A retro look on a modern SUV? It’s still in, and we believe it will be for a long time. The Land Rover Defender, the Ford Bronco, the Jeep Wrangler, and even the Toyota Compact Cruiser EV concept come to mind.
If you ask us, every carmaker with a popular 4x4 in their lineup should try their hand at building a retro off-roader. Nissan, for one, should give it a go. A nice FJ Cruiser-like model to pair with the Patrol doesn’t sound like such a bad idea.
If Nissan were to actually build one, we have here a proposition: this modern Nissan Xterra concept from Filipino artist Enoch Gabriel Gonzales. It’s based on the Nissan Terrano—a model that was once available here in our market—and named after the US market’s Xterra.
OTHER RENDERS YOU MIGHT WANT TO CHECK OUT:
This is what we think the next-gen Toyota Vios will look like
We render what we think a modern Civic EG Hatchback would look like
“The design is heavily inspired by the first-generation (D21) Pathfinder/Terrano, but since both names are still being used in some countries, I decided to go with the ‘Xterra’ moniker, which ended production in 2015,” Gonzales says. “The car carries familiar design elements such as the three-slot air-intake above the main grille, the two-level roofline, a C-pillar-mounted door latch, and the overall boxy shape. Ideally, the car should ride on the same platform and offer similar engine options as the American Nissan Frontier.”
We like the sound of that. We like the taillights in particular, too—the X-like pattern should make for a pretty sick light signature in the dark. The vintage chunky wheels look pretty badass as well. As a bonus, this concept SUV comes in various colors.
What do you think of this render? Would you actually buy one if Nissan built it? If you like what you’re seeing here, you can also check out one of Gonzales’ recent works—this next-gen FJ Cruiser concept.
