It’s been a full decade since the Nissan Xterra went to the big parking lot in the sky, and while it may have been an appropriate decision at the time, in the years since the Xterra’s cancellation the off-road SUV segment has taken off. That left a giant, gaping hole in Nissan’s lineup that everyone assumed couldn’t possibly go unfilled. But while the rumors kept swirling, and the Frontier got a redesign, a new Xterra never appeared. Come 2028, however, that’s going to change, Automotive News reports.
At the same dealer meeting where Infiniti announced the return of the Q50, Nissan apparently confirmed the Xterra would also make a comeback. Would it have been better if the new Xterra had shown up about a year after the new Frontier did? Sure, but that didn’t happen, and better late than never, right? We don’t exactly have a ton of details right now, so if you were hoping for powertrain specs and exact pricing, you’re out of luck.
That said, Automotive News claims it will be “a rugged, affordable midsize SUV” with “a blocky, adventure-ready design” and “an upright grille and squarish headlights,” so it should at least look the part. It also expects the new Xterra to use a hybrid V6 and says there may even be a plug-in version that offers about 75 miles of range before turning the engine back on. A 75-mile plug-in hybrid may sound ridiculous, but hey, if Nissan wants to build it, we certainly won’t complain. That’s enough range for some serious emissions-free off-roading, and there are already PHEV SUVs out there from other brands with 50-mile ranges.
Oh, and Nissan reportedly plans to build the new Xterra at the same factory in Canton, Mississippi, that builds the Frontier.
Happy dealers and happy customers
As you can imagine, the Nissan dealers at the meeting were pretty excited to hear the Xterra will return. As Tyler Slade, operating partner at Tim Dahle Nissan, told Automotive News, “The Xterra brings a lot of emotion. It’s an aspirational off-road vehicle for families.” Slade also added that other off-road SUVs sell well, and he expects the same from the new Xterra, saying, “These are vehicles that every dealer is selling and making good money on.”
Beyond the Xterra, though, there was more good news for dealers. Nissan apparently plans to introduce 20 new or significantly updated vehicles between now and the second quarter of 2027, including a redesigned Rogue that Nissan Americas Chairman Christian Meunier acknowledged would be incredibly important since the “Rogue is our center of gravity, our bread and butter.” Earlier this year Nissan announced it would be making a new adventure-focused electric SUV that would be built at the Canton plant starting in 2027, which is the boxy model in the above teaser. It seems like it could be a Bronco vs. Bronco Sport situation, but for Xterras. Maybe Nissan will call that thing Eterra.
Considering the problems Nissan has had recently, if the Japanese automaker is going to survive on its own, it desperately needs products people actually want. The new CEO, Ivan Espinosa, seems like a cool dude, but whether we get a new Silvia or not, he seems to understand the problems his company faces. “We are at a pivotal moment for this company. We are taking action fast to address our weaknesses and strengthen our business fundamentals,” he reportedly told dealers, adding, “I’m confident we know what needs to be done to turn things around.”
Will the new Xterra be popular enough to singlehandedly save Nissan? Maybe not, but at the very least, it’ll get more people into Nissan’s dealerships, and that can only be a good thing for Nissan.
