Nissan to Drop Xterra SUV

Nissan Motor Co. says it will phase out its 15-year-old Xterra SUV this autumn.

The American-made body-on-frame SUV hasn't undergone a major overhaul since 2005 and is heavy, underpowered and inefficient compared with its unibody competition. Car and Driver notes the truck's U.S. sales slid to 16,500 units last year from a peak of 72,400 a decade ago.

The truck's 4.0-lter V-6 engine produces 261 hp and has a U.S. average fuel economy rating of 17 mpg.

Nissan currently builds the $23,700-$31,600 Xterra at its plant in Canton, Miss. The factory also makes the Frontier pickup truck, which shares the same chassis. Car and Driver says Nissan is expected to replace the Frontier with an all-new design. But the magazine opines that a next-generation Xterra is unlikely.