What is it?
2002 Nissan Xterra
What's special about it?
The super-popular Nissan Xterra receives only minor design tweaks. For example: The headlights have a new, beefy, protective plastic surround; there are new fog lamps; there's a new cockpit-style dash; and more choices of interior and exterior colors. Also, and this may be a relief to long-legged Xterra drivers, the clumsy, dash-mounted umbrella-handled parking brake has been replaced with a foot-controlled unit.
The really big news is that this August the Xterra will be available with Nissan's supercharged 3.3-liter V6 that produces a dirt-munching 210 horsepower and 246 foot-pounds of torque. It's the same powerplant used in Nissan's Frontier pickup.
Also new is a 300-watt, eight-speaker Rockford Fosgate stereo with six-disc in-dash CD player. Now, while you're cruising the wild, looking for adventure, you can hear your tunes over waterfalls, blizzards and nature's other aural inconveniences. No pricing was available, but Nissan estimates the system will cost less than $600.
And for those who have been attracted by the Xterra's off-road capability and rugged image, but are still short the $20,000-plus sticker, there's a new, basic "Enthusiast" model. Essentially a bare-bones off-roader, it will have no exterior or interior enhancements and will offer manual hubs, rubber floor mats and limited-slip differential.
Why should you care?
The new supercharged version of the Xterra narrows the gap between it and its previously more powerful competition. We like that. As all these compact sport-utilities become more powerful, better equipped and more mechanically sophisticated, it raises the bar for all the manufacturers. In the end, that means better products for all of us. — Neil Dunlop
2002 Nissan Xterra
What's special about it?
The super-popular Nissan Xterra receives only minor design tweaks. For example: The headlights have a new, beefy, protective plastic surround; there are new fog lamps; there's a new cockpit-style dash; and more choices of interior and exterior colors. Also, and this may be a relief to long-legged Xterra drivers, the clumsy, dash-mounted umbrella-handled parking brake has been replaced with a foot-controlled unit.
The really big news is that this August the Xterra will be available with Nissan's supercharged 3.3-liter V6 that produces a dirt-munching 210 horsepower and 246 foot-pounds of torque. It's the same powerplant used in Nissan's Frontier pickup.
Also new is a 300-watt, eight-speaker Rockford Fosgate stereo with six-disc in-dash CD player. Now, while you're cruising the wild, looking for adventure, you can hear your tunes over waterfalls, blizzards and nature's other aural inconveniences. No pricing was available, but Nissan estimates the system will cost less than $600.
And for those who have been attracted by the Xterra's off-road capability and rugged image, but are still short the $20,000-plus sticker, there's a new, basic "Enthusiast" model. Essentially a bare-bones off-roader, it will have no exterior or interior enhancements and will offer manual hubs, rubber floor mats and limited-slip differential.
Why should you care?
The new supercharged version of the Xterra narrows the gap between it and its previously more powerful competition. We like that. As all these compact sport-utilities become more powerful, better equipped and more mechanically sophisticated, it raises the bar for all the manufacturers. In the end, that means better products for all of us. — Neil Dunlop
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