Santana has officially returned to the automotive scene, marking a significant milestone as vehicle manufacturing resumes at its historic Linares facility in southern Spain. The revitalized plant is now producing the new Santana 400D and 400 PHEV pickup trucks, which are essentially rebranded versions of the Dongfeng / Zhengzhou Nissan Z9. To commemorate the restart of operations, the company not only announced the beginning of production but also ceremonially delivered the first completed vehicle to the Linares Chamber of Commerce. Alongside this announcement, Santana revealed a major strategic partnership with Chinese automaker BAIC. Through this agreement, Santana will import semi-knocked-down (SKD) vehicle kits from BAIC and complete their final assembly locally in Spain, reinforcing the brand’s manufacturing footprint and signaling long-term ambitions.
Although Santana Motors may be unfamiliar to many modern buyers, the company has a long and storied past. Founded in the 1950s, Santana initially gained recognition by producing Land Rover models under license starting in 1958. These rugged vehicles found buyers not only in Spain but also across Europe, Africa, and South America. In 1980, Santana transitioned toward developing its own models and later entered into a collaboration with Suzuki in 1985. This partnership led to the production of popular models such as the Suzuki SJ under the Santana name. Despite these successes, financial troubles emerged during the mid-1990s and early 2000s. Although the company was taken over in an effort to rescue it, the revival attempt ultimately failed, and Santana ceased production in 2011—until now.
Focusing on the products themselves, the Santana 400 PHEV arrives with an impressive level of standard equipment. It features four-wheel drive, sturdy side steps, and a practical 6 kW external power supply. Exterior highlights include LED lighting and a sunroof, adding both functionality and a touch of premium appeal. Inside the cabin, the pickup offers a modern and tech-forward environment, headlined by a 10-inch digital driver display and a large 14.6-inch central infotainment screen. Comfort is further enhanced with heated and ventilated faux leather seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, a six-speaker sound system, and a powerful 50-watt wireless charging pad for smartphones.
Safety and driver assistance are also a strong focus. Standard systems include adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, traffic jam assist, lane keeping assist, and traffic sign recognition. Higher trims, such as the S variant, expand this suite with highway assist, blind-spot monitoring, lane change assist, and front and rear cross-traffic alert with braking.
Under the hood, the Santana 400D relies on a familiar but proven setup: a 2.3-liter diesel engine producing 188 horsepower and up to 500 Nm of torque. Buyers can choose between a six-speed manual transmission or an optional eight-speed automatic. Both versions reportedly reach 100 km/h in 9.1 seconds and top out at 170 km/h, while offering towing capacity of up to 3,200 kg and a payload rating of 815 kg. The more powerful 400 PHEV pairs a 1.5-liter engine with an electric motor and a 32 kWh battery, delivering a combined 422 hp and 800 Nm of torque. This enables a 0–100 km/h sprint in just 6.5 seconds, an electric-only range of 120 km, and a total driving range exceeding 1,000 km.
In terms of pricing, the plug-in hybrid starts at around $35,118, while the diesel variant reaches approximately $52,501. For comparison, the Ford Ranger Double Cab in Spain begins at about $36,473, placing Santana’s revived pickups competitively within the segment.