You’re forgiven for missing it as it probably wasn’t in your calendar, but yesterday was V6 Day according to Nissan.
In a press release issued yesterday (May 6, 2026) on its US media site, Nissan declared the date to be the first annual V6 Day, to celebrate its growing range of V6-powered models. It plans to celebrate this date every year.
Nissan currently offers petrol V6 engines in North America in its Pathfinder large SUV, Frontier ute, Z sports car, and full-size Armada off-road SUV.
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The latest Y63 Armada, known as the Patrol in Australia, features a twin-turbocharged petrol V6 and will go on sale here later this year. It replaces the outgoing Y62 Patrol, which has a naturally aspirated petrol V8.
Nissan has phased out some of its V6 offerings – the Altima and Murano moved to a four-cylinder-only lineup, for example, and the Maxima was axed – but it’s set to add a new V6-powered model in the revived Xterra.
Not only that, but Nissan will introduce a V6 with a hybrid system which will also do duty in the Xterra. It’s not the only Japanese brand investing in a hybrid V6 for the US market, with Honda doing the same.
The V6 hybrid may also be used in other models based on Nissan’s new ladder-frame platform underpinning the Xterra, which will reportedly include a replacement for the current Pathfinder.
Nissan has also confirmed the next-generation GT-R won’t be all-electric, which suggests it could once again feature a V6 engine under its bonnet.
Even in the US, where the motto “there’s no replacement for displacement” reigns supreme, many rival brands have been moving away from V6s to turbocharged four-cylinder engines. This includes Buick, Chevrolet, Jeep and Volkswagen.
In Australia, the Pathfinder – discontinued earlier this year – was one of the last models in its segment, along with the Kia Sorento, to still offer a V6 petrol engine.
Likewise, the Nissan Z is the only sports car priced under $100,000 to offer V6 power, and one of only two – the other being the Toyota GR Supra – with a six-cylinder engine of any description.
Don’t write the epitaph for V6 engines yet, however. Brands such as Toyota have moved from V8s, arguably an endangered species themselves, to turbocharged V6 petrol and diesel engines in large vehicles such as the Tundra pickup and LandCruiser 300 Series off-road SUV.
Ford led the move to turbo V6 engines in the large pickup segment, and its F-150 is exclusively offered in Australia with a twin-turbo 3.5-litre V6.
In Australia, you can still find plenty of V6-powered options in Audi, Genesis and Lexus showrooms, while inline sixes are enjoying a renaissance thanks to brands like Mercedes-Benz, Mazda and Ram, and remain a mainstay for BMW.
Nissan was the first Japanese automaker to mass-produce a V6 with its VG-series engine, which entered production in 1983.
V6s quickly proliferated throughout the Nissan lineup, including in its Z-car. However, inline sixes continued in tandem for another couple of decades in passenger cars like the Skyline, and into the 2020s in the old Moroccan-built Y61 Patrol.
Nissan’s VQ-series V6, which came after the VG, enjoyed an unprecedented 14-year streak – stretching from 1995 to 2008 – on the WardsAuto 10 Best Engines list. It can still be found under the bonnet of models such as the Pathfinder.
“For decades, the V6 has been the beating heart of some of Nissan’s most iconic vehicles – delivering the durability, strength, and power our customers rely on,” said Nissan Americas chairman Christian Meunier.
“From the speed and acceleration of our sports cars to the confident torque that defines our trucks and SUVs, the V6 offers a rare balance of performance and dependability.
“It will play an important role in our lineup for years to come, particularly with the return of the mighty Xterra.”
