Angel Sergeev is a seasoned automotive journalist with over 15 years of experience covering the automotive industry. Born in Sofia, Bulgaria, he began his writing career in 2010 while pursuing a degree in Transportation Engineering.
His early work included contributions to the local edition of F1 Racing magazine (now GP Racing magazine) and roles at various automotive websites and magazines.
In 2013, Angel joined Motor1.com (formerly WorldCarFans), where he dedicated over a decade to delivering daily news and feature articles. His expertise spans a wide range of topics, including electric vehicles, classic cars, and industry topics. Angel’s commitment to automotive journalism is further demonstrated by his membership in the Bulgarian Car of the Year jury since 2013.
Nissan just showed dealers a future that sounds like catnip for off-road fans – a new Xterra landing in the second half of 2028, plus a body-on-frame Pathfinder to match. The preview happened behind closed doors in Las Vegas during the NADA Show this week, and it points to Nissan building a whole new ladder-frame family instead of sprinkling “Adventure” badges on crossovers and calling it a day.
The Xterra body-on-frame mid-size SUV was axed in 2015, but current U.S. market conditions call for its return – and it may get an Infiniti twin too.
Nissan has already confirmed the revived Xterra will use an electrified powertrain, and it will still bring the good stuff that matters on a trail – a two-speed transfer case with proper 4Lo. That last part is the easiest way to separate a real off-roader from a mall crawler, and it suggests Nissan plans to play in the same sandbox as the Toyota 4Runner, Ford Bronco, and Jeep Wrangler, not just pose near it.
Dealers who saw it didn’t sound bored, either. Automotive News quotes one dealer group president, who called it “radical looking” and said it looks beefy with a muscular grille and a no-frills, rugged vibe. Another dealer exec said it carries the original’s DNA but adds a modern edge, with “aggression” in the design. Translation: Nissan wants this thing to look like it eats ruts for breakfast, not like a softened family SUV that accidentally wandered onto a dirt road.
From what we know so far, the Xterra sounds like it will stick to the classic recipe – two rows, a shorter footprint than big family haulers, and a focus on rough-road use. Nissan reportedly aims to keep pricing under $40,000 and even plans a yellow paint option, which feels like a wink at the original Xterra’s loud, outdoorsy personality.
Nissan unveils over 10 new models for North America, including a bold new LEAF, plug-in Rogue, and next-gen hybrids built for performance.
Here’s the bigger move hiding behind the Xterra badge. Reports say Nissan plans five body-on-frame vehicles on one new platform – the Xterra, a new body-on-frame Pathfinder, the next Frontier pickup, an Infiniti-branded Xterra-style SUV, and an Infiniti QX60 variant tied to the same frame plan. Nissan also plans to build them in the U.S. to keep costs in check and reduce tariff exposure.
Currently, the Japanese company builds the Frontier at its Canton, Mississippi plant, and it has for years. Nissan even touted Canton when it kicked off production of the current-gen Frontier there. If it wants volume and shared parts across trucks and SUVs, it already has the address and the workforce.
Meanwhile, the body-on-frame Pathfinder mentioned above might be the real plot twist. Today’s Pathfinder rides on a unibody platform, a switch Nissan made for the 2013 model year to cut weight and push it closer to the mainstream crossover crowd. If the firm brings back a frame-based Pathfinder, it creates a new middle rung in the lineup – something more serious than the current unibody Pathfinder, but not as huge as the Armada. Nissan hasn’t said yet if that new Pathfinder would run two rows or three, and the same question hangs over any frame-based QX60 idea.
Powertrain talk stays fuzzy, but the electrified angle opens some fun doors. Nissan’s e-POWER hybrid tech, for example, drives the wheels with an electric motor while a gas engine works as a generator. That setup can deliver EV-like low-speed response without plugging in, which sounds pretty handy when crawling over rocks and trying not to bounce your teeth out. The automaker has also said e-POWER will finally reach the U.S. soon, which makes the “electrified Xterra” promise feel less like marketing fluff and more like a real engineering direction.
If Nissan wants a clean target, it only needs to look at what Toyota just did with the latest 4Runner – modern tech, real body-on-frame bones, and available hybrid power with big torque numbers. The off-road SUV crowd has shown it will pay for capability, as long as the vehicle brings the right stance and the right parts.
Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa recently told media that “Nissan is back,” and this plan looks like the company is trying to prove it with sheet metal and skid plates, not slogans. The wait runs long, but the formula already sounds right – a tough frame, 4Lo, and electrified torque.
Source: Automotive News
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