It seems that Nissan is stuck in the slow lane when it comes to pickup trucks. Debuting back in 2003, we hardly even remember the original Titan. And the compact Frontier truck has seemingly been around since the days of Davey Crockett.
For 2016, Nissan finally introduced an all-new Titan, with both a regular half-ton size and XD, for “extra duty.” This new nomenclature describes a Titan engineered to slot between popular half-ton trucks and the commercial-grade, heavy-duty three-quarter ton variants of its domestic rivals.
The end result is mixed. Indeed, the Titan XD is less pricey and is slightly kinder and gentler to drive than 2500HD pickups from Chevrolet, Ford, GMC, and Ram. But in terms of towing and hauling capability, it’s actually closer to light duty pickup trucks. Sure, the Nissan's tow rating beats half-ton trucks by about 2,000 pounds, but its payload rating is merely on par with those lesser beasts of burden. Heavy-duty trucks tow thousands of pounds more and can haul several hundred more pounds of payload.
Perhaps the XD's real appeal lies under the hood. Powered by a Cummins-sourced 5.0-liter V8 turbodiesel that is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, it puts out a strong 310 hp and a crushing 555 lb.-ft. of torque. The omnipresent diesel clatter is muted, yet gives you a feeling of driving a real rig.
Acceleration numbers are rather modest, taking over 10 seconds to move this 7,000-lb. truck from 0 to 60 mph, but what matters is how the engine pulls a heavy load with confidence. We got 15 mpg overall, just one mpg better than a 3/4-ton diesel truck and 1 to 2 mpg less than a gasoline-powered half-ton truck. The XD also offers a gas-powered V8, which saves a whopping $5,000. The half-ton Titan will come with a gasoline-powered V6 or V8.
It's pretty clear that the Titan XD is designed for towing. Most trims come with extensive standard towing equipment, including a hitch, built-in brake controller, and huge towing mirrors. But what’s innovative here is an integrated goose-neck hitch standard on XDs lending itself to fifth-wheel towing.
Much like other HD trucks, the Titan’s handling is clumsy, with very slow steering response. Parking this long truck is a struggle, requiring a lot of back-and-forth maneuvering. The ride is stiff yet considerably more civilized than the typical heavy-duty truck. The Titan doesn’t mess around when it comes to tough off-roading; it easily climbed our daunting rock hill test course.
Even a mid-grade SV crew cab can be nicely equipped with power seats and automatic climate control. The top-shelf Platinum Reserve is very upscale inside, with acres of soft-touch material and finely tailored leather seats. Some advanced features, like a surround-view camera system that aids in parking this brute, are unique. While blind-spot monitoring is readily available, more advanced safety gear like forward-collision warning and automatic emergency braking is absent.
The controls are quite spread out, requiring a reach, but everything is simple to use. One feature that’s sure to raise some controversy is the ungainly shifter mounted on the steering column. Not having a console-located shifter frees up space.
To that end, open and covered storage abounds. There are several cup holders, easily accessible USB and auxiliary ports, and multiple 12-volt outlets. The spacious rear seat can be had with a clever storage system, so you can keep valuables out of sight. Too bad the seat has such a short bottom cushion, leaving adults' legs dangling unsupported.
Clever features continue in the pickup bed, which has lots of tie-down cleats on tracks to secure cargo. It also offers a power supply and well-placed lights so you can see what you’re doing in the dark. We like the nicely damped tailgate, which doesn’t come slamming down when you open it.
Whether or not Nissan can convince truck diehards to part ways with the domestic rivals remains an open question. Certainly Toyota has tried, including building an assembly plant in Texas. Likewise, the Titan has made-in-USA credentials, being produced in Mississippi.
In the end, it's hard to see what Nissan has achieved here. While the Titan XD offers a bit more refinement than traditional three-quarter ton pickups, the difference isn't significant. Driving the Nissan is just as ponderous as driving a Ford, GM, or Ram heavy-duty truck, and fuel economy isn't much better. We're not convinced that buyers will sacrifice the added capability of the domestic competition to get the marginal improvement in ride comfort -- although the $5,000 price savings may be tempting. Perhaps the Titan XD fills a needed niche, but it seems like it ultimately may fall between the cracks. Time will tell.