Nissan Xterra
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The Nissan Xterra is a truck-based
compact SUV Compact as used in politics may refer broadly to a pact or treaty; in more specific cases it may refer to: * Interstate compact * Blood compact, an ancient ritual of the Philippines * Compact government, a type of colonial rule utilized in Britis ...
manufactured and marketed by
Nissan , trading as Nissan Motor Corporation and often shortened to Nissan, is a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Japan. The company sells its vehicles under the Nissan, Infiniti, and Datsun bra ...
from 1999–2015 across two generations; the first (1999–2004) sharing a platform as well as front bumper, hood, A-pillar, windshield and front doors with the Nissan Frontier pickup – and the second (2005–2015) also sharing its platform with the
Frontier A frontier is the political and geographical area near or beyond a boundary. A frontier can also be referred to as a "front". The term came from French in the 15th century, with the meaning "borderland"—the region of a country that fronts ...
. While the two Xterra generations differed significantly, both prioritized ruggedness and affordability over luxury and used
body-on-frame Body-on-frame, also known as ladder frame construction, is a common motor vehicle construction method, whereby a separate body or coach is mounted on a strong and relatively rigid vehicle frame or chassis that carries the powertrain (the en ...
construction along with underbody skid plates. Both generations also used a two-box design with
c-pillar The pillars on a car with permanent roof body style (such as four-door sedans) are the vertical or nearly vertical supports of its window area or greenhouse—designated respectively as the ''A, B, C'' and (in larger cars such as 4-door stati ...
-mounted rear door handles, asymmetrical rear window, tailgate bump-out for a
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accessible from inside – and a prominent two-tiered roof enabling
stadium seating Stadium seating or theater seating is a characteristic seating arrangement that is most commonly associated with performing-arts venues, and derives its name from stadiums, which typically use this arrangement. Description In stadium seating, ...
in the second row. The stepped roof accommodated a lower, front roof rack with a removable gear basket and a more conventional roof rack at the rear, upper roof. Nissan licensed the ''Xterra'' name from the
XTERRA The Nissan Xterra is a truck-based compact SUV manufactured and marketed by Nissan from 1999–2015 across two generations; the first (1999–2004) sharing a platform as well as front bumper, hood, A-pillar, windshield and front doors with the N ...
off-road triathlon Cross triathlon, or off-road triathlon, is a form of triathlon, or three-stage race, consisting of a swim stage, mountain-biking stage, and a trail-running stage. Cross triathlons are distinguished from conventional triathlons in that the terrai ...
race series and manufactured the SUV at Nissan's Smyrna Assembly, as well as in
Canton, Mississippi Canton is a city in Madison County, Mississippi, Madison County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 13,189 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. It is the county seat of Madison County, and situated in the northern part of th ...
. Variants were also manufactured in Brazil and China. Styled by NDI Director of Design Tom Semple and developed at Nissan Design America in
La Jolla, California La Jolla ( , ) is a hilly, seaside neighborhood within the city of San Diego, California, United States, occupying of curving coastline along the Pacific Ocean. The population reported in the 2010 census was 46,781. La Jolla is surrounded on ...
, the Xterra was the first Nissan vehicle completely conceived, developed and manufactured in the United States. According to
Jerry Hirshberg Gerald Paul "Jerry" Hirshberg (June 30, 1940 – November 10, 2019) was an American automotive designer, industrial designer, musician and painter. Early life and education Hirshberg studied mechanical engineering at Ohio State University and re ...
, president of Nissan Design International (NDI), "the impetus for Xterra designers was to create an affordable, rugged, quality piece of equipment". He later described it as "a garage tool that says, 'treat me rough' – it's designed to look better dirty than clean."
Road & Track ''Road & Track'' (stylized as ''R&T'') is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. It is owned by Hearst Magazines and is published 6 times per year. The editorial offices are located in New York, New York. History ''Road & Track'' (often ab ...
described the Xterra as "an honest SUV that doesn't try to be a luxury car alternative, nor tries to hide its truck underpinnings".
Jalopnik G/O Media Inc. is an American media holding company that runs ''Gizmodo'', ''Kotaku'', ''Jalopnik'', '' Deadspin'', ''Lifehacker'', '' Jezebel'', '' The Root'', '' The A.V. Club'', ''The Takeout'', '' The Onion'', and ''The Inventory''. Hist ...
called it a "knockoff of the
Land Rover Discovery Land, also known as dry land, ground, or earth, is the solid terrestrial surface of the planet Earth that is not submerged by the ocean or other bodies of water. It makes up 29% of Earth's surface and includes the continents and various isla ...
". ''
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'' described it as "rugged without bravado".


