Next Nissan Xterra Will Offer Pure-Gas V6 and a Hybrid, but No Manual
Posted by banned_from_r_cars@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 68 comments
Posted by banned_from_r_cars@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 68 comments
rosd0@reddit
They are using the 3.8L V6 VQ38DD naturally aspirated. Very reliable and good engine. Same thing with Honda with their 3.5L V6 J35 naturally aspirated engine in their Pilot. Very reliable and good engine as well. Meanwhile Toyota is sticking with the 4-cylinder turbo.
velociraptorfarmer@reddit
Nope, it'll likely get the VQ38DD that's currently in the Frontier that this will share a platform with.
Basically the same engine, just a bit more torque and HP.
The transmission is a variant of the 9G-Tronic from Mercedes, that's shared with the Titan (RIP), Armada, and QX-80. It's rated to 516 ft-lbs of torque.
V8-Turbo-Hybrid@reddit
Here's a reason.
XMAN2YMAN@reddit
As someone that has a manual wrangler that I took rock crawling/off roading, yeah I’ll never do that again. I’ll stick to manual with sport cars for the foreseeable future.
bullseye717@reddit
I know zero about off roading. Why was a manual such a pain?
leftlanespawncamper@reddit
Depends on the type of off-roading. With rock-crawling, a manual is a pain because you're moving about as slow as the vehicle is capable of going with lots of small stops to reposition, and you're damn near always on a steep hill. With my dad's jeep, he ended up setting up a hand-throttle.
Thing is, though, an automatic sucks for its own reasons. There's no airflow, and you're constantly below the stall speed of the torque converter, so you build up a lot of heat (heat kills automatics). You also don't have engine braking (at least not nearly to the same degree), which puts a much bigger strain on your brakes when you're going downhill; again, low speeds, so no airflow to move the heat out of the discs and calipers.
m0viestar@reddit
You can just down shift the automatic to a lower gear and get the same engine brake effect as a manual down hill
Owe-No@reddit
Even in 1st gear, you get less engine braking in an auto because the torque convertee may not be locked. Newer cars do lock the TC earlier than they used to, though.
velociraptorfarmer@reddit
The transmission and transfer case the new Xterra will get does lock the torque converter in 1st gear 4Lo. It's shockingly effective when going down grades, and part of the reason having a 3.8L V6 is such a boon.
Mjolnir12@reddit
That’s what 4 low is for though
gaius49@reddit
Manuals have 4 low as well. Source: my 2006 Xterra Off Road with its 6 speed manual and two speed transfer case.
Mjolnir12@reddit
Yes I know, my point is the issues with automatics he is stating don’t exist when you use 4lo.
gaius49@reddit
Its harder, but also more fun and rewarding. Some people prefer making it easier and less rewarding with an auto, some prefer harder and more rewarding with a manual.
willpc14@reddit
I'm not super knowledgeable about off roading, but there's the potential to spend a significant amount of time riding the clutch at low speeds even with 4Lo and there are times where rolling backwards is simply not acceptable. The second reason is why Tacomas, among other off roaders, have Clutch Cancel buttons for start up. It allows you to move the vehicle forward a short distance using the starter motor when necessary. A torque converter that you can ride indefinitely* solves both these problems because you're using fluid instead of clutch plates to solve the speed differential problem and you can brake torque when starting from a standstill.
*not literally
Far_Chocolate_8534@reddit
I’ve been rock crawling my Tacoma for 17 years now and wheeling with the 5 speed is fun. It has dual transfer cases so it’s difficult to stall it. Clutch start cancel has been used with success to “save myself” when it does stall and going backwards isn’t an option. Or, a worse option. I do feel like it gives much better control of the truck offroad. Rock crawling or not. I’m probably biased though.
XMAN2YMAN@reddit
All these answers cover it pretty well. Pretty much it’s an extra thing to worry about. While fun, I don’t think it adds anything to that particular environment, unlike a sport car where you feel a manual adds to the experience.
