At the New York International Auto Show, Ponz Pandikuthira, Nissan Americas Senior Vice President and Chief Planning Officer, talked about not only the future Xterra but also electric vehicles (EVs). He mentioned how car companies are handling EVs, either creating new models or adding electric versions to existing ones.
Nissan has taken the route of introducing separate models like the Leaf and Ariya, but Pandikuthira hinted that this might change. He said consumers aren’t as interested in unique EVs anymore. Instead, Nissan and Infiniti will likely add electric versions to existing models rather than creating entirely new ones.
Pandikuthira revealed that the Nissan Ariya was once considered as a possible replacement for the Murano. This makes sense because the Ariya is a distinctive crossover with a luxurious interior, much like the Murano. Also, the current Murano is quite old, dating back to 2015, so it needs an update.
The reason Nissan didn’t go with the Ariya as the new Murano was that the crossover represented a significant change in Nissan’s EV technology. So, the company decided to highlight that with a unique nameplate.
However, Nissan isn’t ruling out the possibility of new EV-only models. Pandikuthira mentioned that if a new car is unique enough, Nissan would consider creating a new line. But for the most part, expect to see electric versions of existing models like the Rogue and Altima.