Ruiqi 7 is the Navara's more premium cousin in China

Whenever we think of a more upscale version of the Nissan Navara, two vehicles immediately come to mind, the Renault Alaskan and the Mercedes-Benz X-Class. Sadly, both vehicles have been discontinued to their low sales. However, the Navara itself continues to be a popular pick-up truck in global markets.

Over in China, another automaker is attempting to make the pick-up truck a luxury vehicle. This is the Ruiqi 7, and it's the result of Nissan's joint venture in the PRC with Dongfeng. Built and manufactured by Zhengzhou Nissan, the automaker's subsidiary in China, it gets some unique exterior and interior features that differ from the Navara.

For starters, the pick-up comes with a unique front grille finished in black with a silver surround. It also gets a distinct set of LED headlights with integrated LED daytime running lights. While its face has been altered, the side profile gives away its Navara origins. From the creases, door panels, and even the fenders, it's clear that it's based on Nissan's global midsize pick-up truck. The only difference it has over the original pick-up is the unique alloy wheels.

Pictures of the Ruiqi 7's rear are not yet available. However, we can expect it to be more or less the same as the Navara's. These include the vertical taillights, the bumper, and even the tailgate.

While the exterior still heavily resembles the Navara, it's a different story inside the Ruiqi 7. Not only does it look more luxurious, but it also gets a more car-like aesthetic. It has a floating touchscreen infotainment system in the center, a flat-bottomed steering wheel, a two-tone brown & beige finish on the dashboard and leather upholstery, a revised center console, and an 8-way power-adjustable driver's seat.

Under the hood, the pick-up will be available a 2.3-liter turbo-diesel that makes 166 PS with 420 Nm of torque. There will also be a gasoline-powered engine although no details were revealed regarding its output figures.

Do you like the looks of the Ruiqi 7? Or is the Nissan Navara still the better-looking pick-up? Share your thoughts below.