Nissan Introduces Larger Titan

Light & Medium Truck, Apr 2007

Nissan Motors introduced a larger Titan full-size pickup truck at the Chicago Auto Show on Feb. 7 in an effort to shore up the truck's sagging sales.

The 2008 Titan includes a new long-wheelbase version and a new 4-wheel-drive model designed to improve the truck's offroad performance. It will be offered in four models, two cab styles and four bed lengths.

The new long-wheelbase model features a 7-foot bed with the crew cab and an 8-foot bed with the king cab. Those bed lengths are in addition to the standard 51/2-foot bed in the crew cab and 61/2-foot bed in the king cab. The LWB models also include a new 37-gallon fuel tank, the largest in this class (less than 8,500 pounds gross vehicle weight and with a price beginning at less than $45,000).

The only engine is the gasoline all-aluminum 5.6-liter V-8. The engine is rated at 317 hp and 385 fool-pounds of torque. The truck is also available with a flexible-fuel-vehicle option at no cost. The FFV uses a common fuel tank to run on varying blends of gasoline up to E85 ethanol, as well as on other fuel, the company said.

The 5-speed automatic transmission is standard. For 4WD models. Titan adapts an advanced shift-on-the-fly 4-wheel-drive system with 2WD/4HI/4LO (2-wheel drive/4WD high gear/4WD low gear) modes with electronic control part-time transfer case.

The Titan has a maximum rated towing capacity of 9,500 pounds for the king cab and 9,400 pounds for the crew cab (when properly equipped).

Nissan added the Pro-4X on/off-road model to the XE, SE and LE models. The Pro-4X features performance shock absorbers, a lower final drive ratio (to 3.357), additional skid plates on the oil pan and transfer case, an electronic locking rear differential and 18-inch aluminum-alloy off-road wheels.The tires are P275/70R18 all-terrain tires.

Fleet Model Possible

Nissan also may introduce a lower-price, less-powerful version of its full-size Titan pickup truck as early as next year to increase sales to small US. business fleets, Bloomberg News reported.

Larry Dominique. Nissan's North American product development chief, said the company was considering adding a model with few accessories or a V-6 engine.

"We're looking at coming to market with an 'E-grade' truck with a lower base price," Dominique said in an interview. "We're looking for more opportunities, especially small fleets that need business trucks for landscaping and construction."

Currently, the cheapest Titan has a base price of $23,700. according to Edmunds.com, an automotive data Web site based in Santa Monica, Calif. By comparison. General Motors Corp. sells "work-truck style" versions of its Chevrolet Silverado pickups for as little as $15,840, excluding incentives, according to Edmunds.com. Ford Motor Co.'s lowest-price F-150 is $18,275, Bloomberg said.