Nissan Xterra 4x4 ruled out for Australia
US-built ladder-frame Xterra SUV is off the table, but Nissan looking at other ‘badass’ seven-seat SUVs to rival Pajero, PradoThe News
Nissan Australia has ruled out the reborn Xterra 4x4 off-road SUV and the Pixo micro car for local showrooms. However, the Japanese brand’s new local boss says a bigger seven-seat SUV to replace the departed Pathfinder – and take the fight to the Ford Everest – is being studied.
The Key Details
- US-built Xterra “not on the radar” for Australia
- Pixo micro car ruled out as “Eurocentric”
- Nissan looking at other “badass” products instead
- Large seven-seat SUV to replace Pathfinder would be welcomed
- Boss says diesel will remain relevant “well into the 2030s”
The Finer Details
The Nissan Xterra name is returning in the US and it’s long been on the wishlist of Aussie off-roaders. Unfortunately, Nissan Oceania managing director Steve Milette has poured cold water on that idea.
“I think I can comfortably say it’s not on the radar for this country at this point in time,” he said of the ladder-framed large SUV that will take on vehicles like the Toyota Prado and Mitsubishi Pajero.
“We’re looking at other products that are as kick-ass and badass and beautiful and disruptive but not that one in particular, being that it will be built in the US, which usually doesn’t make for a positive business case.”
Vehicles sourced from the US are falling out of favour in Australia. September 2026 VFACTS data shows US imports are down 35.6 per cent year-to-date to 16,439, and the US-built Pathfinder sold zero units in September.
He said the newly-released Nissan Pixo – a rival for the Honda Super-One micro EV – was not something coming to Australia.
“I have not had one conversation on Pixo,” Milette said.
He confirmed the tiny city car is ‘Eurocentric’ and acknowledged micro cars aren’t “the heart of the market in Australia”.
He's not wrong. The micro segment is down 20.1% year-to-date to just 4735 sales, almost all of them Kia Picantos.
But there was more enthusiasm for a big family SUV to fill the gap left by the Pathfinder, which has been phased out locally. Asked whether a large seven-seater to rival the Toyota Prado, Toyota Kluger, Mitsubishi Pajero or Ford Everest was on the wishlist, Milette didn't hesitate.
“We'd love that.”
Unlike the micro car segment, the large SUV category is worth chasing. The Everest alone has found 16,203 buyers year-to-date, while the Toyota Prado has notched 15,665.
The Road Ahead
With the Xterra and Pixo crossed off, the focus shifts to what Milette calls “disruptive” alternatives.
The Frontier Pro PHEV ute is all but confirmed and Nissan has its hand up for other China-sourced models, which will almost certainly include SUVs of every size, including a large seven-seat family SUV.
For Aussie families who want a seven-seat Nissan that isn’t a $100K Patrol, there is light at the end of the tunnel. But for now, the wait continues.
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