Nissan Xterra I (WD22) photos

Introduced in 1999 for the 2000 model year, the first-generation Nissan Xterra (chassis code WD22) was conceived as a brand-new, purpose-built SUV designed under the philosophy of offering everything needed for outdoor adventures and nothing superfluous. Sharing its rugged body-on-frame platform with the D22 series Nissan Frontier pickup, the five-door SUV featured an independent double-wishbone torsion-bar front suspension and a solid rear axle with leaf springs. Its distinctive exterior styling included a stepped roofline that provided stadium-style seating for rear passengers, a tubular roof rack with an integrated gear basket, and an asymmetrical rear tailgate bulge housing a first-aid kit. Entry-level rear-wheel-drive variants were powered by a 2.4-liter KA24DE inline-four gasoline engine mated to a five-speed manual transmission. Higher trims featured a 3.3-liter VG33E V6 paired with either a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic gearbox, available in both rear-wheel drive and part-time four-wheel drive with a two-speed transfer case. A significant facelift for the 2002 model year brought a redesigned front fascia with rounder headlamps, an updated dashboard and center console, and the introduction of a supercharged 3.3-liter V6 (VG33ER) variant. While developed primarily for the North American market and assembled in Smyrna, Tennessee, the WD22 was also produced in Brazil with diesel options and manufactured in China as the Nissan Paladin.