Nissan Japan didn't even want to build the Xterra. The only reason it ever happened was because the designers and engineers (designed in California, BTW) were able to convince Nissan Japan that it could be built almost entirely with existing parts and could be done with very little initial cost. Nissan was in a serious world of hurt at the time and couldn't afford to spend money on development. That's how it ended up with the raised roof... the designers had to design around the existing Frontier frame and body. They also had a very short time to do it. I forget now, but I think the Xterra went from idea to production in about 6 months, which is simply unheard of in the automotive world.