An Even More Serious SUV Contender
Just where I developed a soft spot for hard core sport utilities I'm not sure. No doubt it was probably during the few hundred times my Dad and I trekked off into the wild green yonder to test the waters with our rods and reels in one of his pickups, or even better, his ultra-tough FJ40 Land Cruiser.
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| Xterra typifies the "utility" in SUV, and does a pretty good job in the "sport" department too, as shown here on a makeshift rocky crag under the lights of Rockefeller Plaza during its Manhattan debut. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
That's probably why I immediately fell for the Xterra when it arrived on the market in 1999 as a 2000 model. Nissan dubbed it "a backpack on wheels," an accurate description, and added an equally apropos "in-your-face functional" catch phrase.
"Xterra was a cornerstone vehicle in launching Nissan's remarkable product revival in the late '90s, showing the automotive industry that good things happen when you focus on meeting customers' unmet needs, rather than following the competition," stated Mark McNabb, vice president and general manager, Nissan Division, Nissan North America, Inc. "With this new generation design, Xterra still has no equals," said McNabb.
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| It rained while Nissan unveiled the completely redesigned 2005 Xterra at this year's New York International Auto Show, part of the new model's spectacular introduction. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
Details like its impressive 4x4 capability, tubular roof rack and removable load basket, no-nonsense (read that as meaning pretty darn basic) interior, stadium-style rear seating, and accessory bike mount to haul a pair of bicycles safely in the large cargo area, that incidentally is accessible by a cavernous rear door-opening and enhanced with 50/50 split-folding rear seatbacks, set Nissan's compact SUV apart from mere pretenders. True to its mission, Xterra typifies the "utility" in SUV, and does a pretty good job in the "sport" department too, as long as you're describing its mountain climbing abilities - a slalom skier it's not.
That last factor is mostly due to the fact it's built off of the Frontier pickup chassis, not the brand's Altima sedan which is the basis for the lithe Murano SUV. Hey, different strokes for different folks. Nissan's willingness to target specific niches in the market is probably reason enough it sells so many sport utility vehicles.