Nissan has previewed a new off-road SUV – part of a range of new body-on-frame vehicles including a new ute – in a bid to revive its successes in its biggest market.
Accordingly Automotive NewsThe automaker plans to build five new models in the U.S. to combat import tariffs and better leverage its local supply chain as it faces its toughest position in North America in 25 years.
According to the report, Nissan unveiled its ambitious growth plans for its US dealer network at the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) show in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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The new body-on-frame platform will be used for a revived Xterra SUV – a name last used in 2015 but never offered in Australia. The rugged off-roader is due to arrive in 2028 and will feature an “electrified” powertrain as Nissan looks to regain lost ground in hybrids.
Luxury brand Infiniti, which was discontinued locally in 2020, will also reportedly receive a variant of the new Xterra.
The same platform will also serve as the basis for a tougher, more muscular sixth-generation Pathfinder, which will use a ladder-frame chassis for the first time since 2012, positioning itself as a true competitor to the Toyota LandCruiser Prado.
The Pathfinder used the same body chassis as the Navara and Frontier pickups for two of its three generations between 1985 and 2012, so this new generation, expected in 2027, will mark a return to its roots.
The Infiniti QX60, a fancier cousin of the Pathfinder, will also reportedly migrate to this new platform.
It is unclear whether any of these vehicles are intended for export to Australia. Nissan Australia is currently sourcing a vehicle from the USA, the Pathfinder.
Beyond introducing this new family of body-on-frame SUVs and light trucks, Nissan also plans to address the lack of hybrid vehicles in the North American market.
Nissan has missed the surge in hybrid popularity in the U.S. over the past 18 months and has not offered its e-Power hybrid technology in North America, although it does offer the battery-electric Ariya that launched in Australia last year.
That’s set to change in 2026, as the Rogue – the equivalent of the
Nissan’s global headwinds have slowed product development, leaving the brand with older models than many rivals and increasing its reliance on partners within the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance.
Meanwhile, Nissan has confirmed plans to offer a Rogue plug-in hybrid (PHEV) based on the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV to bolster its US showroom offering, similar to how the new-generation Navara sold in markets including Australia was partnered with the latest Mitsubishi Triton.
The new models will be critical to the Nissan brand’s goal of reaching one million U.S. sales in 2027 – a milestone it last reached in 2019 and which fell well short of last year, when it recorded 873,307 deliveries.
In Australia, Nissan is expected to have the Y63 Patrol in showrooms later this year, powered by a twin-turbo petrol V6 instead of the current model’s V8 engine, where it will remain the flagship of the brand’s off-road range. It is already available in North America under the name Armada.
MORE: Explore the Nissan showroom
