Does the 2016 Nissan Titan XD Have Enough to Make You Think Twice About the F-150?
They just don’t make them like they used to. That’s true for so many things – songs lyrics, celebrities, and especially trucks. For so many years, a full-size truck was just a (gas) V8, a passenger compartment, and a bed. It was a simple, steel tool used for work. Now, we have aluminum F-150s with turbocharged V6s, Chevy Silverados with wireless internet and Blu-ray screens, and Ram 1500s packing diesel engines.
Like the FCA group’s truck, the 2016 Nissan Titan XD will pack an oil-burner under its hood. However, the Japanese model will offer two more cylinders and significantly more torque. Its 5.0-liter Cummins turbo diesel V8 will generate 310 horsepower and 555 lb.-ft. A heavy duty Aisin six-speed automatic will handle shifting duties. The XD’s frame, rear axle, brakes, and suspension – among other parts – will be different from what the gas-powered Titans will use. Those components will combine to provide a maximum tow rating in excess of 12,000 pounds and a max payload north of 2,000. Nissan expects the XD to deliver 20-percent better fuel economy under full load than a truck with a gasoline-powered V8.
Technologies such as a next-generation Utili-track Bed Channel System, lockable in-bed-storage, LED bed lighting, an Around View Monitor with Moving Object Detection, and an integrated gooseneck hitch should help make life easier for eventual Titan XD owners.
Fred Diaz, senior vice president, Nissan Sales & Marketing and Operations U.S., calls the Titan XD, “a new class of truck.” At last week’s Dallas Auto Show, Carl Phillips, senior manager of product planning for the automaker’s North American division, said, “Every year, there are about 75,000 people that move from heavy-duty trucks down to light-duty and we see about the same number of customers that move from light-duty to heavy-duty each year. So, clearly, there are a lot of people out there in the market who are looking for the right truck solution that maybe they can’t find in either a light-duty truck or a heavy-duty.”
According to Nissan, the XD will be built in Mississippi and be the first 2016 Titan to launch. Look for it in dealerships later this year. It will eventually be joined by gas V8 and V6 variants. Ultimately, Crew Cab, King Cab, and Single Cab configurations, as well as three different bed lengths, will be available. Pricing, fuel economy, and towing/payload figures will come out at a later date.
What do you all think? Are you one of those 75,000 people Phillips mentioned? If Nissan can get the price and capabilities right, does the idea of a Cummins diesel have the potential to bring you over from the EcoBoost side?
Chime in with your thoughts on the forum. >>
via [Nissan]
photos [Nissan]
