Confirmed: The SUV Nissan Desperately Needs Is Coming Back

Nissan Will Bring The Xterra SUV Back In 2028
Nissan Americas chairman Christian Meunier confirmed to Bloomberg that Nissan will revive the Xterra nameplate for a new SUV arriving in 2028. Nissan is also considering building a more upscale version of the SUV for Infiniti.

"The dealers are super excited about it because it's going to be a great example of Nissan coming back," Meunier told Bloomberg. The vehicle will "bring scale back to the plant and get the costs at the right level."

Nissan will build the new Xterra at its Canton, Mississippi plant. The new SUV will be a hybrid. But Nissan will opt for a V6 hybrid rather than a four-cylinder like the other hybrids in the segment. The Bloomberg report does not specify what type of hybrid, although previous reporting from Automotive News suggests it will deliver a substantial electric-only range. Nissan says the new Xterra will share a platform with vehicles such as the new Frontier pickup, the Pathfinder, and the Infiniti QX60.

The new Nissan Xterra should rival other midsize SUVs like the Jeep Wrangler, Toyota 4Runner, and Ford Bronco. Rivian is launching its all-electric R2 SUV in early 2026. Hyundai is also considering an entrant to the segment, based on its new body-on-frame pickup arriving later this decade. There's room for Nissan to undercut its rivals on pricing. However, a legitimately modern and efficient powertrain option with substantial EV range would also be a welcome addition.

This Means Nissan Won't Be Building EVs In America
Nissan's initial plans called for building electric sedans and SUVs for Nissan and Infiniti at its Canton, Mississippi plant. That dwindled to just SUVs, and on a delayed timeline. But Nissan confirmed to Bloomberg that it has frozen plans to build an EV in the United States.

Nissan still plans to sell the all-new 2026 Leaf, which it imports from Japan, starting at just $29,990. Nissan has paused Ariya sales in the US for the 2026 model year. Nissan may divert the excess American production capacity in Canton, currently not used for EVs, to bring over full-size Armada and Infiniti QX80 production from Japan.

Nissan Sales Ticked Up In Q3 2025
Nissan is making some positive progress on the sales front. The brand sold 210,226 vehicles in the third quarter. That total represents 6.4% year-over-year growth for the quarter. And Nissan sales are up 2.2% so far this year. The Nissan Murano has risen from the dead with the new 2025 model. Nissan has sold 32,400 of them so far this year, a 124.4% increase. Sales are also up 47% with the new Kicks and 22.7% for the Pathfinder.

Infiniti remains a lingering concern. Infiniti has sold a total of 38,643 vehicles in 2025, representing a 9.2% decline from the previous year. For perspective, the Versa is one of seven Nissan vehicles that have outsold the entire Infiniti lineup combined.