- According to Automotive News, dealers are pleading with Nissan to bring back the Xterra since consumers are snapping up all the new off-road-oriented cars.
- After a makeover in 2005, the Xterra’s sales began to decline significantly, and it was terminated in 2015.
- A tough SUV with all-terrain tires, skid plates, and a rear locking differential was the Xterra, especially the Pro-4X model.
Fans of the tough off-roader have been clamoring for the Nissan Xterra to come back ever since it ceased manufacturing in 2015. Nissan’s North American vice president hinted that the Xterra would return in 2017, giving those supporters some cause for optimism. As buyers demand capable, adventure-focused models, Nissan dealers, according to Automotive News, are now pleading with the manufacturer to bring back the tiny body-on-frame SUV.
These complaints come at a time when other automakers are bringing back classic SUV nameplates for tough new models. Even many crossovers have gotten in on the off-road craze, as Ford recently brought back the Bronco and Land Rover recently brought back the Defender. For instance, the Kia Sorento now provides an X-Line aesthetic option, while the Toyota RAV4 now has a TRD Off-Road specification.
Following the launch of the Xterra’s second generation in 2005, sales in the United States gradually decreased. In its final model year, 2015, the Xterra sold 10,672 units overall, whereas the Jeep Wrangler, one of the most well-liked cars in this market, sold 202,702 units. Ford said that as of October 2020, it has received 190,000 reservations for the new Ford Bronco, which hasn’t yet been put on sale. J.D. Power predicted that in 2020, sales of new vehicles would account for 79 percent of SUVs and trucks.
The Nissan X-Terra is a contemporary global vehicle that only shares the name with the Xterra that was discontinued. It is based on the Frontier pickup’s international model, the Navara. We believe the Nissan Xterra would continue to be based on the Frontier in the US if it were to return to the market there. After receiving a new powertrain for the 2020 model year, the U.S. Frontier is scheduled to undergo a facelift in 2022.
An off-road variant called Pro-4X, which is now available on the Frontier and Titan pickup trucks, would probably be offered on this fictitious new Xterra as well. Previously, this model included all-terrain tires, Bilstein shocks, a locking rear differential, and skid plates as standard equipment. All Xterras were equipped as standard with a bulky-looking roof rack, a roof storage area, and a plastic-lined cargo area.
However, it is expensive to launch new automobiles, thus Nissan might not be able to do so. The brand’s sales declined 10.6% globally in 2019 and 33.2 percent in the United States in 2020. (global sales for 2020 are not yet available). Nissan forecasted losses of more than $6 billion for the fiscal year 2019, and a similar outcome for the fiscal year 2020.
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In This Article...
It would be fantastic if the new Frontier served as the basis for a modern Xterra SUV.
Off-road SUVs are currently somewhat popular. In other words, the incoming Ford Bronco will provide the Jeep Wrangler with some direct competition for the first time in years, and automakers are scrambling to add capability to crossovers and SUVs of all shapes, sizes, and price ranges. However, there are certain gaps in the field of play: Both Nissan’s rugged Xterra 4×4 and Toyota’s retro-inspired FJ Cruiser were discontinued long ago. And even though Nissan recently debuted a totally updated Frontier truck, the same pickup that shared parts with the previous Xterra, neither Japanese SUV is now due for a comeback. That caused us to reflect.
What might the new Nissan Xterra look like if it were unveiled right now? In order to create a rendering of the Nissan Xterra that does not now exist and most likely never will, we turned to our wizard of speculative art, Abimilec Arellano.
Whoa, why? Nissan has stated that it won’t be producing a new Xterra, at least not anytime soon, despite widespread speculations to the contrary. A new Xterra would be a great addition to the market given how obsessed consumers are with 4x4s right now. It’s understandable that the automaker might not have the time or resources to pick up the Xterra mantle six years after the SUV was discontinued in 2015. This is because the automaker has a large new-model push that includes the new Frontier as well as the recently redesigned 2022 Pathfinder three-row SUV, updated Armada SUV, refreshed Kicks, all-new Rogue crossover, and a new Z sports car.
The Xterra is still envisioned as a four-door, two-row SUV. We believe a new Xterra would use a scaled-down version of the Frontier midsize pickup’s frame in order to maintain the original’s off-road prowess and credibility. Low-cost models might come standard with rear-wheel drive, but the majority would be built with four-wheel drive and available low-range gearing.
When the previous-generation Xterra faded away, it was equipped solely with a 4.0-liter V-6 engine, an outdated lump of a motor that somehow lingered on for years in the Frontier. Today, were the Xterra to come back, it’d inherit the 2022 Frontier’s new 310-hp 3.8-liter V-6 and nine-speed automated transmission.
We’ve outfitted our fictitious Xterra in the same Pro-4X styling as the 2022 Frontier because a Pro-4X ultimate-off-road trim would be a given. Nissan now has all it needs to reintroduce the SUV to service after the inside upgrades to the Frontier have been added. We’d be happy to see a new Xterra, if only to offer some price competition to the ever-expensive Jeep Wrangler and the eagerly anticipated new Ford Bronco, which is expected to be sold out for years.
Subaru Xterra
The Nissan Xterra is a truck-based compact SUV that Nissan Motors produced and marketed for two generations, from 1999 to 2015; the first generation (1999–2004) shared a platform with the Nissan Frontier pickup, as well as its front bumper, hood, A-pillar, windshield, and front doors; the second generation (2005–2015) did the same.
