Good Bye, Xterra – Nissan to End Production Run After 15 Years [News] - TFLcar.com
Despite the gloom and doom, gas prices are at 90 cents a gallon – still an unbelievable $1. 29 in 2015 money – and Nissan introduces the Xterra SUV as a 2000 model. Based on the Frontier pickup, the Xterra is targeted at the active crowd and, thanks to its pickup truck underpinnings, has real off-road capability for a trade-off in on-road performance. Fast forward 16 years, and the Xterra, now in its second generation and still sharing a platform with the Frontier pickup, will take its final bow for the 2015 model year. The Xterra was redesigned along with the Frontier in 2005 with an all-new platform, but that was the last major redesign for a vehicle that’s been growing increasingly out of touch in a market dominated by car-based crossovers. The Frontier pickup is due for a redesign, but Nissan hasn’t said anything about an updated Xterra. It was one of only three moderately-priced, truck-based, off-road worthy SUVs. The Xterra’s exit leaves the Jeep Wrangler and the Toyota 4Runner as the last of the old-school SUVs with real off-road prowess. It’s also one of the last SUVs available with a manual transmission and four wheel drive. Source: www.tflcar.com
