The Nissan Xterra will return. Expect it in dealerships in the second half of 2028, likely as a 2029 model.
The Xterra was an affordable off-roader sold from 1999 to 2015. Built on a truck-style ladder frame, it once offered features like a manual transmission and even a supercharged V6 engine. Its quirks and bang-for-the-buck on the trail made it beloved – one of those rare vehicles that still has internet forums full of fans and aftermarket parts available more than a decade after its exit from the market.
Nissan has been hinting at its return for several years, even including the silhouette of a similar design in recent investor presentations.
This week, industry publication Automotive News reports that Nissan showed the vehicle to dealers. America’s car dealers are gathered in Las Vegas for their biggest annual convention, through the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA).
Automakers use NADA to hear from their dealers (who are pushing manufacturers for more affordable cars) and show them future products. For Nissan, that presentation included an Xterra.
The public won’t get to see it, perhaps for years. But dealers who saw the presentation told Automotive News it “carries the DNA of the original but has a modern twist.”
We’d be surprised to see a supercharged V6 or a manual-equipped SUV in 2029. But attendees reportedly said it rides on a body-on-frame platform that should give it similar off-road poise to the original.
We’ll bring more information as we have it, but that could involve a long wait. Automakers typically begin leaking out photos and design details up to a year before a car goes on sale.
