Things have been dire at Nissan. Poor sales, talks of the sale of the company itself, and merger discussions have all come out of the news cycle in the last several years. This month, Nissan, still on two feet, introduced its plan to reinvent itself, welcome the future, and bring back a few old hits. What’s going down at Nissan over the next several years will see the brand’s lineup change dramatically, including the introduction of a new Xterra, a new GT-R, and a new manual-equipped sports sedan.
A New Nissan Xterra Is On The Way
Nissan/LinkedIn
The Xterra is undoubtedly the most-discussed of Nissan’s future plans. It’s also one of the closer timelines, with the model arriving sometime in the next few years. The updated Xterra will directly compete with the usual suspects, like the 4Runner, Tacoma, Ranger, and other mid-sized off-roaders. The specs are loose, but expect a rugged, aggressive off-roader with a V6 and a hybrid engine. Whether the latter is a four- or six-cylinder depends on who you speak to. No matter what, expect four-wheel drive and a price point that’ll undercut a majority of the Xterra’s competitors when it debuts in 2028.
The Requisite AI Announcement
In 2026, you can’t reinvent your company without reintroducing a new NFT AI feature. Sidestepping the litany of voice assistants that’ll probably package up your data and sell it to the highest bidder, Nissan has opted to use artificial intelligence for something more tangible. The brand’s announcement, given during a press conference in Japan, says that its new AI Drive Technology will drastically improve its autonomous driver systems and aids. It’ll be integrated into the brand’s existing name for this: ProPilot, which contains features like adaptive cruise control, predictive braking, and more. Nissan says the expansion of its autonomous features will come in 2027.
Nissan Brings New EVs To Bear
Nissan is well behind the electrification curve, or what’s left of it. Many automakers have opted to cancel or postpone large chunks of their EV plans as the regulatory climate incentivizes gasoline-powered models and consumers shy away from EVs. Nissan, though, will continue ot offer both EVs and hybrids. The company shared its Rogue Hybrid model for 2027, featuring an updated hybrid system that’ll be a first for the American market. The brand offered effectively no specifics for this new hybrid, but did say the model is significantly more efficient than its previous hybrids.
A New Skyline (Sort Of) Comes To America
Nissan/Youtube
Nissan has said for a while it’ll revive the Skyline name, but that particular badge hasn’t ever held much sway on US shores. It will indeed bring back the Skyline, but only in the Japanese market. Fret not, we’ll still be getting the goods – this isn’t the 1990s. Rather than using the Skyline name, Nissan’s new, stick-shift, rear-drive sports sedan will be badged as an Infiniti Q50. It’ll likely be a sort of Nissan Z sedan, leveraging much of that car’s sporty driveline, including the twin-turbo V6. We think selling the model as anything but the Skyline would be a mistake: no one buying sports cars cares what a Q50 is. But a Skyline? That’s got some legs.
A New GT-R: Hybrid Drive And Here By 2030
The next-generation GT-R is also part of Nissan’s comeback plan, part of a larger commitment to sports cars like the aforementioned Z and Skyline. The GT-R, of course, will sit at the top. From what Nissan executives have said, the GT-R should retain its V6 layout, though it’ll be supplemented by a hybrid system this time around. Nissan wants to sell the GT-R globally, and it’ll need the hybrid system to meet emissions outside the US. That said, the model will be an all-new take on the GT-R on an all-new chassis. Nissan Senior Vice President and Chief Planning Officer for North America, Ponz Pandikuthira, said that we could expect “some concrete announcements” on the next model by 2028.
Nissan Wants To Trim The Fat
Globally, Nissan believes it needs to trim the fat. The brand sells about 60 models across the planet currently, but Nissan says that will fall to around 45 total models combined between it and Infiniti. The math is simple: low-selling models like the Versa are out, culled altogether. The remaining models will be the brand’s best performers. In the future, these models will share platforms with Infiniti models. The brand’s CEO, Ivan Espinosa, said that it made a mistake in selling models on different platforms for different brands. This maneuver should also help cut costs.
There’s much to take note of at Nissan in the coming years, from the new GT-R to other models like the Xterra. One constant must remain, however: profitability. Nissan can’t afford to continue to slip up, and this plan feels like the last effort before even more drastic measures are taken.
About the author
Chase Bierenkoven
Senior Editor, Autoblog