First generation (WD22; 1999)


1999–2001

The Xterra was introduced in
North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
in the 2000 model year, using ''Everything you need, nothing you don't'' as its marketing tagline. During the Xterra's first two years, two trim levels were offered, marketed as XE and SE. The XE featured a
KA24DE The KA engines were a series of four-stroke inline-four gasoline piston engines manufactured by Nissan, which were offered in 2.0 and 2.4 L. The engines blocks were made of cast-iron, while the cylinder heads were made of aluminum. Despite their ...
I4, 5-speed
manual transmission A manual transmission (MT), also known as manual gearbox, standard transmission (in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States), or stick shift (in the United States), is a multi-speed motor vehicle transmission (mechanics), transmission ...
, and steel wheels as well as several option packages combining the 170 horsepower 3.3 L VG33E
V6 engine A V6 engine is a six-cylinder piston engine where the cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration. The first V6 engines were designed and produced independently by Marmon Motor Car Company, Deutz Gasmotoren Fabrik ...
with either a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission, as well as roof rack (rated for a load up to 125lbs), side step-rails, sunroof, and carpeted floor mats. The SE featured standard equipment that was optional on an XE. All models featured removable, tab-secured rear seat cushions to accommodate a fold-flat rear seat back. Canadian models from 1999 to 2004 were limited to the VG33E V6 engine with part-time 4WD.


2002–2004

With the 1999 Xterra having been developed at Nissan Design America in California, all updates for the 2002 Xterra were executed at Nissan Technical Center-North America in Farmington Hills, Michigan. The facelifted model debuted at the 2001 Chicago Auto Show prominently revised front-end styling with rounded headlights, revised instrument panel, center console, larger glove compartment, pullout rear cup holders and four interior power points, foot-operated pedal parking brake (vs. previous a dash-mounted pull-and-twist parking brake) — and an increase of 10 horsepower for the V6 engine. The rear differential for all Xterras and Frontiers are H233B with a number of gear ratios offered in both limited slip and open configurations. The most common being 4.636:1 and 4.9:1. Early differentials has a flange style input to the pinion while late 2004 through the end of production had a Spicer yoke style input to the pinion. The 3.3L VG33E V6 was upgraded to at 4,800 rpm and 202 lb⋅ft (274 N⋅m) at 2,800 rpm, with the Eaton M62
supercharged In an internal combustion engine, a supercharger compresses the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to produce more power for a given displacement. The current categorisation is that a supercharger is a form of forced induct ...
VG33ER option carried over from the 2001 Nissan Frontier, producing of torque for the automatic, and of torque with 5-speed manual. For 2003 the front seats received additional adjustability with added lumbar support and in SE models the available 6-disc, 4-speaker AM/ FM/ CD audio system was replaced by a 6-speaker 300W Rockford Fosgate AM/FM/CD audio system with an 8-inch subwoofer that took up a small portion of the rear storage area. The last of the model year 2004 Xterras were manufactured in January 2005.


Second generation (N50; 2005)


2005–2015

The second generation Xterra debuted at the
New York International Auto Show The New York International Auto Show is an annual auto show that is held in Manhattan in late March or early April. It is held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. It usually opens on or just before Easter weekend and closes on the first Su ...
in 2004 using Nissan's F-Alpha platform. Larger in all dimensions than its predecessor, it entered showrooms in early 2005 for the 2005 model year. The standard engine was upgraded to Nissan's 4.0 L VQ40DE
variable valve timing In internal combustion engines, variable valve timing (VVT) is the process of altering the timing of a valve lift event, and is often used to improve performance, fuel economy or emissions. It is increasingly being used in combination with varia ...
V6, producing . A rear differential locker was offered for off-roading.


