As America is about to get the completely redesigned 2022 Nissan Frontier, Europe is losing its own midsize truck. The Nissan Navara, last redesigned for 2014, is officially being discontinued for continental Europe. Automotive News Europe confirmed the news with the automaker. Currently, Nissan builds the Euro-spec Navara at its facility near Barcelona, Spain, which is due to close down in the near future. Nissan has been forced to make significant budget cuts due to its rough financial situation. It intends to focus mainly on markets where it's strong, such as North America.

The European truck market isn't anywhere near as big as it is in the US, but midsize offerings like the Navara fit the bill nicely. Yet this truck market is declining and Nissan is choosing to get out now before it bleeds any more cash.

There were discussions over the past several months to continue selling the Navara in Europe by importing it from Thailand, where it's produced for that market and others like Australia. Nissan points out the drop in European Navara sales is partially due to consumers making the switch to vans, such as the NV250.

With the Navara soon out of the picture, the European truck segment will belong to just two others, the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux. Neither automaker has expressed any signs of dropping either one. A redesigned Volkswagen Amarok is also due next year. Still, the Navara's departure is kind of sad. The second-gen model was launched in 2014 and made a huge contribution to the local truck market.

It proved to be quite popular among commercial buyers and off-road fans alike. The fact it was sold as a five-seat double-cab meant it could be used as a family vehicle, too. Until the Navara, most trucks in Europe were relatively tiny, uncomfortable, and lacked premium features.

The Navara changed all of that thanks to its design and an array of options like navigation, climate control, and even leather seats. This was enough to impress Mercedes because it turned the Navara into the now-discontinued X-Class. It too was built at Barcelona but disappointing sales and a high price led to its downfall.