Nissan is bringing back the Xterra and giving the Rogue its first U.S. hybrid

Nissan unveiled a hybrid version of its Rogue SUV and confirmed the return of the Xterra nameplate at a global media event in Yokohama, Japan, where the company also outlined a long-term strategic vision.

Arriving as a 2027 model, the Rogue will introduce Nissan's e-POWER technology to the U.S. market for the first time — a series hybrid architecture in which the wheels are propelled entirely by electric motors, with a gasoline engine running separately to supply the power. Unlike a plug-in hybrid, no charging outlet is needed, and the gas engine never connects mechanically to the wheels. Nissan has sold almost 2 million vehicles globally with e-POWER since the technology debuted in 2016.

The Rogue is Nissan's top-selling model in the United States. Since its introduction in 2000, the Rogue and its global equivalent, the X $TWTR-Trail, have sold almost 4 million units in the U.S. and almost 10 million worldwide, the company said.

"Rogue has long been at the heart of Nissan's success in the U.S. and Canada, and the next generation represents a major step forward for this incredibly important model," Ponz Pandikuthira, Nissan Americas senior vice president and chief product and planning officer, said in a statement.

CNBC reported that a European Rogue Sport equipped with an earlier e-POWER system recorded over 40 mpg during a media test drive in heavy city traffic — a notable contrast to the current U.S. Rogue's EPA-rated figure of more than 30 mpg. For the U.S. market, CNBC reported that Nissan engineered a new 1.5-liter, three-cylinder turbocharged engine specifically to meet American expectations for power and driving dynamics.

On the Xterra, Nissan said the rugged SUV will be produced in the U.S. and is targeted for launch in late 2028. The company released teaser visuals at the event. The new Xterra will be built on a body-on-frame platform and will offer V6 or V6 hybrid powertrains. Nissan described the Xterra as a "Heartbeat" model for the U.S. — a category the company defines as models that embody its identity and emotional value.

According to Motor1, Nissan has indicated the Xterra could be positioned as a V6-only off-roader, bypassing the hybrid four-cylinder options offered by some rivals, with the Ford $F Bronco and Toyota $TM 4Runner representing its primary competitive targets.

Nissan is also exploring a family of five U.S.-built vehicles on the same body-on-frame platform, with potential expansion to pickups and multi-row SUVs under both the Nissan and Infiniti brands.

The Rogue and Xterra reveals were packaged within Nissan's broader strategic framework, dubbed "Mobility Intelligence for Everyday Life," under which the automaker has set a goal of one million annual U.S. sales by fiscal year 2030 and intends to cut its combined Nissan and Infiniti global model count from 56 down to 45.