Although the two Xterra generations differed greatly, both made body-on-frame construction and underbody skid plates a priority while putting price and toughness ahead of luxury. Both iterations also featured a two-box design with rear door handles situated on the c-pillar, an asymmetrical rear window, a bump-out in the tailgate for a first aid kit that could be accessed from the inside, and a noticeable two-tiered roof that allowed stadium seating in the second row. The sloped roof allowed for the installation of a normal roof rack at the back and a lower, removable gear basket roof rack at the front.
Nissan produced the SUV at Nissan’s Smyrna Assembly as well as at Canton, Mississippi, and licensed the Xterra moniker from the XTERRA off-road triathlon race series. Additionally, variations were produced in China and Brazil.
The Xterra was the first Nissan car entirely conceptualized, developed, and manufactured in the United States. It was designed by NDI Director of Design Tom Semple and developed at Nissan Design America in La Jolla, California. The goal of the Xterra designers, according to Jerry Hirshberg, president of Nissan Design International (NDI), “was to build an economical, tough, and high-quality piece of equipment.” In a later statement, he called it “a garage tool that says, “Treat me tough” – it’s supposed to look better dirty than clean.”
The Xterra is a “honest SUV that doesn’t strive to be a luxury car alternative or try to hide its truck underpinnings,” according to Road & Track.
It was described as a “knockoff of the Land Rover Discovery” by Jalopnik.
It was described as “rugged without bluster” by The Washington Post.
Reimagined Nissan Xterra Brings Back the Tough Compact SUV Built on a Truck
Jeep has the Compass and Cherokee siblings, Ford has the Bronco Sport and Escape pair, and Mazda has just joined the fray with the CX-5 and CX-50 made in the United States. Therefore, even if just virtually, why not Nissan?
The present adoration of trucks, SUVs, and crossovers in the automotive business is so enormous that automakers are now adding double outfits to their segment offers. This is due to the fact that some people will like the gentler crossover side of things, but others will only have rough passion in their hearts and thoughts. To address both use case scenarios, automakers came up with novel solutions.
Ford, Jeep, and Mazda, among others, are now returning to specialized vehicles for every mindset rather than having one car to satisfy most purposes. They must, given how little emphasis is now placed on passenger cars. Nissan may also be considered along the same lines, albeit informally, but we won’t call it a well-cooked plan just yet.
After previously satisfying the desires of the Toyota FJ Cruiser rebirth, the Philippines-based virtual artist Enoch Gabriel Gonzalez, also known as enochgonzalesdesigns on social media, wants to give AWD Nissan lovers a moment to celebrate. As his recreated 2024 Nissan Xterra sprung back to a digital existence that is robust, tough, and completely off-road ready, the pixel master fortunately did not wander too far from the rugged way of life.
Just in case anyone forgot, the first two generations of the Nissan Xterra were produced from 2000 to 2015, with the tiny pickup-based SUV serving as the first Nissan to be entirely designed, developed, and built in the United States. It originally competed against the then-smaller Toyota 4Runner, among others, by piggybacking on the Nissan Frontier (Navara) pickup truck chassis.
Now, Xterra would act as the alternate off-road-focused nameplate next to Nissan’s 2022 Rogue, which starts at an MSRP of $27,150 in the United States, and make them into a double ensemble in the compact SUV sector – much as the Murano and Pathfinder do throughout the mid-size crossover SUV range. Even so, we are aware that it is unlikely.
After a protracted absence, Nissan unveils the X-Terra.
After the 2015 model year, the Nissan Xterra was withdrawn from the US market. Nissan no longer offers a body-on-frame SUV for sale in North America other from the enormous Armada. However, there are alternatives if you go elsewhere, including the Terra SUV, which is based on the Navara midsize pickup truck. However, the Terra is resurfacing on the market in one area of the world under the name X-Terra (notice the dash).
Only available in the Middle East, the 2021 Nissan X-Terra was recently teased but isn’t fully new. It’s really just Terra with a new face, but it looks fantastic. The new X-Terra is a three-row SUV with a modern exterior and interior design that distinguishes it from other Terra models on the market.
The SUV’s new LED headlights and taillights, as well as a revised grille with the company’s new V-motion design, are only the beginning. Standard wheels are a set of 17-inch machine-cut alloy wheels, while 18-inch wheels are an option. Additionally, the front and rear bumpers incorporate some Patrol style cues. There are a total of seven exterior color options, while the interior features high-end black and grey hues.
Upholstery options include leather and cloth, depending on the trim. The HVAC controls have been given a more upscale appearance, and the new soft-touch instrument panel design includes a nine-inch infotainment system. New features include a three-spoke steering wheel, and best-in-class comfort is provided by the Zero Gravity front and 60/40 split-folding second-row seats. Acoustic glass is used on the side windows and windshield to reduce noise, while the third row seats are split 50/50.
With the premium Platinum grade now including Lane Departure Warning, Blind Spot Warning, Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, and Intelligent Forward Collision Warning, more safety features are now included in the bundle.
A 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with 165 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque is housed under the hood and is connected to a seven-speed automated transmission. The base trim only has four-wheel drive, and two-wheel drive is the norm. Nissan also installed a limited-slip differential, an electronic locking rear differential, and four-wheel lock. The Hill Descent Control and Hill Start Assist Systems are very useful for off-road enthusiasts.
There is currently no information regarding whether the Terra SUV will receive these similar changes before sales in the Middle East start the following month.