Spanish car brand revived with help from Chinese automakers

Santana Motors may not be familiar to many people, but the Spanish company was founded in the 1950s and began producing Land Rover vehicles under license in 1958. Those vehicles were later exported to Europe, Africa and South America.

The company began producing its own models in 1980 and partnered with Suzuki five years later. That led to it producing the Jimny and other vehicles under the Santana brand.

In the mid-1990s and early 2000s, the automaker ran into financial trouble and was taken over as part of a rescue effort. Ultimately, that effort failed and production was halted in 2011.

Santana has now returned, with vehicle production resuming in Linares. The factory is building the new 400D and 400 PHEV pickups, which are rebadged versions of the Dongfeng/Zhengzhou Nissan Z9.

Not particularly notable for its originality, the 400D has a 2.3-liter diesel engine producing 188 hp and up to 500 Nm of torque. This engine can be paired with a six-speed manual transmission or an optional eight-speed automatic.

Both versions are said to be capable of accelerating from 0-100 km/h in 9.1 seconds before reaching a top speed of 106 mph. The vehicle can tow up to 3,200 kg and carry 815 kg of payload.

The 400 PHEV features a plug-in hybrid powertrain consisting of a 1.5-liter gasoline engine, an electric motor and a 32-kWh battery pack. Combined output is 422 hp and 800 Nm of torque.

Thanks to the extra power, it can accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 6.5 seconds, while top speed remains unchanged. Its electric-only range is 120 km and total range is 1,046 km.

This plug-in hybrid model comes with four-wheel drive, side steps and 6 kW power output. Buyers will also find LED headlights and a sunroof.

Inside are a 10-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14.6-inch infotainment system. The model also has heated and ventilated faux-leather seats, dual-zone climate control, a six-speaker audio system and a 50 W wireless smartphone charger.

A range of driver-assistance systems comes standard, including adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, traffic jam assist, lane-keeping assist and traffic sign recognition. The S trim adds highway driving assist, front/rear cross-traffic alert and braking, blind-spot detection and lane-change assist, among other features.

Prices start at 29,900 euros (USD 35,118) for the plug-in hybrid version and 44,700 euros (USD 52,501) for the diesel version. For comparison, the Ford Ranger Double Cab starts at 31,050 euros (USD 36,473) in Spain.

Alongside announcing the start of production and delivery of the first vehicle, Santana also announced a strategic agreement with BAIC. Under the terms, the company will receive BAIC semi-knocked-down (SKD) vehicle kits, which will then be fully assembled in Spain.

Santana did not go into detail, but said a full line of passenger off-road vehicles can be expected to complement its existing pickup range. These models will be introduced gradually between 2026 and 2028.

Although these vehicles appear likely to be rebadged versions of existing products, the agreement also calls for the joint development of new models based on BAIC platforms. Those future vehicles will have unique styling and Santana's own identity.