NISSAN

And the Nissan Xterra is officially back, with announcements that reveal a bold and rugged new direction

This isn’t just another SUV, it looks like a true off-road machine built to compete with the best. From its upright stance and aggressive front end to its naturally aspirated V6 engine, the new Nissan Xterra is shaping up to be a serious contender in the off-road vehicle segment.

Nissan is clearly focusing on durability, capability, and a design that stands out in a crowded market. With design cues inspired by its global pickup truck lineup and a modern lighting signature, this could be one of the most exciting SUV comebacks in years.

Still in the planning phase, the project envisions a robust SUV, with architecture and other elements derived from the Frontier Pro, but with a shortened wheelbase. The design, as with the original Xterra, should be heavily inspired by the Frontier Pro. Projections from the Kolesa website already speculate on the style with horizontal LED headlights and taillights, an exclusive rear bumper, and a wider opening angle for the rear doors. These elements would facilitate access to the second row of seats and highlight the model as a robust and modern alternative in the segment.

That’s because future Nissan and Infiniti vehicles will be offered with an assortment of hybridized powertrains. There is e-Power, a series or extended-range hybrid (a.k.a. EREV) where the internal combustion engine acts as a generator. The 2027 Nissan Rogue will be the first Nissan to get e-Power in North America when the fourth-generation SUV goes on sale in early 2027.

The Xterra will share a body-on-frame platform with a number of D-segment vehicles including the Nissan Pathfinder, the Nissan Frontier pickup truck, and SUVs for Infiniti. “The next-generation D-segment SUV cannot be ICE [internal combustion engine] only,” says Nissan Americas chief planning officer Ponz Pandikuthira. “It will have to have electrification. Is that an EREV? Is that a parallel hybrid system? Is that a plug-in system? That’s not defined yet. That’s all being actively studied right now.”

V-6 Engine a Differentiator...Having a V-6 will help differentiate the models from the competition. Pandikuthira says the efficiency will come from hybridization, not from downsizing to a four-cylinder engine. He says there are a number of V-6s within the company to choose from.

A school of thought and test results say a parallel hybrid may make more sense for the larger 4WD vehicles which must also be able to tow, Pandikuthira says. The V-6 could drive one axle and the electric motors drive another. These larger vehicles are also better able to accommodate the additional weight and cost of a larger battery.

The final decision is not nailed yet, in part because the body-on-frame architecture is still being finalized. The desire to move the D-segment vehicles to body-on-frame is buoyed by the success of the larger Nissan Armada and Infiniti QX80. One option is a scaled-down version of that architecture. Another is creating a new platform from the ground up. Some vestiges of the current platform used by the Frontier could be carried over but the platform is quite dated. The next-generation underpinnings need to be lighter and able to be electrified, which the current Frontier is not designed to do. Nissan is still studying how to achieve fuel efficiency, light weight, and the ability to accommodate a hybrid.

The next generation of body-on-frame models would be built at Nissan’s plant in Canton, Mississippi, starting with the Xterra in 2028, with the others following by 2030. The plant used to make the body-on-frame Nissan Titan full-size truck, which has been discontinued. It continues to make the Frontier. If demand takes off, Nissan has the flexibility to also build body-on-frame vehicles at its Smyrna, Tennessee, plant.

by Autonews