Nissan’s Highly Anticipated Off-Roader Revival Will Keep It Old-School in the Best Way Possible

If you were worried that Nissan’s Xterra revival was going to be too experimental and go all electric, you can rest easy. The latest developments suggest the next-gen off-roader will keep it simple by sticking with classic gas power.

But to keep up with the competition, the new Xterra will gain a gas-electric hybrid powertrain for the first time. And, stylistically, it’ll be just as distinguishable as the last Xterra.

However, if you were hoping for a transmission option other than an automatic, you’ll be sorely disappointed.

Nissan knows its target market

Nissan USA

Speaking with Nissan Americas senior VP for product planning, Ponz Pandikuthira, Car and Driver learned of the latest. Through the discussion, the outlet learned the next-gen Xterra will feature V6 power with the option for V6 hybrid power.

Not too long ago, rumors suggested the new Xterra would keep with the electrification trend. However, the latest development squashes those rumors, and not just because demand for EVs remains pretty lukewarm.

It’s also because off-roaders have most certainly not taken kindly to electrification. Although EVs provide some benefits to the four-wheeling experience, limited driving range and charging infrastructure remain their biggest pitfalls.

Nissan USA

Electric motors can be incredibly helpful when off-roading, mainly due to instantaneous and robust torque delivery. Additionally, their silent operation could make for an even more pleasant trail-crawling experience.

However, running out of juice and getting stuck in the middle of nowhere poses huge risks and challenges. Additionally, the higher-than-typical curb weights of most EVs increase the risk of sinking or getting stuck.

Nissan

Nissan’s solution? Stick to gas power.

“There will be a pure ICE,” Pandikuthira said. “If we do ICE only, it will be V-6, it won’t be a four-cylinder turbo. Then we can build a hybrid off that. What that hybrid execution looks like, when it debuts, how many months after the ICE version? Still a work in progress at this point.”

No manual in sight

Nissan

As for what V6 it could be, speculation suggests the Xterra could use Nissan’s old naturally-aspirated VQ38. Although ancient and slowly being succeeded by the newer VR-based twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 as seen in the latest Armada/Patrol, the VQ still drives the current Frontier.

But, if you were hoping Nissan would go all the way and tick all the boxes for even the most diehard off-roading enthusiasts, sadly, that won’t be the case. According to Pandikuthira, the team thinks sports cars are better applications for manuals.

It’s also a matter of packaging. With its trucks, Nissan believes storage makes the best use of the center console space, versus a shifter.

“For the big trucks, no,” Pandikuthira replied in response to the manual question. “The fun element of a big truck comes out of dynamic performance, suspension tuning, the tires that you use, the way the vehicle steers, and how that powertrain is calibrated. The fact that you use up so much real estate in the center that people expect to use for storage.”

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