04limited@reddit
Three pedals two legs
A manual off road is a constant struggle between clutch brake and throttle just an extra thing you need to worry about when climbing a rock wall. Stall out and you’ll start rolling backwards.
Prudent_Animal5135@reddit
Anecdotal sure but after I manual swapped my 02 xterra it was about 100 times better off road. Much better gearing. I found in 4lo clutch control was basically a non issue. Having instant control of the torque made it much less challenging than guessing when the torque converter would decide to transmit power. In fact, in some of the same places it only made after the swap. The auto literally couldn't do it. I'm sure a brand new auto is better than my 20 some year old one, though. I would want an auto if I was into rock crawling.
jotegr@reddit
This is the company that refused to put a manual in the nismo z for like 3 years and somebody thought the xterra might have one?
samcuu@reddit
Because they thought if they held off the manual for a facelift it would make exciting headlines, incentivize more sales and get exisiting owners to upgrade.
That kind of strategy is why I'm fairly confident that the C9 Corvette will have a manual transmission eventually, even if had no interest in owning one.
kellysill513@reddit
About time
vhyli@reddit
That's about right.
Solon_City_Schools@reddit
As the owner of a 2nd gen I will absolutely buy a 3rd gen if it is to the current frontier what mine is to the old frontier. My ‘X has a gazillion miles now and has seen better days, but I won’t sell it because I’ve never found anything I like better and low mileage xterras are rare as hen’s teeth.
banned_from_r_cars@reddit (OP)
The image on the article is a rendering, but the article does include this:
RiftHunter4@reddit
My honest assumption is that it's just going to be a Frontier made into an SUV.
The_Owl_Man_1999@reddit
Makes sense, the Terra was just a navara like how the fortuner was a hilux and the challenger was a triton
peakdecline@reddit
I would hope for when this is expected to arrive it's coming on a true next generation BOF platform from Nissan. We should be seeing a new Frontier for that matter too around that time. And we're supposed to see the Pathfinder return to being BOF as well. Presumably all of them will share a platform.
Carrying over the V6 and 9-speed auto is fine. Just everything else should be new.
RiftHunter4@reddit
The talk of a hybrid has me curious. If the Xterra is available with 4x4 Hybrid, it could undercut the Landcruiser completely.
bmillions@reddit
As long as it has the roof bump and rack as well as the Xterra rear glass shape, I'm OK with that.
RiftHunter4@reddit
Given how they designed the Z, Id be surprised if there weren't a lot of throwback design elements.
showmehomie@reddit
Dont forget the asymmetrical tailgate with a bump! Now i miss my '07 :(
noname87scr@reddit
They’ve already announced the frontier, Xterra, and new pathfinder will all share the same architecture.
Drzhivago138@reddit
Suddenly it's 2005!
73629265@reddit
If it's anything like the Y63 Pro-4X, it will be a serious thing and I'm pretty excited to see what they come up with.
JBoy9028@reddit
The thing is the Frontier is getting a new generation alongside the Xterra and Pathfinder. So we don't have a design reference point at this time.
Hrmerder@reddit
I mean… that’s an xterra tho
SussySpecs@reddit
Yeah the very top of the Xterra Wikipedia page says both generations were based on the Frontier of that era.
leftlanespawncamper@reddit
Is current Nissan management sensible enough to just do that?
momentbruh@reddit
Looks like it’s gonna be a body on frame design shared with the next gen frontier and pathfinder
ZaheerAlGhul@reddit
They have no other option they don't have money to blow
Optimal-Brick6645@reddit
Dear Toyota,
Please reconsider a manual in the 4-Runner. And a V8, bonus.
Thanks.
Signed, The Save Manuals Enthusiast Club
SaveTheManuals
GiveAShift
MakeCarsV8Again
Redeemed_Expert9694@reddit
While people hoped, I doubt anyone seriously thought this would have a manual
OllieFromCairo@reddit
My unpopular hot take is that a CVT with paddle shifters gives you best of both worlds. The CVT makes bumper-to-bumper traffic way less annoying, and gives better economy when highway cruising, and the pseudo-sequential manual mode when you're doing something interesting, or need to control your revs is great and great fun.
