Nissan: 5 New Body-On-Frame SUVs Planned by 2028

Nissan officially laid out its plans to dealers at the NADA show in Las Vegas in early February 2026: five new body-on-frame vehicles are in the works for the US market, including the return of the legendary Xterra slated for the second half of 2028. The stated goal from CEO Ivan Espinosa is to hit 1 million units sold in the US by the end of 2027, up from 873,307 in 2025.

"The Xterra was described as a 'radical' SUV, beefy, full-size, taking direct aim at Jeep" — Scott Smith, president of Smith Automotive Group (Atlanta), as quoted by Automotive News

Five Models on a New Body-On-Frame Platform

The plan is simple enough to grasp, even if the details are still sketchy. Nissan and Infiniti will share a brand-new body-on-frame platform to launch five all-new models. In the announced order of arrival: the Xterra in 2028, followed by new generations of the Frontier and Pathfinder, plus two Infiniti variants. One of those would be a luxury version of the Xterra (name unconfirmed), the other would likely carry the QX60 badge to replace the current Pathfinder.

Choosing body-on-frame isn't trivial. For off-road capability, a body-on-frame chassis handles torsional stress on rough terrain better, can handle higher towing loads, and is easier to repair than a unibody. That's exactly what fans of the Toyota 4Runner and Jeep Wrangler are waiting for. Nissan is clearly gunning for both of those benchmarks — and their fiercely loyal customer base.

Xterra 2028: What We Know (And Don't Know Yet)

When and in what form will the new Xterra arrive?

The launch is set for the second half of 2028, meaning a two-and-a-half-year wait. Dealers got a sneak peek at the NADA Show in Las Vegas, but no official images have leaked publicly yet. Here's what we know: it will be built in the United States, will feature some form of electrified powertrain (standard hybrid or plug-in hybrid, not yet specified), and will be positioned as a true competitor to the Toyota 4Runner and Land Cruiser on the Nissan side, with an Infiniti equivalent targeting the Lexus GX.

Scott Smith, a dealer from near Atlanta, described it as "radical-looking" and "beefy" — meaning it won't look like a pumped-up Rogue. That's already reassuring.

Infiniti in the Mix: A Logical Bet

Having the group's premium brand in on this plan is the smartest decision they've made in a while. The premium body-on-frame SUV segment is exploding in the US — Lexus GX, Lincoln Navigator, Cadillac Escalade are all crushing it. Infiniti has been absent from this space since the aging QX80 sat on its truck-based chassis without a real competitor to the Lexus GX 550.

Sharing the platform development costs between Nissan and Infiniti is classic economies of scale. The real question is how Infiniti will differentiate itself beyond the badge and leather stitching. If it's the same chassis with fancier upholstery, there will be grumbling at Infiniti dealers.

Nissan's Big Picture: A Brand Rebuilding

Nissan isn't coming into this announcement from a position of strength. The brand has been going through a rough patch for years: falling sales, plant closures, unstable leadership since the Ghosn era. Ivan Espinosa, named CEO relatively recently, has clearly chosen to bet on what the brand does best: tough, American-made products capable of crossing a desert or pulling a trailer.