2016 Nissan Titan: Did They Get It Right This Time?
Will the Japanese manufacturer be successful this time? With the 2016 Titan, Nissan continues to venture into the full-size pickup truck market that is largely the private preserve of the Big Three. Unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show, the new Titan will go on sale in Canada in late 2015, and does not lack for attractive features: Nissan has taken the time to correct some shortcomings of the earlier model, and to expand the line-up. The truck will be available in several models, including the Titan XD Crew Cab powered by a 5-litre turbo diesel V8 developed by Cummins, and several other configurations, including three cabs, two bed lengths and three powertrains. Nissan is also targeting the mid-size truck market with an entry-level regular-cab model powered by a V6.
Unlike Ford, which made a bold move by choosing to build its new F-150 out of aluminum, Nissan made the more traditional choice of using steel for its Titan, doubtless in order to appeal to the more conservative among pickup buyers. The same applies to other technical characteristics: the previous model incorporated a number of new ideas, such as Wide-Open rear doors, a factory-installed spray-on bed liner and the Utili-Track system to secure cargo. The new Titan takes a more conventional approach, with the engineers having elected to specify industrial-strength components from the radiator to the rear axle. The Titan XD has a rear axle developed by American Axle & Manufacturing which helps to give it a maximum towing capacity of more than 12,000 pounds and a maximum payload of 2,000 pounds. The Nissan Titan XD will be built in Canton, Mississippi, with engines assembled in Indiana and Tennessee. Nissan will announce pricing and full specifications at a later date.