2009 update

The Xterra received a facelift for 2009 (July 2008 production) with more options and colors, leather seats on SE models, and roof mounted lights on off-road models. The last year of the Nissan Xterra in
Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
was 2008. In 2012, production was moved from
Smyrna, Tennessee Smyrna is a town in Rutherford County, Tennessee. Smyrna's population was 53,070 at the 2020 census. In 2007, '' U.S. News & World Report'' listed Smyrna as one of the best places in the United States to retire. Smyrna is part of the Nashville ...
, to Nissan's facility in
Canton, Mississippi Canton is a city in Madison County, Mississippi, Madison County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 13,189 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. It is the county seat of Madison County, and situated in the northern part of th ...
.


2011 update

Early US models include X, S and PRO-4X, with a choice of 6-speed manual or 5-speed automatic transmissions, a choice of part-time 4-wheel drive or 2-wheel drive. Changes include: *Standard Bluetooth Hands-free Phone System, steering wheel audio controls and sunglass holder (overhead console) on all grade levels, except X model. *An updated NissanConnect with smartphone integration for iPhone and Android, allowing the user to connect with Pandora, iHeartRadio, Facebook and more. Capabilities include SiriusXM (subscription required, sold separately), streaming audio via Bluetooth, Hands-free Text Messaging Assistant and audio voice recognition. *New 16-inch aluminum-alloy wheel designs for the S and PRO-4X. *New HVAC controls and upgraded audio system added to X grade. *Heated front seats available on PRO-4X. *Silver paint on the grille and underguard.


Discontinuation

The Xterra was discontinued in the U.S. after the 2015 model year. Poor fuel economy, declining sales, and mandated upgrades to safety and emissions were cited as reasons.


Awards and recognition

* 2000 ''
Motor Trend ''MotorTrend'' is an American automobile magazine. It first appeared in September 1949, and designated the first Car of the Year, also in 1949. Petersen Publishing Company in Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles published ''MotorTrend'' until 19 ...
''s Sport Utility of the Year * 2000 North American Truck of the Year * 2000 New England Motor Press Association's Winter Vehicle Award of New England for Best in Class – Mini Sport Utility * 2001 Named Top Car by
AAA AAA, Triple A, or Triple-A is a three-letter initialism or abbreviation which may refer to: Airports * Anaa Airport in French Polynesia (IATA airport code AAA) * Logan County Airport (Illinois) (FAA airport code AAA) Arts, entertainment, and me ...
New Car and Truck Buying Guide * 2005 Named on the ''
Automobile Magazine ''Automobile'' was an American automobile magazine published by the Motor Trend Group. A group of former employees of ''Car and Driver'' led by David E. Davis founded ''Automobile'' in 1986 with support from Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, u ...
''s 50 Great New Cars list * 2006 Nominated as North American Truck of the Year * 2006 ''Motor Trend''s Sport Utility of the Year * 2006 ''Motor Trend''s Truck Trend's Best Little-Guy SUV Award * 2006 ''
Car and Driver ''Car and Driver'' (''CD'' or ''C/D'') is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. In 2006 its total circulation was 1.23 million. It is owned by Hearst Magazines, who purchased prior owner Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. in 2011. It was fou ...
'' Rock-Hopper SUV Winner. * 2006 4×4 of the Year award from Peterson's ''4-Wheel and Off-Road'' magazine. * 2006
Edmunds.com Edmunds.com Inc. (stylized as edmunds) is an American online resource for automotive inventory and information, including expert car reviews based on testing at the company's private facility. The company is headquartered in Santa Monica, Califor ...
Editor's Most Wanted Vehicle * 2009 ''4Wheeler Magazine''s SUV of the Year * 2010 U.S.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA ) is an agency of the U.S. federal government, part of the Department of Transportation. It describes its mission as "Save lives, prevent injuries, reduce vehicle-related crashes" rela ...
's highest Side-impact Safety Rating (five stars)


