After being unceremoniously discontinued in 2015, the Nissan Xterra looks to be making a comeback, while the next-gen Nissan Frontier will be a distinct model from the global Nissan Navara midsize pickup truck, according to our source.
The Renault Nissan Mitsubishi Alliance Light Commercial Vehicles unit is planning on introducing a new body-on-frame vehicle at next-years Beijing Motor Show and signs point to this vehicle being the next-gen Nissan Xterra off-roader. Nissan has watched Jeep Wrangler and Toyota 4Runner sales surge over the past couple years, and wants to cash in on the young lifestyle buyers that buy these SUVs just as much for their off-road abilities as they do for what the vehicles say about their owners. Timing-wise, Nissan wants to get back into the midsize off-road SUV market now when the segment is hot and competition is limited to one all-new vehicle—the 2018 Jeep Wrangler—and a long-in-the-tooth 4Runner, before the new Ford Bronco drops in 2020. Financially the move makes sense, too.
Nissan is spending some serious dough on the next-gen Nisan Frontier, which will probably share its frame with the new Xterra. Like the Toyota Tacoma and Chevrolet Colorado, the new Nissan Frontier won’t share much with its global counterpart, the Nissan Navara. The Navara buyer is largely commercial, and Nissan feels it’s too compromised for the largely lifestyle-focused midsize pickup buyer stateside. The next-gen Frontier, which will be built in Canton, Mississippi, will be a touch softer and more refined, similar to the differences between the North American-spec Chevrolet Colorado and the global version that’s built in Asia.
A diesel engine, like the Cummins-powered Nissan Frontier Desert Runner concept the automaker showed at the Chicago auto show a few years back, is possible but not probable. Instead, expect an all-gas lineup with the industry standard base four-cylinder and optional V-6 engine.
There’s no timetable—at least that we know of—for the Xterra’s return or next-gen Frontier’s debut, but before the 2020 model year for both would be a safe bet.
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