Nissan teases Xterra return

Nissan has confirmed the Xterra is coming back as a truck-based sport utility vehicle for the 2029 model year, with a launch planned for late 2028. (global.nissannews.com, caranddriver.com) The company said the new Xterra will be built in the United States and offered with two engine setups: a gasoline V-6 and a V-6 hybrid. Nissan also released a dark teaser image showing the front end and described the model as a “Heartbeat” vehicle for the United States. (global.nissannews.com, cars.com) A body-on-frame sport utility vehicle uses a separate steel frame under the body, like a pickup truck, instead of a single car-style structure. That layout usually favors towing, durability, and off-road use over fuel economy and ride comfort. (cars.com, edmunds.com) Nissan is tying the Xterra to a broader North America plan, not a one-off revival. The company said it is exploring a family of five United States-built models on a new body-on-frame platform for Nissan and Infiniti brands. (jalopnik.com, carscoops.com) That matters for Nissan because the company used its April 14, 2026 long-range strategy event to promise a slimmer 45-model lineup, more powertrain choices, and a stronger focus on the United States, Japan, and China. The Xterra sits inside that reset as one of the nameplates Nissan thinks can pull buyers back into showrooms. (global.nissannews.com, global.nissannews.com) The old Xterra was sold in the United States from the 2000 through 2015 model years, and Nissan marketed the final 2015 version as a discontinued vehicle. It built a following with buyers who wanted a simpler, tougher sport utility vehicle based on pickup hardware. (nissanusa.com, kbb.com) Nissan dropped the Xterra after the 2015 model year as buyers shifted toward car-based crossovers and sales faded. Edmunds reported Nissan sold 16,505 Xterras in 2014, down 7 percent from the year before. (edmunds.com, autos.yahoo.com) The new version also marks a change from earlier expectations that the name might return as an electric vehicle or a crossover. By April 2026, Nissan had settled on a body-on-frame design with conventional and hybrid V-6 power, aimed more directly at buyers shopping rugged models such as the Ford Bronco, Jeep Wrangler, and Toyota 4Runner. (motortrend.com, cars.com, edmunds.com) Nissan has not published horsepower, price, or trim details yet, and the teaser does not show the full vehicle. For now, the clearest signal is timing: after an 11-model-year absence, the Xterra badge is back on Nissan’s product map for late 2028. (global.nissannews.com, caranddriver.com)