New Nissan America Chairman Christian Meunier Wants the Xterra to Return, and the Kicks Play to Stay

• Christian Meunier wants Nissan to bring back icons like the Xterra and keep gateways like the Kicks Play.

• 18 new models are coming in 18 months, including hybrids, PHEVs, and EVs.

• Infiniti is not dead, but its comeback will take time and smarter product positioning.

There’s something very refreshing about a very knowledgeable someone who has nothing to lose, especially when they’re handed the keys to a struggling car company. That’s Christian Meunier’s current role as Chairman of Nissan Americas, and after sitting in on a roundtable with him, it’s clear the man isn’t just here to hold the line. He’s here to shake things up, whether Japan likes it or not.

Meunier, who officially stepped back into the Nissan fold in January 2025, is no stranger to the brand. He spent 17 years climbing its global ranks, including key leadership roles in Canada, Brazil, and with Infiniti, before taking a Jeep-shaped detour. His return comes at a time when Nissan’s fortunes, especially in North America, have seen far better days. Sales have slid from an 8% market share to just under 4% in the U.S., and that’s not good. The company was, in his words, “stuck in COVID mode.” His first order of business? Get everyone back to the office, literally and figuratively. So far, it seems as though getting the people back together is working.

Beneath the polite corporate layers, Meunier made it very clear that Nissan had lost its way. “The company got too complex,” he said, noting that too many layers and not enough focus cost the brand its identity. Far too conservative decisions erased iconic models like the Maxima and Xterra in favour of white Altimas on rental fleet lots. Over time, both Nissan and Infiniti became too safe, too bland, too forgettable. The plan now? Put the focus back on product and customers. And yes, make money.

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Here’s what’s coming and what’s cooking:

Meunier believes the Kicks Play still plays a critical role as an entry point to the brand, even if the new current generation Kicks is a far more advanced vehicle. Killing it would be a mistake, as the most attainable Kicks SUV would go from an attractive $22,598 to a potentially budget-busting $27,199.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, he very clearly wants the Xterra back. The brand needs icons again, vehicles that mean something. As he put it, Nissan needs to be “aspirational” again. What’s more, rugged SUVs like the Xterra, the Toyota 4Runner/Land Cruiser, and Honda Passport Trailsport are all the rage at the moment – this is clearly a missed opportunity.

That aspiration includes a much-needed infusion of new vehicles. Over the next 18 months, Nissan will introduce 18 new or heavily revised models. That includes a new Sentra, a Rogue PHEV (using Mitsubishi plug-in hybrid tech), and the much-anticipated ePower hybrid powertrain that will work its way into many vehicles. The first North American ePower hybrid will follow the PHEV Rogue sometime in 2026 and will be critical to Nissan’s plan to sell 350,000 of these electrified models in North America annually. Right now, they’re only using half of their 1-million-unit U.S. production capacity.

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And speaking of Mitsubishi, Meunier made it clear that further collaboration between the two brands is not only possible but likely. Platform sharing, hybrid tech—anything to boost scale and stay relevant.

On the electrification front, Meunier doesn’t believe in putting all the eggs in one plug-in basket. Nissan’s plan includes a healthy mix of petrol, hybrid, PHEV, and EV models. That flexibility matters, especially with regional iZEV programs and government incentives that Meunier bluntly called complex.”

On tariffs and China:

Unlike most execs who speak of tariffs with caution, Meunier sees them as an opportunity, a chance to invest in North American operations and build resiliency. A major factor here is that the Americas, the United States especially, are crucial, critical, and account for a majority of the brand’s global sales. And he’s not particularly worried about Chinese automakers flooding the market just yet. With many of their technologies effectively blocked from entering North America, he believes we still have a few years of breathing room.

As for Infiniti… well, it’s complicated.

The brand’s troubles are far from over, and Meunier admitted as much. It may be another two years before Infiniti sees a true product resurgence. Still, there is hope: a new Infiniti QX65, a hybrid QX50 built on the Rogue platform, and a bespoke EV are all on the way. Meunier also pointed out that luxury arms like Lexus and Audi are major profit centres for Toyota and Volkswagen, respectively. There’s no reason Infiniti can’t play that same role for Nissan, but first, it needs substance.

And maybe that’s the core of Meunier’s mission: restoring Nissan’s substance. He doesn’t pretend it will be easy, but he’s not here to sugar-coat anything either. He made it clear that rumours of Nissan’s demise are greatly exaggerated with $20 billion in cash on hand, a plan to cut $1 billion in operating expenses and $900 million in production costs this year, and loads of product on the way, Nissan’s not dead yet.

In fact, with Meunier at the wheel, it might just be getting interesting again.

On a final note, Meunier said that he could write a book about his 30+ years of experience in the car business, especially from Stellantis and Nissan. In my opinion, he should. His intimate understanding of this most passionate industry would make stories at the very least as interesting as those authored by Bob Lutz and Lee Iacocca, to name but these two.