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Via https://www.autonews.com/nissan/an-nissan-xterra-comeback-0424/
Article summary:
Chairman of Nissan Americas Christian Meunier and his top lieutenants have suggested that the pickup-based SUV would appeal to adventure types seeking affordable wheels to sling off-pavement.
“We are missing it, seeing what’s going on in the market and the sense of freedom people aspire to,” said Meunier, who was CEO of the Jeep brand before returning to Nissan Motor Co. this year.
Meunier said a modern Xterra would retain the nameplate’s functional DNA.
“I can overland in the desert for the weekend, or have a long trip,” he said. “It will be something cool [and] cost-competitive.”
Nissan Americas product planning chief Ponz Pandikuthira said the new Xterra would grow to fit in the midsize segment, similar to the Nissan Pathfinder crossover and Frontier pickup. The original, built from 1999 to 2015, was a compact.
‘The car that saved Nissan’
The U.S.-created Xterra, referred to within the company as “the car that saved Nissan,” debuted at the turn of the millennium as a low-cost project to help lift the brand out of a sales funk after its near bankruptcy..
With its unusual theater-style raised rear seating, the Xterra smashed Nissan’s initial sales projections, peaking at 88,578 in 2000.
“We developed the Xterra on a shoestring budget — about $40 million — because we anticipated we’d sell about 40,000 units," Larry Dominique, who was a leader of the Xterra’s development while working in Nissan’s U.S. product planning office, told Automotive News in 2021.
But the SUV disappeared after only two generations over 15 years. Production ended in 2015, a casualty of new safety regulations and consumers’ shift to lighter unibody crossovers.
A decade later, Nissan, now facing another existential crisis, is betting that the Xterra will deliver for it a second time.
The revived SUV aims to fill a unique role as a comfortable, functional, affordable rock crawler.
“There’s a return to authenticity and simplicity, not having all the gizmos and gadgets,” Meunier said.
Retro off-roaders such as the Ford Bronco and Land Rover Defender have helped fuel sales of SUVs in recent years.
Industry analyst Sam Fiorani said rugged vehicles are having their moment in the sun.
“With special off-road trims across a variety of crossovers and trucks along with dedicated SUVs like the Bronco and [Jeep] Wrangler grabbing a larger share of buyers’ wallets, selling the wilderness is popular among automakers,” said Fiorani, vice president at AutoForecast Solutions. “Nissan’s own Rock Creek and PRO-4X trims demonstrate this.”
Nissan retailer Tyler Slade said an updated Xterra could achieve 70,000 to 80,000 annual sales based on the nameplate’s brand power and demand for outdoorsy body-on-frame SUVs such as the new Toyota Land Cruiser.
“The segment is on fire, and we’re missing out on key business,” said Slade, operating partner at Tim Dahle Nissan Southtowne in suburban Salt Lake City. “These lifestyle vehicles create brand excitement and dealer engagement.”
Article summary:
Chairman of Nissan Americas Christian Meunier and his top lieutenants have suggested that the pickup-based SUV would appeal to adventure types seeking affordable wheels to sling off-pavement.
“We are missing it, seeing what’s going on in the market and the sense of freedom people aspire to,” said Meunier, who was CEO of the Jeep brand before returning to Nissan Motor Co. this year.
Meunier said a modern Xterra would retain the nameplate’s functional DNA.
“I can overland in the desert for the weekend, or have a long trip,” he said. “It will be something cool [and] cost-competitive.”
Nissan Americas product planning chief Ponz Pandikuthira said the new Xterra would grow to fit in the midsize segment, similar to the Nissan Pathfinder crossover and Frontier pickup. The original, built from 1999 to 2015, was a compact.
‘The car that saved Nissan’
The U.S.-created Xterra, referred to within the company as “the car that saved Nissan,” debuted at the turn of the millennium as a low-cost project to help lift the brand out of a sales funk after its near bankruptcy..
With its unusual theater-style raised rear seating, the Xterra smashed Nissan’s initial sales projections, peaking at 88,578 in 2000.
“We developed the Xterra on a shoestring budget — about $40 million — because we anticipated we’d sell about 40,000 units," Larry Dominique, who was a leader of the Xterra’s development while working in Nissan’s U.S. product planning office, told Automotive News in 2021.
But the SUV disappeared after only two generations over 15 years. Production ended in 2015, a casualty of new safety regulations and consumers’ shift to lighter unibody crossovers.
A decade later, Nissan, now facing another existential crisis, is betting that the Xterra will deliver for it a second time.
The revived SUV aims to fill a unique role as a comfortable, functional, affordable rock crawler.
“There’s a return to authenticity and simplicity, not having all the gizmos and gadgets,” Meunier said.
Retro off-roaders such as the Ford Bronco and Land Rover Defender have helped fuel sales of SUVs in recent years.
Industry analyst Sam Fiorani said rugged vehicles are having their moment in the sun.
“With special off-road trims across a variety of crossovers and trucks along with dedicated SUVs like the Bronco and [Jeep] Wrangler grabbing a larger share of buyers’ wallets, selling the wilderness is popular among automakers,” said Fiorani, vice president at AutoForecast Solutions. “Nissan’s own Rock Creek and PRO-4X trims demonstrate this.”
Nissan retailer Tyler Slade said an updated Xterra could achieve 70,000 to 80,000 annual sales based on the nameplate’s brand power and demand for outdoorsy body-on-frame SUVs such as the new Toyota Land Cruiser.
“The segment is on fire, and we’re missing out on key business,” said Slade, operating partner at Tim Dahle Nissan Southtowne in suburban Salt Lake City. “These lifestyle vehicles create brand excitement and dealer engagement.”
