The Nissan Xterra Is Coming Back as an Electric SUV

The new Xterra is expected to go on sale in 2027

written by Steven Ewing^{Director, Editorial Content
Steven Ewing has worked in the automotive industry since 2003. In that time, he's written thousands of articles and tested just as many vehicles. Steven is Edmunds' director of editorial content and has previously been on staff at Winding Road magazine, Autoblog, Motor1.com, CNET, and was the U.S. correspondent for Top Gear magazine. Steven has also contributed to Automobile magazine, Car and Driver, The Drive, Jalopnik, Porsche Panorama, and dozens of other publications. In his spare time, Steven loves to play the drums, cook, and drive his 2000 BMW M Roadster.}
and Nick Yekikian^{Senior News Editor
Nick Yekikian has worked in the automotive industry since 2019. He has written close to a thousand car-related articles and tested and reviewed more than 200 vehicles over the course of his career. Nick is the Senior News Editor at Edmunds and has also contributed to MotorTrend, Automobile Magazine and Super Street. When Nick isn't zipping around town in his latest used-car find, he's probably making digital art in Photoshop or playing disc golf with friends.}
3/26/2025
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Nissan confirms a new Xterra SUV is coming soon.
It'll be an electric SUV with light off-road abilities.
Look for the Xterra to debut in 2026, possibly hitting the road in 2027.

Nissan has a bunch of new cars in the pipeline, everything from a redesigned Leaf EV to a thoroughly reworked Rogue SUV. But the brand will also soon resurrect a storied nameplate from the not-too-distant past. That's right, the Xterra is coming back. But this time, it'll be electric.

The company gave us our first glimpse of the new Xterra during an event at its headquarters in Yokohama, Japan, this week. You can see it in the teaser below: Boxy and upright with chunky roof rails — it's an Xterra all right.

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Nissan Xterra EV: Here's what we know

Nissan tells us the new Xterra will share its architecture with the upcoming Infiniti QX65, a fastback SUV that'll replace the slow-selling QX50 and QX55. That means it won't have hardcore off-road chops like the original Xterra, but it should be able to tackle light trails.

Happily, the Xterra will at least look the part of a proper off-roader. Ponz Pandikuthira, the senior vice president and chief planning officer for Nissan Americas, told us the company is tired of EVs that look like "eggs." A more rounded electric crossover was originally planned, and then scrapped, in favor of the Xterra. Now that's a decision we can get behind.

When will the new Nissan Xterra go on sale?

That much is still unclear. Nissan plans to build the Xterra EV at its plant in Canton, Mississippi, and our best guess is that it'll go on sale in 2027. Look for the Xterra EV to debut sometime in late 2026.

by Steven Ewing

Steven Ewing has worked in the automotive industry since 2003. In that time, he's written thousands of articles and tested just as many vehicles. Steven is Edmunds' director of editorial content and has previously been on staff at Winding Road magazine, Autoblog, Motor1.com, CNET, and was the U.S. correspondent for Top Gear magazine. Steven has also contributed to Automobile magazine, Car and Driver, The Drive, Jalopnik, Porsche Panorama, and dozens of other publications. In his spare time, Steven loves to play the drums, cook, and drive his 2000 BMW M Roadster.

by Nick Yekikian

Nick Yekikian has worked in the automotive industry since 2019. He has written close to a thousand car-related articles and tested and reviewed more than 200 vehicles over the course of his career. Nick is the Senior News Editor at Edmunds and has also contributed to MotorTrend, Automobile Magazine and Super Street. When Nick isn't zipping around town in his latest used-car find, he's probably making digital art in Photoshop or playing disc golf with friends.

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The Nissan Xterra Is Coming Back as an Electric SUV

The new Xterra is expected to go on sale in 2027

Nissan Xterra EV: Here's what we know

When will the new Nissan Xterra go on sale?

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