The New Light Duty Nissan Titan Pickup Is A Crowd Pleaser

The new Nissan Titan XD was introduced last year targeting the underserved medium duty pickup truck market. The logic was that there was a segment of buyers who need more than light duty hauling and towing capacity but don’t want or need to pay the heavy-duty price and sacrifice the comfortable drivability of the standard pickup.

Nissan packed in a high performance workhorse Cummins Diesel engine in that XD to give it the powerful heft and credibility with big truck buyers, while retaining the amenities and gentle manners of a premium personal pickup.

This year – which Nissan has dubbed “The Year of the Truck” to maximize its sales and market share advances in the lucrative and still robust consumer and business truck market, the emphasis has shifted to the 5.6-liter 390-horsepower V8 four-door crew cab Titan which starts at very competitive $34,780 and comes handsomely accessorized in the $55,000 range.

Several test drives on varied courses in California and Arizona accentuated the design and engineering strengths of a product development project that probably cost some $20 million.

But the proof of the potential of the Nissan Titan came during a week of daily driving, culminating in a tailgating party at the Far Hills Race Meeting in North Jersey with 40,000 horse racing fans. On those rolling hillsides where fancy pickups and SUVs abounded, the Titan got a constant stream of positive comments and look-see visits.

After all the stats and features are reeled off by the experts … the visceral response by average customers seems the most compelling research suggesting that the new Nissan Titan is a hit.

Nissan Titan Highlights

• 5.6-liter 390-horsepower V8
• 7-speed automatic transmission
• Starting Price at $34,780
• EPA Fuel Economy: 15-mpg city/21 highway/17
• Top of the line Platinum Reserve loaded: leather interior, voice recognition, 20-inch dark chrome wheels, blind-spot and cross-traffic alerts, Rockford Fosgate audio, Bluetooth, navigation, touch screen, parking assist, around-view cameras and LED headlights for $55,000