Nissan teases 2029 Xterra

Nissan has finally shown the first official teaser of the next Xterra, confirming the off-road sport utility vehicle will return in late 2028. (usa.nissannews.com) Nissan said the new Xterra will be built in the United States on a new body-on-frame platform, the truck-style construction used for heavier towing and rougher trail use. The company also said buyers will get a choice of a V-6 engine or a V-6 hybrid. (usa.nissannews.com) The teaser image, released April 13, shows an upright nose, a large NISSAN badge, amber marker lights and a squared-off front end. Nissan has not released horsepower, pricing, seating layout or dimensions. (motor1.com) This is Nissan’s clearest move yet back into the truck-based sport utility vehicle market it left when the second-generation Xterra ended after the 2015 model year. The old Xterra was sold in the United States from 1999 through 2015. (kbb.com) The timing also lines up with a stronger market for rugged two-row sport utility vehicles. Ford’s Bronco, Jeep’s Wrangler and Toyota’s redesigned 4Runner have kept demand high for vehicles that look and drive more like trucks than crossovers. (edmunds.com) Nissan tied the Xterra announcement to a broader North America plan unveiled at its Vision event in Yokohama on April 14. In the same release, the company said it is exploring a family of five United States-built body-on-frame models for Nissan and Infiniti, including pickups and multi-row sport utility vehicles. (usa.nissannews.com) That matters for Nissan because its current United States lineup leans heavily on crossovers such as Rogue and Pathfinder, while its truck-based choices are limited to Frontier and Armada. A new Xterra would give Nissan a direct entry in a segment where it has not had a fresh contender for more than a decade. (usa.nissannews.com; edmunds.com) The powertrain choice is notable too. Nissan’s 2021 Ambition 2030 plan centered on electrification, but the new Xterra will keep six-cylinder gasoline power and add a hybrid version instead of going fully electric at launch. (usa.nissannews.com; usa.nissannews.com) Reports over the past year had pointed in different directions, including earlier speculation that Xterra might return as an electric vehicle. Nissan’s April 2026 announcement settles that question, at least for the first version headed to showrooms in late 2028. (edmunds.com; usa.nissannews.com) For now, Nissan is offering only a shadowy front-end photo and a date range. After 11 years without an Xterra on sale, the company is asking buyers to wait roughly two more years for the full reveal. (usa.nissannews.com; kbb.com)