demise due to slow sales, corporate infighting, and a dated lineup of vehicles. The company has staged a bold turnaround and has made some early progress in this particular regard.

But the important question of what’s next continues to be an enduring spectre. A new report suggests things could go off-road in the quest for sales.

Raptor fighter being considered

Nissan’s Nismo performance sub-brand has had a reputation for providing buyers a wide variety of vehicles for performance buyers but its no secret Nismo needs a boost when it comes to trail-ready offerings. A new report suggests it is preparing to sharpen its focus on the off-road market with a new contender to do battle with the Ford Ranger Raptor.

As reported by CarExpert the word came from  Nismo global CEO Yutaka Sanada who allegedly told a group of media that “[The] overall performance expectation is wider and wider and wider. I highlight, the focus market [is] not only Australia, but also the United States and Middle East.

“Naturally, you can consider Nismo is considering some offer as a business to this. [There is] obviously a big customer [base] behind that, so know that – when, how – as a formal product offer … you can expect some,” he said. While the statement is very vague, it does hint the company is at least exploring the idea. One potential plan of action is a version of the Frontier pickup that would take on the Ranger Raptor as well as the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2. The Frontier was updated a few years ago but it has still largely lurked unseen in the background.

What else?

In addition to a Ranger Raptor fighter, Nissan’s new body-on-frame platform could give Nismo other options to work with. One of them could include a version of the upcoming Xterra which will be underpinned by te new platform along with the next-generation Frontier and Pathfinder.

These new models would allow Nismo and Nissan by association to benefit from the image boost these models would bring to them. In the U.S. Nismo is better known for their on-road offerings like the Z and the addition of beefed-up off-road models would give Nismo an opportunity to access a broader pool of customers in a segment that’s still hotly contested even amid rising gas prices. Sales are also important since Nissan is not out of the woods yet and needs more to fall in place to achieve its long-term aims.