- Nissan has teased an “adventure-focused SUV” with an electric powertrain for North America.
- While the name has yet to be confirmed, the EV could signal the return of the Xterra moniker.
- The model is scheduled to debut by Q1 2028, and will be produced in the Mississippi plant.
Among the many models teased by Nissan during its recent product roadmap presentation, one caught our attention: a mystery electric SUV heading to North America. And while the details are still sparse, it sounds like a perfect candidate for a modern-day reincarnation of the Xterra.
This SUV appeared in a group teaser alongside the facelifted Pathfinder and new versions of the Rogue (X-Trail) SUVs. Nissan described it as an “adventure-focused SUV” while confirming that it’s an electric vehicle.
More: Nissan To Offer Four Different Midsize Pickups Globally By 2027
Nissan revealed that the “all-new” electric SUV will be produced at the Canton, Mississippi plant, with production set to begin at the end of the Japanese fiscal year 2027, which wraps up on March 31, 2028.
From the official (darkened) photo, the SUV appears to feature a boxy shape, bulky roof rails, and a fully covered grille with integrated LED graphics and an illuminated Nissan emblem. The rear shoulders are nicely toned, while dynamic lines grace the hood, and plastic cladding around the wheel arches adds a rugged touch. It’s a design that hints at the vehicle’s adventure-oriented nature.
According to Car and Driver, design prototypes they’ve seen lean into an off-road aesthetic, further fueling speculation that this could be a spiritual successor to the Xterra.
Compact and Adventure-Ready
The SUV appears to be smaller than the Pathfinder and the Rogue, suggesting it will slot into the compact segment. While Nissan hasn’t revealed any specific details, it’s likely that this new EV will be built on a unibody architecture, distancing it from the ladder-frame setup of the old Xterra. However, a beefed-up suspension, dual-motor all-wheel drive, and off-road technology could still give it the rugged capabilities the Xterra was known for.
The Story Of The Nissan Xterra
The Nissan Xterra, first introduced in 1999, was a rugged, off-road-ready SUV that drew its underpinnings from the Nissan Frontier pickup. The second generation arrived in 2005, and both generations offered rear-wheel drive (RWD) and four-wheel drive (4WD) configurations. Unfortunately, the Xterra was discontinued in 2015 without a direct successor.
In 2018, Nissan unveiled the Terra, a Navara-based SUV aimed at Asian markets. While it was updated in 2020 and renamed the X-Terra for the Middle East, it was never sold in North America.
Last year, Ponz Pandikuthira, Senior Vice President and Chief Planning Officer for Nissan Americas, said that a new generation of the Nissan Xterra was “very actively considered”, describing it as an “authentic and serious truck” with a relatively affordable price point. More recently, it was reported that Nissan could be working on a modern Xterra study for the 2025 SEMA Show, dubbed “Project X”.
We’ll have to wait a little longer to learn about Nissan’s plans for reviving the Xterra, but an affordable boxy SUV with an electric powertrain, like in this teaser, should do the trick.