Production outside North America

All Nissan-produced Xterras manufactured outside the U.S. were built in
São José dos Pinhais São José dos Pinhais () is a municipality in the state of Paraná in Brazil. It is a part of the Metropolitan Region of Curitiba. Etymology With geographical and religious origins the city's name is a homage to São José (Saint Joseph) and ...
,
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
until 2007. (Nissan ceased Brazilian production entirely in 2007.) It is built under license by
Pars Khodro Pars Khodro ( fa, Pārs Xodro) is an Iranian automobile manufacturer. It was the first manufacturer of sport utility vehicles ( SUVs) in Iran. History Formerly, Pars Khodro built American Motors' Rambler and General Motors (GM) products under lice ...
in Iran as the Nissan Roniz, and in
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
by Zhengzhou Nissan Automobile as the Nissan Paladin from 2003 to 2013. The ''Paladin'' uses the same chassis and running gear as the first generation Nissan Xterra, and the 2.4L KA24DE engine mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. The front end is from the local Pickup. (The second generation Xterra model is only available in North America.) Other difference between the American Xterra and its Chinese counterparts is the parking brake actuator, a pedal with a pull-handle release in America, and a lever in China.


Dongfeng Oting

Dongfeng Motors Dongfeng Motor Corporation Ltd. is a Chinese state-owned automobile manufacturer headquartered in Wuhan, Hubei. Founded in 1969, it is currently the third largest of the " Big Four" state-owned car manufacturers of China, namely: SAIC Motor, FA ...
produces a Chinese version of the Xterra called the Oting from 2007 to 2015. It is based on the first generation of the Xterra. It was available with the 2.4-liter ''
4G64 The Mitsubishi Sirius or 4G6/4D6 engine is the name of one of Mitsubishi Motors' four series of inline-four automobile engines, along with Astron, Orion, and Saturn. The 4G6 gasoline engines were the favoured performance variant for Mitsubishi. ...
'' and '' 4G69'' or a 2.5-liter turbo-diesel engine paired to a 5-speed manual gearbox. In comparison to pricing, the Chinese market Nissan Paladin was priced at 159,800 to 244,800 RMB (25,264 to US$38,702) while the Oting was priced at 119,800 to 154,800 RMB (18,940 to US$24,473). Trim levels for the Paladin were called the 2WD S, 2WD C, 2WD L, 2WD E, 4WD S, 4WD C, 4WD L and 4WD E. Trim levels for the Oting were called the China III MT L, China III MT E, China III AT L, China IV MT L, China IV MT E, Diesel 2WD and the Diesel 4WD. File:Nissan Paladin facelift China 2012-06-02.JPG, Dongfeng Oting with Nissan badge File:Dongfeng Oting facelift 01 China 2016-04-08.jpg, Dongfeng Oting File:Dongfeng Oting facelift 02 China 2016-04-08.jpg, Dongfeng Oting rear view


Successor

Following the Xterra's discontinuation from the U.S. market in 2015, Nissan began testing the D23 Navara-based SUV. The SUV, later named
Terra Terra may often refer to: * Terra (mythology), primeval Roman goddess * An alternate name for planet Earth, as well as the Latin name for the planet Terra may also refer to: Geography Astronomy * Terra (satellite), a multi-national NASA scienti ...
, made its debut in Asia in early 2018, and the facelifted version was released in the Middle East in late 2020 under the "X-Terra" name.


Sales


References


External links


Nissan USA
– Official American site
Official site on Nissan China
*A story of Nissan Paladin and the Chinese team in a 2005 long-distance auto race (Dakar 2005) from this website

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Xterra The Nissan Xterra is a truck-based compact SUV manufactured and marketed by Nissan from 1999–2015 across two generations; the first (1999–2004) sharing a platform as well as front bumper, hood, A-pillar, windshield and front doors with the N ...
Compact sport utility vehicles Mid-size sport utility vehicles Rear-wheel-drive vehicles All-wheel-drive vehicles 2000s cars 2010s cars Cars introduced in 1999 Motor vehicles manufactured in the United States Vehicles discontinued in 2016