What the 2029 Nissan Xterra Can Learn from Nissan’s Past and Present Pro-4X Off-Roaders

Two days in the desert gave us insight into what we can expect from the next-generation Xterra.

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Much hubbub has been made about the 2029 Nissan Xterra, which marks the confirmed return of a beloved off-road SUV as the tip of a spear that will eventually include five new models from the same architecture. The first- and second-generation Xterra, offered from the 2000 to 2015 model years, represents a notable chapter in the history of Nissan off-road SUVs as worthy competitors to the likes of the Toyota 4Runner and Jeep Cherokee.

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And although the Xterra was pulled from our market after 2015 due to decreasing sales, lackluster fuel economy, and strengthened emissions mandates, Nissan has announced that the nameplate will return as other automakers continue to introduce off-road models to their lineups.

So what exactly can we expect from the 2029 Nissan Xterra, and what can the SUV take away from Nissan’s past and present off-road models? We joined Nissan for an adventure overlanding from Flagstaff, Arizona, and across the border into Utah to explore that question driving both a final model year Xterra and the current 2026 Nissan Frontier pickup truck, both equipped with the automaker’s Pro-4X off-road gear.

Looking to the Past

We started our journey with a throwback: Nissan brought a 2015 Xterra Pro-4X, giving us a trip down memory lane. When the second-generation Xterra made its debut, the off-road SUV received our 2006 Sport/Utility of the Year award because of its ruggedness, versatility, and compelling value.

This example, which had about 18,000 miles showing when we got behind the wheel, still embodies the character we loved. Twist the key—a rarity for modern new vehicles—and the 4.0-liter V-6 engine rumbles to life and settles down right away. The seating position is rather upright, and the controls are manual even though this model would have been the top trim in its day. Around me, the interior comes across as simple, purposeful, and honest. The cabin may not have the nicest materials even by the standards of a decade ago, but it feels nicely put together and durable.

Sliding the shifter into drive, I rolled out and was immediately struck by how solid the Xterra felt. For a body-on-frame SUV, particularly one of this age, it was remarkably devoid of squeaks and rattles. The ride, provided by independent control arm suspension up front and a leaf-sprung live axle in back, was composed and nicely damped. That’s due in part to the Bilstein gas-filled shock absorbers, a standard feature on the Pro-4X trim.

Cruising down the highway for more than 100 miles, I had time to get familiar with the old Xterra. Its engine, supplying 261 hp and 281 lb-ft of torque, had more than enough grunt to get moving with the pace of modern traffic. Passing power wasn’t an issue, either. Perhaps most surprising were the responsiveness of the powertrain and the agreeability of the five-speed automatic transmission. Although not as quick-shifting as some of the eight-speed gearboxes that have become so common in today’s vehicles, the 2015 Xterra’s automatic swapped gears decisively both up and down when necessary.

Transitioning from the road to the trail, there weren’t any switches or knobs I could hit in the Xterra to change the drive mode for individual surface types other than a secondary throttle mapping when you switch to 4LO. Granted, the 2015 Xterra was modern enough to have an electronically controlled transfer case, hill descent control, and hill start assist, but you don’t get additional off-road cheat codes other than a locking rear differential.

As such, driving the Xterra off-road was a refreshingly engaging analog experience. When we first hit the dirt, we stayed in 2WD, which revealed a tendency for twitchiness due to the Xterra’s relatively short wheelbase. After a few sashays, we popped into 4HI, which helped with stability over the trail’s loose gravel.

The terrain got rockier, but the Xterra had no problem tiptoeing up and over the craggy surface. The electronic throttle control was well-suited for keeping the engine spinning at whatever engine speed I desired, allowing for confident and delicate maneuvers. Nissan’s team kept calling the Xterra a billy goat, which seemed like an appropriate description of its nimbleness on the trail. We would experience more challenging driving on the second day of our adventure, but this second-generation Xterra set a high capability bar for the next model to clear.

Living in the Present

The next day, having housed a breakfast burrito in the fresh morning air, it was time to hit the trail for more challenging and technical off-roading. This time, I drove a 2026 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X painted an eye-catching shade of Bluestone Pearl.

