Is Nissan Planning on Reviving the Xterra as an Electric Off-Roader?
Nissan teased a boxy electric SUV due in late 2027, and we think this could serve as an indirect successor to the Xterra.
While it may not end up using the Xterra name, Nissan described the SUV as "adventure-focused," and the shape echoes the Xterra's squared-off look.
The electric SUV will be built at Nissan's Canton, Mississippi, plant starting in late 2027.
Nissan announced a series of upcoming models today that will aim to get the struggling brand back on its feet over the next couple of years. A new Nissan Leaf, which sees the EV transform from a dorky hatchback to a compact SUV, will be followed by new hybrid variants of the popular Rogue SUV. But more enticing is a new electric SUV that will begin production in late 2027 and could serve as an indirect successor to the off-road-focused Xterra from the 2000s.
While there aren't a ton of details about this new electric SUV, there are a few hints that it could be designed with some all-terrain prowess. The shadowy teaser image shows a boxy shape, with a short hood and a squared-off rear end. We were able to take a peek at some design prototypes in Japan that leaned in to the off-road aesthetic.
Even more telling is Nissan's description of the upcoming SUV as "adventure-focused." While Nissan has launched Rock Creek editions of both the Pathfinder and Rogue, these are gussied-up crossovers as opposed to serious off-roaders. Nissan hasn't had a truly rugged offering since the Xterra went off sale in 2015. The possibility of the Xterra's return is further solidified by the fact that Nissan filed a new trademark for the Xterra name in December 2024, although it's not certain that Nissan will apply that moniker to the new EV.
Nissan says the electric SUV will be built at its Canton, Mississippi, plant starting in late 2027, alongside an electric Infiniti. Intriguingly, Nissan had previously said the Canton factory would start building a pair of electric sedans—one as a successor to the Nissan Maxima and one as a production version of the Infiniti Qe concept—in 2025. Both models were absent from the future plans Nissan revealed today, however, so it seems as if the sedans may have been canceled, with their spot on the Canton assembly line taken over by the electric SUV duo.
Nissan also discussed several other upcoming products in its announcement. Along with the new Leaf and a new plug-in-hybrid version of the Rogue, Nissan plans to reveal a refreshed Pathfinder SUV later this year along with a next-generation Sentra sedan, which we spied testing earlier this year. The Sentra is expected to grow slightly in size to make up for the departure of the Altima after the 2025 model year.
A new, fourth-generation Rogue will follow in 2026 and will introduce Nissan's e-Power range-extender plug-in-hybrid technology to the U.S. market. Nissan will have a busy few years as it implements its ambitious recovery plan, and we eagerly await more details on the new adventurous electric SUV.
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