2017 Nissan TITAN: All that’s Left is to Find Buyers

Everyone knows that the bestselling vehicle in North America is the Ford F Series. A big ol’ pickup. It’s followed closely by the Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra and Ram.

What that proves is that this exclusively North American segment, with a few rare exceptions, is extremely popular. So, it’s no surprise that Japanese manufacturers want to get in on the action.

• Also: 2017 Nissan Armada: An (Almost) Modern SUV
• Also: The 2017 Nissan Titan lineup grows

Toyota is giving it the old college try with its Tundra, but is struggling to compete with American automakers. Meanwhile, Nissan is moving heaven and earth to convince the Yanks that its TITAN pickup is as American as the others.

For starters, its pickups are built entirely in the United States. You know the NFL’s Tennessee Titans? They now play in the Nissan Stadium. “The Titans play in Nissan Stadium.” That has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?

Nissan’s sponsorship of the Titan’s home is a good illustration of the company’s strategy. It wants to prove that even a Japanese outfit can create a real American-made pickup.

Our first taste of this ambition came in the form of the TITAN XD, which is a little like an F-200 or a Ram 2000, and was released on the market earlier this year.

This impressive pickup is targeting buyers who want more than a 1500-series truck, but less than a heavy-duty 2500. It’s an odd proposal, but is nonetheless an interesting vehicle. Here’s a little preview of the “TITAN 1500,” if you can call it that.

We tested the “TITAN 1500” and, in spite of a few details, it turned out to be a pickup of undeniable quality, comparing favourably to its American counterparts. The hardest part, we’re predicting, will be convincing people to buy it.

No headaches here

Buying a pickup is anything but easy. For example, when you buy a Ram 1500, you have the choice of the ST, SXT, SLT, Outdoorsman, HFE, Big Horn, Sport, Laramie, Rebel, Laramie Longhorn and Laramie Limited. Eleven versions, and that’s not even counting the other options like the engine, suspension, differential and cabin style!

In other words, there are as many pickups on our roads as there are buyers.

The 2017 Nissan TITAN makes things a little simpler. There will be several cabin styles, but for now, you’ll have to settle for the Crew Cab and its five-seat arrangement. It comes in S, SL, PRO-4X (off-road), SV and Platinum Reserve versions.

Engines choices include a V6 (but we don’t know its details yet) and the same 5.6-litre V8 found in the TITAN XD, here producing 390 horsepower and 394 lb.-ft. of torque, and paired with a seven-speed automatic gearbox.

I would like to give you the full details of its work capabilities, but unfortunately, we only drove it on the highway and on a small off-road trail. Thus, I can only give you the numbers.

The V8 has a towing capacity of between 9200 and 9730 pounds (4173 and 4413 kg) depending on the chosen configuration. You can transport a payload of up to 1930 pounds (875 kg) in the box. If you know anything about pickups, you’ll understand that these figures are decent, but are nothing extraordinary.

It’s interesting to note that the basic version of the TITAN includes everything it needs to tow 9200 pounds, while its competitors require a few options to do the same. But hey, in terms of price, it all evens out. The basic Crew Cab costs about $45,000 and the Crew Cab Platinum Reserve is worth $65,800.

The TITAN V8 consumes an average of 15 to 16 litres of fuel per 100 km based on our quick test drive.

Very comfortable

A lot of people buy pickups even if they don’t need one. Perhaps it’s because they like the feeling of driving a truck. But often, these pickups aren’t really that comfortable, tossing you around quite a bit.

The TITAN features hydraulic coupling joints between the chassis and the body that largely, if not totally, eliminate this jostling. Combined with an excellent suspension, the TITAN is the most comfortable “1500” pickup after the Ram and its clever air suspension, that is.

The 2017 Nissan TITAN’s cabin compares to that of its rivals, although its infotainment screen is a bit smaller than that of the Ram, once again.

Off road, the TITAN PRO-4X handles wonderfully, like the other pickups in this class and equipped accordingly.

At the end of the day, the TITAN does its job as well as the others. Nissan can be proud of the fact that it designed a pickup that can hold its own against the best in the industry. Now, the hard part will be selling it and convincing very loyal buyers to leave their F-150 at home to give a TITAN a try.