Having spent several hours in the ’15 Xterra Pro-4X the day before, the 2026 Frontier Pro-4X has some noticeable differences. The Xterra didn’t come across as being noisy, but the Frontier felt even more isolated. That bodes well for the 2029 Xterra, which should benefit from similar refinement. The Frontier’s longer wheelbase and modern Bilstein off-road shocks lend themselves to an even more comfortable ride on the pavement, as well. We suspect the new Xterra will have a shorter wheelbase than the Frontier, but its dimensions will likely be larger than the prior-generation model, so its ride quality should improve.

Another change of note is the Frontier’s V-6 engine, which is smaller at 3.8 liters but more power- and torque-dense. It makes the same 281 lb-ft of torque as the 2015 Xterra’s V-6, but horsepower is a tidy 310 ponies. It’s also teamed with a nine-speed automatic transmission, which displayed the quick-shifting behavior we’ve come to expect from contemporary gearboxes. Some off-road enthusiasts will find this naturally aspirated powertrain a superior setup to the turbo-four-equipped Toyota Tacoma, and we agree in terms of controlling the Frontier’s engine speeds while navigating rocky obstacles.

In fact, we did a lot of rock climbing in the Frontier Pro-4X, which allowed us to explore its capability. New for this model year is a drive mode selector, placed between the shifter and the center console with four buttons to choose settings for different types of terrain, including on-road, rock, sand, and mud. There’s also a hill descent control button in the center of the four other mode buttons.

We used rock mode heavily, which helps deaden accelerator pedal sensitivity when your foot is jiggling as you move over uneven terrain. It helped keep us crawling at an even pace when trying not to approach too quickly or drop the truck when making a descent down ledges. I missed the manual control of driving the old Xterra, but I felt less fatigue because the more advanced chassis and technology jostle the driver far less.

Sand mode was also a blast. I got to send the Frontier through some super-fine dirt, blowing up clouds of dust in my wake. The steering doesn’t feel quite as direct as the 2015 Xterra’s, and it felt needlessly heavy, but it was precise enough to control the Frontier through slides. Nissan’s Bilstein suspension setup felt very up to the task, as well. As far as the next-generation Xterra’s off-road capability is concerned, we aren’t worried about the SUV being anything less than a workhorse.

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Anticipating the Future

Nissan’s team often repeated the phrase “everything you need, nothing you don’t” over the course of our time on the trail, and we suspect that mantra will apply to the 2029 Xterra. Like the last-generation Xterra, the current Frontier has a decently equipped but spartan cabin light on design flourishes. Expect this type of interior styling philosophy to be present on the next Xterra, as well.

Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa has said that weaker fuel economy regulations are one of the reasons it can add a smaller body-on-frame SUV to its lineup, but the automaker will include a hybrid option in the Xterra’s lineup so as to not abandon all attempts at fuel efficiency. Nissan Americas chairman Christian Menunier is also on record calling the Xterra “badass” in a LinkedIn post showing a teaser with a silhouette of the SUV’s two-box design and a spare tire on the rear.

Although details remain sparse as Nissan has held off on leaking or announcing any other concrete updates on the 2029 Xterra, we hope that the automaker retains some of the details that matter to enthusiasts. Signature elements like a gear box integrated in the roof rack, the Pro-4X model’s rack-mounted off-road lights, and the first aid kit in the rear hatch—including the offset exterior bulge to fit it—ought to return as nods to the SUV’s heritage.

As for pricing on the future Xterra Pro-4X, all we can do is speculate. For the 2015 model year, the Xterra Pro-4X was slightly more affordable than the Frontier, but the Frontier’s lowest trim undercut the Xterra. We wouldn’t be surprised if Nissan repeats that strategy for the future model. Seeing as this 2026 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X starts at $43,565 and sits at $48,755 as equipped, we suspect the Xterra Pro-4X will start in a similar ballpark. The most basic Frontier S begins at $33,895, so the cheapest Xterra could start around $35,000. If Nissan nails the pricing and equipment for the all-new Xterra, the automaker could have a hit on its hands—as well as a chance at another one of our Golden Calipers trophies.