Image: Nissan Image: Nissan Nissan's rugged SUV will return in 2028, the first of five new body-on-frame, V6-powered models. After openly talking about it for months, Nissan on Monday gave fans of the Xterra something to pine for with a single, shadowy teaser image. After sailing off into the sunset in 2015, the SUV will return, not as a simple badge job, but as folks remember it: a hardy body-on-frame SUV powered by a V6 engine. The news comes out of Nissan's Vision of Mobility Intelligence for Everyday Life-or simply Nissan Vision-event currently happening in Japan. It's part of a massive revitalization program that will produce not only the new Xterra, but a reborn Skyline, the next-generation Rogue, and multiple Infiniti models. The Xterra is arguably the most important for North America, however: it's no secret that buyers are clamoring for rugged SUVs, and Nissan's funky SUV could slot in as a worthy competitor to the likes of the Toyota 4Runner, Ford Bronco, and Jeep Wrangler. The teaser image shows a very different beast than before, with an ultra-thin slit across the nose housing three marker lights, with a distinct three-part lower intake framed by separate, rectangular headlight units. It's impossible to miss the huge "NISSAN" stamped into the nose, too. The hood is aggressively contoured, suggesting the Xterra will have plenty of attitude. We can only assume the liftgate will have the characteristic "backpack" to house a built-in emergency kit. What we know so far is that the Xterra will be built in America, on a new-generation body-on-frame platform. It will feature an exclusively V6 engine, skipping the four-cylinder options found in its competition. A standard gas V6 will be joined by a hybrid V6 setup, though it isn't currently clear what sort of hybrid it could be. Some version of Nissan's e-Power system would make sense, which essentially uses an internal combustion engine as a generator to power larger and more powerful electric motors than is typical in hybrid models. The Xterra will launch in 2028, likely as 2029 model year vehicle. It will lead a charge of five body-on-frame vehicles built in America, covering both Nissan and Infiniti brands. A rebadged Infiniti version to take on the Lexus GX seems like a sure thing (QX70, perhaps?), while Nissan says "potential expansion to pickups and multi-row SUVs" is on the table. 2026 Lexus NX 450h+: All the Details AutoGuide's Take The Xterra will be one of Nissan's "heartbeat" models in North America, models made not for big sales figures but strong emotional ties. A whole generation grew up knowing the name, and our market's love affair with rugged SUVs shows no signs of stopping, so this should be an easy home run for the struggling Japanese brand. It's just a first teaser, but this image showcases something aggressive and different. Not only that, the V6-only powertrain lineup will give Nissan a unique angle in the market. Using the Xterra to kick off a body-on-frame product offensive, which may or may not (confusingly) include a Pathfinder to sit along the current unibody model, could net Nissan wins in segments that aren't quite as crowded as, say, the family two-row SUV scene. All that aside, we're also just happy to see the underserved TV bad-boy-with-a-heart-of-gold demographic can finally have a new, yellow Nissan SUV again. #TeamLogan. 2027 Toyota Highlander: All the Details