Nissan Dropping Xterra Citing There No Longer Is A Business Case To Support It

Looking at buying a new Nissan Xterra? Better pull the trigger soon, as the SUV will leave the U.S. market after the 2015 model year.

Edmunds reports the Xterra is leaving these shores for regulatory reasons, with Nissan finding no business case in bringing the SUV up to code for an audience that also adores the Jeep Wrangler. Updating the Xterra to meet regulatory and environmental requirements was deemed too costly for such a low volume product. CAFE regulations also don’t favor the Xterra’s small, body-on-frame SUV layout, making the updates a tougher sell.

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Car4Life - 2/25/2015 5:00:47 PM

+4 Boost

While the Xterra never made my short list I must say I appreciated it's rugged unapologetic SUV stance in an era of wanna-be coupe/sedan/hatch Cute-Utes

scenicbyway12 - 2/25/2015 5:10:20 PM

+4 Boost

It amazes me that Jeep does so will here and nobody else can.

cidflekken - 2/25/2015 8:05:58 PM

+5 Boost

Jeep Wranglers and Wrangler Unlimiteds are just icons. If not for the Jeep brand (and RAM), FCA wouldn't be doing nearly as well as they are. They (Wranglers) are a hoot to drive while being completely butchy at the same time. Outside of pickup trucks, they are the perfect anti-ute. I think it's a shame that Nissan and Toyota didn't commit to making the Xterra and FJ Cruisers better for the market. The 4Runner went too far upmarket and got uglified. And the Pathfinder wears a skirt and heels now.

MDarringer - 2/25/2015 9:24:44 PM

-3 Boost

There hasn't been a business case for it for a decade.

Sciros - 3/1/2015 2:57:05 AM

+1 Boost

I had a 2006 XTerra and loved it. Great car. Sure, I had to replace the transmission (covered by Nissan) and random stuff on it would break (again covered by Nissan even near 100k miles) but all in all I really enjoyed having it. The UTILITY of it was epic -- I could fit tons of crap in it, the interior in the back was hard plastic and the seats were made of a pretty soft but very durable material so it was like having a pickup in terms of the stuff you could toss back there. 4-liter V6 so it hauled well. Looked like a real truck, too. And was pretty cheap!

Yeah, I do really wish they tried to give it some love and update it. But the writing was on the wall a while ago -- they didn't try to sell it or market it for a while and basically let it die a slow death.

Too bad. I held out for as long as I could and replaced it with a Subaru heh.