MicrowavedPlatypus@reddit
While I’ve had CVTs and enjoyed them for commuting, there is no place for that sort of transmission in a truck.
The_Strom784@reddit
I don’t trust CVTs at all when paired to any engine bigger than a 1.8L i4. It’s a super economy car thing, not something to be paired with a V6 or a biggish i4.
woolash@reddit
There are some big ones. The Case IH Quadtrac 540 CVX utilizes a 12.9L engine and features a CVT to manage 613 peak horsepower and over 2,600 Nm of torque.
Old-Significance4921@reddit
Agreed. Of course we want one, but we all know it’s just not going to happen and it makes sense why.
zarif2003@reddit
Who’s we
Several-Eggplant4460@reddit
Those people who post online about wanting a manual, are rarely the ones walking into a showroom 🤣
killshelter@reddit
Would’ve been dope but the millions to billions in development cost would never be recouped from the dozens of us that would buy them.
pedropedro1@reddit
That looks sweet
DodgerBlueRobert1@reddit
That's just a rendering from someone at C&D. Not from Nissan.
pedropedro1@reddit
Should’ve known it looked way too good
StatusCount7032@reddit
It'll be a hit and transact well, but after two years Nissan will pull it, because they just do Nissan stuff.
EdgeSimilar1726@reddit
Lets go! I'm still hanging on to my 2011 Xterra and its been pretty great to me. I am hoping it will last up to this release and then I'll consider an upgrade. Love that they're keeping it the V6, but I do wonder if I will end up going with the hybrid option considering my lifestyle.
Exotic_Grand4951@reddit
Looks like the Xterra is going all grown-up with the hybrid and V6 options. But no manual? I guess that’s the end of an era for us gearheads. At least it still looks like it can take on some serious trails!
noname87scr@reddit
End of an era? The Xterra hasn’t even been around for 11 years and the manual died in the frontier in 2019.
Repulsive-Club7866@reddit
Also bring that hybrid powertrain to the Murano, QX65, and current gen Pathfinder/QX60 if that new hybrid powertrain can also support unibody vehicles. It will be interesting to see how this new hybrid powertrain compares with Honda’s V6 hybrid system.
costafilh0@reddit
Pure gas is enough.
ZaheerAlGhul@reddit
Good to hear, I hope we hear about the Infiniti version soon.
hehechibby@reddit
Wonder how they’ll get the v6 emissions compliant by that time
Especially when even larger makers like Toyota couldn’t pull it off
mgobla@reddit
Toyota builds a turbo V6...
Also Nissan Pathfinder already has a V6. So does Armada.
hehechibby@reddit
Naturally aspirated I meant
They’re not putting a twin turbo v6 in this xterra are they?
I’m just curious as to how they’ll keep it emissions compliant when many other brands had to downsize in preparation for growing stricter regulations, especially in 2028 or whenever this will hit market
mgobla@reddit
Brands did not have to downsize, that's just an excuse, they did it for torque (turbo = more low end torque) and for cost reasons.
There are plenty of brand new naturally aspirated V6 models, meeting emissions is NOT an issue, anyone could do it. Pathfinder V6, Pilot / Passport / Odyssey V6, Palisade V6, Grand Cherokee V6, Voyager V6, Carnival V6 etc.
DudeWhereIsMyDuduk@reddit
Boo cowards
bgva@reddit
Been window-shopping for a new SUV. By the time I get serious about buying something, this will probably be hitting showrooms. I'm intrigued as I always liked the Xterra...my old roommate had a later second-gen model that I always thought was sick.
PickleGaGa@reddit
Is it a fuel efficient hybrid or a torquey hybrid?
Shmokesshweed@reddit
Gonna guess torquey. The VQ isn't particularly fuel efficient anyway. They'll pull a Toyota but not with an inline 4 turbo like is in the Taco.
The recipe looks right to me. Excited to see it launch.