Still has the basket, but apparently it's enclosed and 'latchable' as Nissan puts it (lockable?). No news on the alternator, Nissan wouldn't open the hood at the preview.
What caught my eye in their press release (quoted earlier in this thread) was 250hp and a 6-speed manual transmission.
That tailgate will take some getting used to with the offset Nissan emblem and Xterra badge on the hump.