Sneak a Peek at Japan’s Most Exciting Upcoming Off-Roader in Years

We can already sense the Toyota 4Runner TRD, Jeep Wrangler, Ford Bronco and friends all trembling in their tracks.

Front view of a yellow Nissan car with illuminated horizontal headlights in the rain.

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Published April 17, 2026

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Updated April 20, 2026

Well, if you had any doubts about Nissan reviving its Xterra, you can most certainly put those to rest. The Japanese automaker just teased the rugged SUV revival during its recent Vision strategy conference.

Among the long list of updates from the brand was CEO Ivan Espinosa’s official confirmation that a new Xterra is on the way. And to reaffirm it all, the company revealed its first official teaser of the four-by-four.

Needless to say, we’re beyond excited about it, even if it is just a teaser.

The first new Xterra in almost 20 years

The last time Nissan gave the world a rugged Xterra was roughly 15 years ago. There’s no doubt that the four-wheeling community has been missing out on one of its cult favorites.

Born in 2000 out of the then-booming SUV craze, the Xterra was a smash hit and a winner among critics. It not only won MotorTrend’s Sport Utility of the Year award, but also swiped the North American Truck of the Year trophy.

Black Nissan Xterra Pro-4X SUV with roof rack carrying gear driving on rocky desert terrain. — We’ve been eager for a new-gen Xterra for over 15 years at this point, and we can’t wait for the new one.

And it won several other accolades with the second-gen model even taking the same MotorTrend and North American Truck of the Year wins in 2006.

Many agreed that the Xterra excelled as a rugged, capable, and honest SUV that wasn’t pretentious in any way.

But as fuel economy and safety regulations got stricter over the years, sales slumped for the second generation. Until Nissan pulled the plug in 2015.

The new Xterra will get V6 and hybrid V6 power

Front view of a yellow Nissan car with illuminated amber lights in the rain at night. — This is what the new Xterra will look like in the rear-view when it’s up your romp on the road.

Being a teaser moment, Nissan didn’t divulge specifics. However, the company did confirm the next-gen model will be one of five new models built on its body-on-frame platform.

Nissan also said it’ll arrive with the choice of standard V6 and V6 hybrid power. But as to which specific V6 will be used remains to be determined.

The Yokohama automaker still has two V6s in its portfolio. The first is the old, tried and true naturally-aspirated VQ-based V6 from the 2000s. In its latest form, it’s still powering the current Frontier.

Three Nissan electric vehicles in yellow, purple, and blue, shown front-facing on a white reflective surface. — While it’s not the same, the new Frontier Pro could also provide a glimpse into the new Xterra’s exterior aesthetic.

Nissan also has a newer turbocharged VR-based V6, which came from the GT-R. The last Xterra used the old VQ in 4.0-liter form, known as the “VQ40DE” and produced around 270 horsepower and 286 pound-feet of torque.

The first-gen Xterra used Nissan’s old VG V6, which dates back to 1983. The second-gen Xterra only came with the “VQ40DE,” while the first gen had three options: a base 2.4-liter “KA24DE” inline-four, the aforementioned 3.3-liter “VG33E” naturally-aspirated V6 and a supercharged “VG33ER” version of that same V6.

About the Author: Chris Chin is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, trucks and anything else with four wheels. He has over a decade of experience writing news and reviews but considers himself an enthusiast first, with a passion for classics and European cars. His daily driver is a 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL with nearly 250,000 miles (87,000 are his).

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