2009 NISSAN XTerra 4.0L AWD 5AT (261 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Following one of the oldest tricks in the SUV book, Nissan introduced the X-Terra’s second generation in 2005 and improved it in 2009.

Most SUVs started as body-on-frame vehicles, and the X-Terra was no different. It shared its chassis with the Frontier pickup, and it showed it on the rear doors’ shape. The carmaker built its chassis to carry heavy loads, so using it to transport just some people and bodywork was no trouble. But an SUV had to tick different boxes than a utility vehicle. That’s why Nissan improved the Xterra in 2009 before it discontinued it six years later due to poor sales.

The exterior featured a new V-shaped grille that resembled a V engine, which it had. Underneath it, a unique-shaped front bumper sported two black outer parts and an aluminum shield in the middle, on the lower side. The carmaker added a set of lights on the roof and a roof rack for the off-road package. At the back, the Xterra featured the same bulky bumper with incorporated side-steps.

Inside, the new steering wheel gained four more buttons on the right spoke for the sound system. Nissan considered installing a Bluetooth connection on the entire range and offered that feature as standard. Like its non-facelifted version, the 2009 Xterra featured a folding system for the front passenger’s seat, which allowed the owner to slide a surfboard from the trunk to the dash panel. On the center stack, the carmaker installed new climate control dials.

Under the hood, the carmaker kept the same engine, but it lost a few horses due to stricter emission regulations.