More than a decade ago, Nissan made its first foray into the half-ton market with the introduction of the original Titan. It’s hard to believe that any full-size pickup, let alone one available in so few configurations, could soldier on for ten years without a major overhaul.
In Nissan’s defense, the original Titan was meant to make a splash, which was seen as a necessity for a new Japanese entry into a market unyieldingly dominated by domestic entries. While the company’s pickup legacy went back decades, a half-ton offering had no precedent in the United States.
So the Titan came big, and only big. There were two cab options: king and crew. The former was available only with a 6.5-foot bed and the latter with a 5.5′. There was only one engine–a 5.6L V8–and only one transmission. Sure, Titan brought a host of then-innovative features to the half-ton segment, but what was new and different a decade ago is dated now, and the Titan’s absence of diverse configuration options is stark in a segment where some trucks can be had in literally hundreds of permutations.
Aiming higher
Nissan chose to launch its new pickup with its range-topper, the Titan XD. In a way, this represents a similar strategy to that employed in the original Titan launch way back in 2004–go big or go home. The XD is not simply a trim level, but an almost entirely different truck, much in the same way domestic 3/4-tons are markedly different from their half-ton siblings.
To be clear, though, the XD is not a 3/4-ton equivalent. Rather, Nissan decided to take aim at the buyer who wants more capability than what is offered by a typical half-ton without giving up much in the way of practicality–3/4-ton trucks typically being large, tall, heavy and tricky to maneuver compared to the half-tons to which they are related.
Nissan, through extensive focus group testing and market research, has concluded that nearly 150,000 buyers each year are looking for a truck like the XD.
So what is it, exactly?
If the Titan XD’s spec sheet reads a lot like à la carte selections from various half- and 3/4-ton truck offerings, that’s clearly by intention. Let’s start with the launch model’s powertrain, which was a bit of a coup in its own right. The XD model will eventually be available in both diesel and gasoline variants, but for now, the only available powertrain is a five-liter, 310-horsepower Cummins V8 mated to a six-speed Aisin automatic transmission.
That’s right. A diesel.
Boasting 555lb-ft of torque, Cummins’ new compact (for this market and segment) powerplant puts out the sort of numbers that you’d have found on the spec sheets of 3/4-ton trucks a decade ago. That’s no accident. The 5.0L is not meant to compete with the larger diesel engines found in the current 3/4-ton market, but is intended to deliver a scaled-down version of the same driving, hauling and towing experience.
That powertrain is bolted to a fully boxed ladder frame, which is to be expected from any truck built to do real work. This frame is unique to the XD (in other words, more substantial than the core Titan model’s) but does integrate some components from Nissan’s heavy-duty NV commercial chassis. The front suspension is a double-wishbone setup, the rear a multi-leaf. The steering is a recirculating ball system (half-tons typically feature rack-and-pinion) and an electronic rear differential lock is offered on PRO-4X models, but part-time 4WD is available on multiple configurations.
XD models also come with an integrated gooseneck hitch and chain retention system. It was Nissan’s goal to make it possible for a truck buyer to purchase a Titan XD and drive it straight off the lot with a fully-loaded trailer without any side-trips to accessory shops (or even the dealer’s parts department) first.
Hitting the road
We hit the roads of suburban Scottsdale, Arizona early in the morning in a PRO-4X model loaded down with an additional nearly 800lbs of payload (of a max rated 2,091). Our route took us all around the Tonto National Forest, where Nissan had set up several demonstration sites where we could put the XD’s capabilities to the test.
We saw a good mix of highway, rural two-lane, dirt and gravel roads just moving between the various locations, and we found ourselves suitably impressed by the Titan XD’s ride comfort and road manners. The 5.0L diesel offers more than enough torque to maintain speed on hills, letting us cruise all day long at (or above) the speed limit on mountainous highways without any real effort.
Our PRO-4X tester likewise made navigating dirt and stone paths effortless. Even tracks with rather intrusive desert vegetation and ruts that would make the drivers of lower-slung, all-wheel-drive vehicles pay close attention to their lines were dispensed with easily.
After unburdening our truck of its additional payload package, we made our way to the Butcher Jones Recreation Site on Saguaro Lake. There, Nissan sent us up into the hills on a skidplate-challenging loop intended to make the PRO-4X’s low-range 4WD and ground clearance shine. Shine it did. Make no mistake, the Titan XD is not a Jeep Wrangler. It’s long. It’s heavy. It’s wide. But it is quite capable. A 22° incline at the start of the course was practically a hands-free affair, and complexes strewn with large rocks and loose gravel were tackled with little drama, even in sections where the passenger could easily reach out and touch the ground.
Impressively, at the end of all of these shenanigans, we looked down to find our trip indicator showing a 17-mile-per-gallon average for the day. Not bad at all.
But if that wasn’t enough, Nissan had another big demo in store for us. They had us meet their engineers at a trailhead along the side of Arizona State Route 87 near Fort McDowell. Here, we left behind our test trucks to hop into some examples already hitched to 9,000-pound trailers, which we were to then drive up into the mountains and back on a several-mile loop.
The Titan XD is rated to tow 12,314 lbs in its most capable configuration. 9,000lbs, then, was a fairly reasonable load. Indeed, despite very gusty winds in some of the higher passes, the Titan handled the loop with little complaint. It held highway speeds up the grade (lane discipline strictly adhered to, don’t worry) and kept the trailer completely in check on the way back down. It would be hyperbole to say that the trailer’s heft couldn’t be felt, but it was entirely manageable even for those among us with no experience pulling heavier trailers.
Tow-ready models incorporate all the modern niceties necessary for such a trek, including an integrated brake controller, trailer sway control, and a rearview camera. Nissan throws in downhill speed control, which allows the driver to prompt a downshift with a tap of the brakes while in tow/haul mode, and an automated trailer light check system which allows the driver to stand behind the trailer and initiate a test sequence to check brake, running and turn signal lights on the connected trailer using only the key fob. A mere nicety, sure, but pretty trick nonetheless.
Amenities abound
While interiors may be secondary to capability, buyers do still tend to care about where they’re going to sit if they’re expecting to haul a trailer full of horses or weekend toys far enough to make purchasing a truck like the Titan XD worthwhile.
We observed earlier that the cabin is quiet the road manners excellent, but we were also struck by the quality and comfort of the XD’s seats. Nissan implemented their “zero-gravity” seat design strategy for the Titan, and the results are excellent.
Elsewhere, the titan received upgraded finishes and new materials. Mechanical upgrades include a switch to a more conventional column shifter (rather than the console-mounted selector which used up valuable real estate in the old Titan) and a new fold-flat rear floor with lockable and modular under-seat storage (where you’ll also find the gooseneck attachment accessories stored when not in use).
Bed accessories, which was an innovation point for Nissan with the original Titan, saw a series of upgrades as well. 360-degree LED lighting has been integrated into the bed sides, allowing for excellent visibility in the rear workspace. The 120-volt outlet remains (there’s a second one in the cabin too) and spray-in bedliner and channel bed rails are still available from the factory, along with the typical bed-side anchor points.
Leftlane’s bottom line
Nissan’s tweener truck is a strong, capable, refined offering. Whether it can attract the buyer Nissan believes is out there remains to be seen.
2016 Nissan Titan XD: Full pricing TBA, starting from $40,000.
Photos by Byron Hurd and Nissan USA.
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