2016 NISSAN TITAN XD

THE NISSAN TITAN XD was named"Truck of Texas" by the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in their annual 2015 Texas Truck Rodeo, which puts the industry's best trucks, SUVs and CUVs through a grueling two-day evaluation at the historic Knibbe Ranch in Spring Branch, Texas. In addition to the competition's top award, Truck of Texas, the new TITAN XD won three other honors – Luxury Pickup Truck of Texas, Off-Road Pickup Truck of Texas and Best Powertrain for its available Cummins® 5.0L V8 Turbo Diesel engine.

The TITAN XD's long list of innovative available technologies include an Integrated Trailer Brake Controller, Trailer Sway Control (TSC), Tow/Haul Mode with Downhill Speed Control and a Trailer Light Check system that allows one-person hook-up operation – including checking turn signals, brake lights and running/clearance lights. Assisting trailer hook-ups is a RearView Monitor with Trailer Guides. TITAN XD also offers an available Around View® Monitor (AVM), which provides a unique "bird's eye" view of the surrounding area to help with parking and pulling in and out of tight spaces. The system includes Moving Object Detection (MOD). Two trailer hitches are available, including an integrated gooseneck hitch engineered into the frame and easily accessible in the bed.

The 2016 Nissan Titan XD is an all-new full-size truck that has more robust capabilities than the standard Nissan Titan, which was also redesigned for 2016. The Titan XD was never designed to compete  with the heavy-duty trucks from Ford, GM and Ram.

The Nissan Titan XD crew-cab diesel pickup with tow ratings that range from 12,314 pounds for the S 4x2 work truck to 10,608 pounds for a decked-out Platinum Reserve 4x4. A nicely equipped Pro-4X 4x4 can pull 11,784 pounds. Not as expensive as the larger 2500 models offered by Ford, GM, Checy, and RAM.

The Titan XD well above a truck like the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel, which has tow ratings that range between 7,540 to 8,870 pounds, and top heavy-duty trucks that can pull up to 17,000 pounds.

This V8 design is a full 11 inches shorter (front to back) and 500 pounds lighter than the Cummins 6.7-liter straight-6 turbodiesel that powers the current Ram 2500 and 3500 HD pickups.

A pair of turbochargers nestles within the Vee between dual overhead-cam cylinder heads, but this is neither a twin-turbo nor a compound turbo setup. A smaller turbo bolsters low-rpm output and a larger turbo handles higher revs. Both share an odd pretzel-like housing with an electronically controlled intake air distribution valve that feeds one, the other or a variable blend of both to deliver a fat wallop of torque across the entire operating range.

The resulting 310 horsepower and 555 pound-feet of torque places the 5.0 V8 midway between today's Ram 1500 (240 hp/420 lb-ft) and 2500 diesel (370 hp/800 lb-ft) engines. This new Cummins squarely hits the vacated heavy-duty target Nissan wanted with the XD.

The TITAN XD is offered in five grade levels: S, SV, SL, Platinum Reserve and the sporty PRO-4X grade with standard off-road features such as 18-inch aluminum-alloy wheels with all-terrain off-road tires, Bilstein off-road shock absorbers, electronic locking rear differential and skid plates. The TITAN XD Platinum Reserve grade features premium leather-appointed heated seating, dark chrome exterior trim, two-tone paint treatment, leather-wrapped steering wheel with wood insert, 20-inch dark chrome aluminum-alloy wheels and much more.

A new 5.6-liter Endurance® V8 gasoline engine, assembled in Decherd, Tennessee, will be available in the all-new TITAN and TITAN XD full-size pickup trucks. The engine features four-valves per cylinder, Variable Valve Event & Lift and Direct Injection, and is rated at 390 horsepower @ 5,800 rpm and 401 lb-ft of torque @ 4,000 rpm.

The gasoline-powered engine joins the Cummins® 5.0L V8 Turbo Diesel to round out the engine offerings for the all-new Nissan XD full-size pickup, which stakes out a unique position in the segment between traditional heavy-duty and light-duty entries. The bold new design combines the capabilities of a heavy-duty hauler with the drivability and affordability of a light-duty pickup.

