Nissan Exec Questions a Rogue NISMO, Points to Z and GT-R Instead

Nissan’s Ponz Pandikuthira says NISMO needs to remain authentic—and suggests the company may have better places to spend its performance-development resources.

September 22, 2026 · Nissan / NISMO · United States

Not every Nissan needs a NISMO badge.

That was the message from Ponz Pandikuthira, Nissan North America’s Senior Vice President and Chief Planning Officer, during a recent interview with The Drive. Asked whether the new Rogue Hybrid might make sense as a NISMO model, Pandikuthira’s immediate reaction was negative.

More importantly, he explained why.

“Nismo has to be authentic,” Pandikuthira told The Drive, arguing that creating a performance version simply because Nissan technically could build one would risk diluting what the badge represents.

For a Rogue NISMO to make sense, Pandikuthira suggested it would need substantially more power, significantly different handling and potentially a lighter-weight approach—not simply an appearance package with a few red accents. He floated a figure above 300 horsepower while questioning how many Rogue customers would actually want such a vehicle.

That led to the more interesting part of the conversation for enthusiasts.

When considering where those same engineering resources could go instead, Pandikuthira pointed toward improving the Z NISMO and “bringing a GT-R to market a lot faster.” He also contrasted those projects with investments that might better fit Rogue buyers, such as expanding the more utility-focused Rock Creek concept.

A question of priorities, not another product announcement

That GT-R remark deserves some restraint.

Pandikuthira did not announce a revised launch date for the next GT-R, nor did the interview reveal a new Z derivative. His comments came while discussing how Nissan should prioritize product-development resources.

There is, however, existing context behind both names.

Earlier this year, Pandikuthira told The Drive that he expects additional performance development for the current Z and said its twin-turbo V6 has room for greater output. He also discussed the possibility of future special-series models. Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa separately said the company is already working on the next GT-R.

Previous reporting from The Drive also attributed to Pandikuthira an expectation that the next GT-R will use a hybrid powertrain while retaining the VR38 engine block, with an arrival targeted by 2030. That existing reporting is much more specific than this week’s “faster” remark—and the new interview should not be treated as replacing that timeline.

In other words: there is activity surrounding both cars, but there was no surprise GT-R launch announcement buried in a Rogue interview.

Where Nissan thinks performance belongs

Pandikuthira’s comments become more interesting when viewed alongside Nissan’s broader product strategy.

Under the company’s current portfolio plan, Nissan divides vehicles into several roles. The Z sits in its Heartbeat category: vehicles Nissan says represent the identity of the brand through emotion, heritage and innovation. The Rogue, meanwhile, is a Core model intended to provide scale and compete in high-volume segments.

That distinction closely mirrors Pandikuthira’s argument.

A Rogue does not have to become a track-focused crossover to be important to Nissan. Its job is different. Likewise, the Z and eventually the GT-R can justify engineering decisions that make little sense on a mainstream family SUV precisely because performance and enthusiast credibility are central to their roles.

Nissan itself describes NISMO as representing the company's commitment to performance both on the road and racetrack.

The question, then, may be less about how many vehicles can wear the NISMO badge and more about whether each one has earned it.

For Z enthusiasts, that philosophy is probably the more consequential takeaway from this interview. Nissan executives are openly discussing the Z NISMO and next GT-R when deciding where performance-development effort should go.

What comes from those discussions remains to be seen.