direct injection and is naturally aspirated. It is coupled to a new seven-speed automatic transmission and is at least 20 per cent more fuel efficient than its predecessor. Towing capacity on the XD drops to 9,300 pounds with the gas motor, but then the price also drops by around $7,000. Again it’s about choice. To trim out the XD trucks, there is a choice of five packages, the top being the Platinum Reserve and the off-road version is called the Pro-4X. Unless you’re buying a straight work truck, these two packages will no doubt be the most popular. Another lesson Nissan has learned from Detroit is that truck buyers like the electronic and creature comforts; the more the better these days, it seems. The last offensive in this rollout is the release of the new Titan. The Titan is different from the XD. First, it is a half-ton and does not try to be anything else. It rides on a different chassis and is about 15 inches shorter than the XD. It does not offer diesel (though it also sports the 5.6L V8) and will be available in a two-door regular cab. This is how the family grows. The one piece of the pie that is currently missing is a V6 offering. Nissan says there will be one, it’s just a little behind getting it ready for production. Once the V6 and regular cab options are moving down the assembly line, Nissan will have the opportunity to offer sales to fleet and government buyers. For private buyers though, this regular Titan will most often be purchased as a crewcab and with the gas motor offers 9,300 pounds of towing and 1,610 pounds of payload capacity. This far into the launch of Titan, I won’t spend words talking about the look of the truck – you’ve likely seen it now multiple times. What I will say is that I’ve had countless conversations with truck guys about its sheet metal over the past eight months and
I haven’t had a single negative comment on the look. From an aesthetics-only point of view, Nissan has nailed it. Past the holy trinity of the truck (look, power, load) Nissan has spent considerable time on the electronics. All of them contribute to safety, and some to making the jobs you’ll do with your truck easier. This is the stuff you can’t see but which will make your overall ride and tasks better. These driving aids include RearView Monitor and Around View Monitor with Moving Object Detection (MOD), Blind Spot Warning (BSW), Front and Rear Sonar System, and Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). All these are constants for the truck, but when hooking up trailers, they add another dimension of safety and one-man-operation convenience. The Around View Monitor (AVM) gives a unique “bird’s eye” view of the surrounding area from front, rear and side cameras. The MOD alerts the driver to hazards and includes an on-screen notification and warning chime. As I mentioned earlier, Nissan gets that customers want their trucks tough and their interiors soft. To that end, it offers interiors that are comparable to any others currently on the market. For instance, in the top-of-the line Platinum Reserve, you’ll find leatherappointed seats with “Platinum Reserve” branding, heated steering wheel, chrome exhaust tailpipe finishers, 20x7.5-inch dark chrome-like wheels, driver and passenger heated and cooled front seats, heated rear seats, two-tone paint, dark chrome door handle, leather-wrapped steering wheel with a wood insert, wood instrument panel finishers, leather-wrapped shift knob with a dark-painted trim ring, and dark chromeaccented vent knobs and cup holder trim. As I said, they’ve learned. Pricing for the 2017 Titan Crew Cab (gas) base model starts at $44,650 while the XD version of the same adds $2,000. Titan XD diesel Crew Cab starts at $52,400. These are the listed MSRP, however, aggressive incentives are currently being offered. Howard Elmer of PowerSports Media Services is a Canadian automotive journalist, truck writer and RVing specialist. May/June 2017 • RV gazette
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