Spanish 4x4 manufacturer Santana revived with Chinese backing

Spanish 4x4 manufacturer Santana has been revived with the backing of Chinese firm Zhengzhou Nissan, a joint venture of Nissan and Dongfeng.

Santana said it has worked with Zhengzhou Nissan and Chinese firm Anhui Coronet Tech on an “entirely new vehicle” that will offer a choice of diesel and plug-in hybrid powertrains.

It will be built at the old Santana plant in Linares, Andalusia, and has been "designed for off-road enthusiasts", suggesting it will rival the Ineos Grenadier Quartermaster.

Further details remain under wraps, but teaser images posted to the company’s website suggest it's a chunky, high-riding pick-up truck, most likely based on the Nissan Frontier Pro that was unwrapped at last week’s Shanghai motor show.

That PHEV model matches a turbocharged 1.5-litre petrol four-pot with a single electric motor for combined outputs of 402bhp and 590lb ft of torque.

It can be driven for up to 84 miles under electric power alone, albeit according to the lenient range tests used in the Chinese market.

Santana plans to unveil a full model range later this year.

The original Santana company was established in 1956 and, two years later, started producing Land Rovers in Spain under licence.

It was granted the right to launch its own variants of Land Rover models in 1980, spawning models such as the Ligero and PS-10.

It partnered Suzuki in 1985 and thereafter built versions of the Samurai, Jimny and Vitara under licence.

Between 2007 and 2011, it built a restyled version of the PS-10 for Iveco, named the Massif. Sales fell short of expectations, however, so Iveco terminated the deal, effectively killing Santana. The firm went into liquidation in 2011.

Santana isn't the only Spanish brand to have been revived with Chinese backing recently. Former truck maker Ebro has returned with the backing of Chery and now produces rebadged Tiggo SUVs at a former Nissan factory in Barcelona.