"With this new engine, Nissan TITAN XD customers will have the opportunity to make the choice that is best for their towing and hauling needs – either the all-new Endurance V8 or the Cummins® diesel – two offerings that you won't find on any other truck on the market today," said Rich Miller, chief product specialist, TITAN, Nissan North America, Inc. "It's going to be a tough decision for TITAN XD customers between these two very durable, capable engines."

While the new Endurance V8 shares its displacement with the previous-generation V8 installed in Titan, that is where the similarities end. The new engine features 390 horsepower (up from 317) and 401 lb-ft of torque (up from 385), along with Nissan's advanced VVEL (Variable Valve Event & Lift) technology, which combines hydraulic-controlled variable valve timing and electronically controlled variable valve lift on the intake and exhaust sides to provide high performance and crisp response. Throttle response is enhanced by directly controlling the intake valve, rather than using the traditional method of controlling intake with a throttle valve, and valve timing and opening with non-variable camshafts.

The new engine also features Direct Injection Gas (DIG™) technology, which provides better wide-open throttle performance and improved fuel economy and emissions performance (versus a non-direct-injection system) by reducing engine knock, improving combustion stability and offering precise injection control. An 11.2:1 compression ratio is provided by a new piston design, aiding overall engine efficiency and performance (previous Titan: 9.8:1) and a Multi Control Valve (MCV) assists in managing the engine's thermal efficiency better than a traditional thermostat. 

TITAN XD models equipped with the Endurance V8 engine will be outfitted with a new 7-speed automatic, which features Adaptive Shift Control and Downshift Rev Matching. 

A little history of how Nissan’s  Titan evolved as told by Diane Allen, design manager on the next-generation Nissan TITAN here at Nissan Design America (NDA).

We are part of an international team, receiving regular input from Nissan's global design headquarters and our Senior Vice President for Design and Chief Creative Officer, Shiro Nakamura, on everything we create. But for this truck, it was important for much of the aesthetic work to take place in the U.S.

Generally speaking, Nissan recognizes the value of tapping into local expertise to push products that are indigenous to certain regions. Given that most full-size pickup trucks are sold in of the U.S. and Canada, it therefore made sense for this to be an American-led project.

In order to build upon the existing Titan, we explored the roots of the truck's name in Greek mythology. The new "TITAN" logo we've devised resembles the mask of a warrior of antiquity, minus the nose plate.

As for the rest of the vehicle, we quickly determined that the domestic pickup manufacturers own "cowboy," so our look had to be a little different. Being a challenger brand, we have to stand out a bit from the herd with a vehicle that embodies the spirit of hard work and tough jobs, while still demonstrating capability.

Our designers at NDA brought in power tools, truck parts and all kinds of other things for inspiration. Fortunately for us, we already had a great foundation to build on. The original Titan wasn't just a scaled-down Peterbilt, as many of the competitors were back in 2003, but a full-size with its own identity.

But the inherent challenge in designing a pickup truck is pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable without straying too far from the utility and practicality of the segment.

We recognized these qualities in sketches drawn by our talented design team members here at NDA in San Diego. Once the initial sketch was green-lighted, we worked quickly to get this project completed. One of the benefits of this streamlined approach is that TITAN has remained a pure design statement.

Pickups are complex vehicles, and given the variety of different cab configurations, bed lengths, trim levels and, in the case of XD, even frame choices, we had to turn most of our studio over to truck design. With the numerous clay models, inspirational work tools and industrial gear crowding our workspace, NDA really took on the persona of a true "truck studio."

While some might see full-size pickup trucks as a departure for the Nissan, we've tried to honor the form language of our brand, albeit on a bigger scale. We think we've built a truck that's still "Nissan" while also being undeniably full-size.

Expect to pay a minimum of $45,000.00. Available as 2WD or 4WD with diesel or the new gasoline engine. 

Options can easily move the cost higher.

We look forward to driving and comparing the diesel and gas models for a week long test.

BRUCE HUBBARD

BONNIE LYNCH

BDADLEY HUBBARD

JB WELKER