Codenamed H61, the second generation of the Titan was unveiled in 2015 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit with the 5.0-liter Cummins V8 turbo diesel. That engine didn’t make the cut for the 2020 model year, a mid-cycle refresh that levels up on the American styling.
The Regular Cab body style has been discontinued as well for 2020 over sluggish sales, and looking at the bigger picture, Nissan never had a bestseller in the full-size segment for obvious reasons. The Titan tries too hard to take the battle to the Big Three in Detroit, so much so that its character can be summed as “me too” or something like that. Given the torque of the Cummins and the upscale materials of the interior, we’re sorry to see Titan fail so hard.
On a more positive note, Nissan hopes that customers will embrace the facelift with their arms wide open. In the first instance, the Japanese automaker took the veils off the 2020 model year at the State Fair of Texas. Given how many Texas-themed pickups are out there and the demand for trucks in the Lone Star State, we’re not surprised by Nissan’s statement with the venue.
The modifications list starts on the aesthetic level, both inside and out. What happens under the hood is even more interesting, coming courtesy of the Endurance V8 with 5.6 liters of displacement, VVEL technology, and an upgrade to 400 horsepower. Torque is rated at 413 pound-feet, and both figures are the best in the light-duty pickup truck segment in the U.S. of A.
From seven to nine gears, the automatic transmission has also been upgraded with a larger final rato of 3.692 to 1. This change translates to better acceleration from 50 to 70 miles per hour, a second quicker when compared to the seven-speed tranny of the pre-facelift model. Titans with 4x4 add a transfer case and selectable driving modes for scenarios such as snow, sand, and gravel.
What Nissan calls the Off Road Gauge without a hyphen for the off-road part is a system that displays the tire angle, relative pitch, and roll angle without using a gyroscope. Jeep is laughing right now with the Gladiator, and so is Ford Performance given the company's experience with the F-150 Raptor.
Last, but certainly not least, the Nissan Safety Shield 360 features class-exclusive Rear Automatic Braking while the NissanConnect touchscreen infotainment system was designed with over-the-air updates in mind. Both the Crew Cab and King Cab will be offered in five trim levels at launch in early 2020, namely the S, SV, PRO-4X, SL, and Platinum Reserve.
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. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News