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Xterra Grabs North American Truck of the Year Award

10 January 2000

Xterra Grabs North American Truck of the Year Award 
     - Nissan's Affordable, Authentic SUV Earns Another Major Accolade -

    DETROIT, Jan. 10 -- The 2000 Nissan Xterra continues its
sweep of the major media awards for sport utility vehicles with the
announcement today that the groundbreaking SUV has been named "North American
Truck of the Year."  Xterra was called "market changing" by the awards
committee, made up of 47 leading independent auto journalists in the United
States and Canada.  The jurors also noted that Xterra "raises the bar in its
particular segment."
    "While the trend in SUVs has been to get bigger and more expensive, the
affordable and practical Xterra proves that smart design matters more," said
Jed Connelly, vice president and general manager, Nissan Division, Nissan
North America.  "Xterra just keeps winning awards, but, unlike many of the
competitors in its price range, it's big enough to carry all the trophies
home."
    Xterra has been an immediate hit with consumers since its introduction in
June.  Sales have reached nearly 50,000 units in the first seven months, and
production has been increased to help keep up with demand.
    Xterra is also on its way to becoming Nissan's most honored new vehicle
ever.  In addition to North American Truck of the Year, Xterra was named "2000
Sport/Utility of the Year" by the editors of Motor Trend magazine, earning the
award based on its unmatched combination of design, value, utility and
fun-to-drive performance.
    The American Automobile Association (AAA) also tapped Xterra for its "Top
Car Awards" as the best SUV under $25,000, noting its ruggedness and good
handling.
    Other awards to date include Consumer Digest magazine's "Best Buy"
designation; "Canada's Truck of the Year" and "Best New Sport Utility Vehicle"
by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada; "Best Compact SUV" by
African Americans On Wheels, "Top 10 Autos" by The Detroit News, "Best SUV in
Class:  Under $25,000" by the Northwest Automotive Press Association; and one
of the "Best Products of 1999" by the editors of BusinessWeek magazine.
    Designed, engineered and built in the United States, Xterra was created to
fill a void in the market for affordable, functional and spacious SUVs.  Among
Xterra's unique design elements are water-resistant seat covers, interior
ceiling hooks, floor tie-downs and clips, interior mountain bike rack and
distinctive, tubular roof rack with a removable front gear basket for carrying
wet or dirty gear.
    Xterra is based on the rugged Nissan Frontier pickup and is available with
a 2.4-liter 143-horsepower DOHC inline four-cylinder engine or a 3.3-liter
170-horsepower SOHC V6 engine, and in a choice of 4-wheel or 2-wheel drive.
    Xterra has a base price of $17,599 for the XE 4x2 model, while the top-of-
the-line SE-V6 4x4 model as an MSRP of $25,799.
    In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling,
engineering, consumer and corporate finance, sales and marketing, distribution
and manufacturing.  More information on Nissan in North America and the
complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at
http://www.nissandriven.com or contact the corporate media line at 310-771-5631.

        (Or visit the Nissan Online News Bureau at http://www.nissannews.com)