Although today’s market is mostly about the crossover, there is still a pretty big market for genuine body-on-frame SUVs. The Wrangler is as popular, while the 4Runner has been making record sales in the last few years. That’s why some sources suggest that Nissan management is seriously considering bringing back the Xterra. This SUV was in production during the 1990s and early 2000s and we’ve been waiting for its revival since then. Allegedly, the new model could arrive already in the next year, as the 2023 Nissan Xterra.
At this point, the officials are still quiet about this comeback. All we can do is rely on rumors and unofficial reports, which mostly predict the same direction, regarding the overall design. It’s quite easy to conclude that this SUV would be based on the Frontier pickup, which was finally redesigned last year, after more than 15 years of waiting.
2023 Nissan Xterra Design
So, the base design approach is pretty easy to be predicted. We are talking about a design that would be heavily based on the new Frontier. This refers to both mechanics and aesthetics. In terms of mechanics, it’s quite obvious that the new SUV would ride on the F-Alpha platform. Most of the parts would be shared with the Frontier, starting from the powertrain, chassis, suspension etc. Speaking of the suspension, we presume that the 2023 Nissan Xterra would still feature a little bit different setup, especially at the rear end. Simply, this SUV would focus more on off-roading than the utility.
Speaking of the off-roading, we won’t be surprised if we see an off-road version, which would come with all kinds of upgrades, such as tuned suspension, standard four-wheel drive, locking differential, skid plates and many more.
Exterior
When it comes to the exterior design, we expect this will be a typical four-door SUV. It will compete in the mid-size segment, so we presume that the overall size would be similar to models like Toyota 4Runner or four-door versions of Wrangler and Bronco.
When it comes to aesthetics, the front end could take a lot of inspiration from the Frontier. This particularly refers to areas like headlights, grille, etc. The rest of the body would come in a typical SUV manner and we expect to see a pretty bold and muscular design approach.
Interior
This aspect of the 2023 Nissan Xterra is still a complete mystery. Still, we may presume that the dashboard would be designed in a similar fashion as the aforementioned pickup sibling. This would mean a combination of attractive aesthetics and good overall quality. Furthermore, we would also see a decent amount of tech features, including a massive infotainment screen.
When it comes to seating configuration, we presume that base models would come standard with two rows and the ability to accommodate five passengers. Still, if we consider that this would be a mid-size SUV, there’s a big change to see an optional third row as well.
2023 Nissan Xterra Engine
This aspect would probably bring no surprises. The 2023 Nissan Xterra would feature the same setup as the Frontier, which means a 3.8-liter V6 in a combination with a new 9-speed automatic transmission. That engine puts out around 310 horsepower, which some like quite an appropriate amount of power for a vehicle of this size.
Base models would probably come with rear-wheel drive, while the 4WD system would be offered as an option. Besides four-wheel drive, we also expect to see goodies like a two-speed transfer case, locking differentials and similar things on the list of options.
Fuel Consumption
Although it’s still early to talk about these things, we could make a rough estimation, considering the model’s expected size and weight. We presume that the ratings would be pretty similar to the Frontier, which would mean around 18 mpg in the city and 22 mpg on the highway, which is typical for the class. Of course, models with four-wheel drive and other off-roading hardware would be slightly thirstier.
2023 Nissan Xterra Release Date and Price
The 2023 Nissan Xterra is just a rumor for now, so we won’t speculate about the possible launch date. If it arrives some day, we presume that base models would cost somewhere between 35.000 and 40.000 dollars.