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2020 Nissan Frontier With 2021 Nissan Frontier’s V6 Averages 20 MPG Combined

As expected from an automaker as financially troubled as Nissan, the Frontier’s redesign has been pushed back time and again. For the 2020 model year, however, Nissan previewed the 2021 Frontier by treating the outgoing generation with a new engine and tranny.
2020 Nissan Frontier 46 photos
Photo: Nissan
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We’re talking about a 3.8-liter instead of a 4.0 and nine speeds instead of five. The manual transmission is also gone, but all in all, Nissan has improved the EPA-rating fuel economy of the mid-size pickup truck to 24 miles to the gallon on the highway.

Coming courtesy of Motor1, news is that the V6 ratings beat out the 2019 model year with the four-cylinder engine in most areas. In the same segment, the closest equivalent to these metrics come from the Chevrolet Colorado and Toyota Tacoma with the V6-auto combo. But on the other hand, Ford reigns supreme with the EcoBoost-powered Ranger.

The 2.3-liter with four cylinders and forced induction achieves up to 26 miles to the gallon on the highway, 21 in the city, and 23 on the combined driving cycle for the two-wheel-drive spec. This engine is also expected in the entry-level version of the Bronco, joined by the 2.7-liter EcoBoost twin-turbo V6 as the more powerful alternative.

With that out of the way, there’s no denying that Nissan wants to better align the Frontier with the competition for the 2021 model year. The 2019 retails at $19,290 before destination charge, making it the most affordable truck in the mid-size segment. Making the nine-speed automatic standard and dropping the 2.5-liter base engine will hike up the price tag by a considerable margin, and don’t forget that Nissan will charge extra for other newities and amenities that will be elevated to standard equipment for ‘21.

Given these circumstances, the ‘Rado will be crowned the cheapest mid-sizer in the U.S. for the 2021 model year if Chevrolet keeps the price tag close to the $22,395 of the 2020 Colorado, including destination charge. The problem, however, is that Chevy has dropped the base trim for 2021 for a different specification that retails at $26,395.

On that note, the Ranger will be your most affordable mid-size truck for 2021.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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