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Today’s automotive industry is a lot about bringing back familiar nameplates, so it’s no wonder that there are so many rumors about comebacks of more and less legendary models from the past. Among them, we can also find reports that suggest a comeback of Nissan Xterra. This SUV was in production for a quite long time, in an era when body-on-frame SUVs were still dominating the segment. We saw two generations of it. The last one was in production for a full decade, between 2005 and 2015. When it comes to the comeback model, unofficial reports suggest it could come already like the 2022 Nissan Xterra. Unfortunately, the officials are still quiet on this matter.
Why Did Nissan Discontinue the Xterra?
Well, the reasons were numerous. The last version of this SUV was discontinued in 2015 and at the time, everyone believed that crossovers will completely take over the segment. Therefore, investing in crossovers like Murano and Pathfinder seemed far more reasonable. Due to the truck-based layout, the development of such a vehicle would require more funds, while the popularity of this particular model and BoF SUVs, in general, was at the historic minimum.
Furthermore, these vehicles are usually equipped with older-generation engines, particularly from Frontier, which would cause additional emission standards issues. To summarize, low sales numbers, high-development standards, and generally low interest for BoF vehicles were the key reasons for discontinuation.
2022 Nissan Xterra USA: Is Nissan Bringing Back The Xterra?
These days, BoF SUVs are once again becoming popular, especially among off-road enthusiasts, who don’t particularly like full-sized vehicles. So, it’s no wonder that Ford has brought back the Bronco, while the outdated Toyota 4Runner marks some pretty impressive sales numbers, despite the age.
So, bringing back the Xterra sound perfectly reasonable in our ears, especially if the Japanese manufacturer would be able to offer a model that’s more affordable compared to the competition. At this point, we can only rely on unofficial reports. The officials are still quiet, so take this comeback with a big reserve.
If you prefer relying on rumors, then you may expect to see this model on sale in the near future. Some sources suggest the 2022 Nissan Xterra could hit the market by the end of this year, though we believe that the next year sounds far more realistic. We expect more details in the next couple of months.
The New SUV Could be Based on the Terra, Especially Interior
Of course, you probably wonder how the new model would look like. The previous generation looked pretty appealing at the time. So, we presume that Nissan would practice the same approach with the new model. In order to cut the production expenses, we presume that engineers would be relying on proven design solutions. This may refer to the new Frontier, but we another thing in our minds. That would lead us to the internationally-sold body-on-frame SUV, the Nissan Terra.
This SUV is based on the current-generation Navara and features a quite conventional design. We presume that the 2022 Nissan Xterra would come with a little bit more unique styling, especially at the front. On the other side, the mechanical aspect would be pretty much the same, with a couple of additions for better off-road performances.
Once again, we are getting back to cutting production costs, which indicates an interior design borrower from the Terra. That SUV features a quite conventional cabin design, which features a simple dashboard design and rather low-rent materials, mostly hard plastics. Of course, that doesn’t mean that the new model wouldn’t be equipped properly, especially when it comes to tech and driver-assistance goodies. We presume that both two- and three-row versions would be in the offer.
2022 Nissan Xterra Powertrain
This aspect of the 2022 Nissan Xterra shouldn’t bring any bigger surprises. While the Terra mostly uses diesel engines, we have no doubt that this model would come in gasoline versions only. More precisely, we expect just one engine in the offer. Of course, we are talking about the recently introduced 3.8-liter V6 engine, which puts out around 310 horsepower. We presume that the engine would be paired with a 9-speed automatic transmission.
Specs: Check Out the 2022 Nissan Xterra Pro-4X
Already standard version of the new SUV should offer decent off-road performances, thanks to the BoF layout. However, we expect to see the 2022 Nissan Xterra Pro-4X version in the offer too. As you may presume, this badge would be reserved for the most capable version in terms of off-road capabilities.
Besides notable styling upgrades, this particular version would come with a new suspension setup, higher-ground clearance, off-road tires, and a plethora of exclusive off-road features. Some of the things that come to mind are electronic locking rear differential, hill descent control, Bilstein Coilover shocks, skid plates, etc.
