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Market moves and the upcoming showcase of the 2016 Nissan Titan, especially in its diesel form, as well as the quiet downplay of the obvious upcoming changes to the smaller Frontier pickup truck, add up to something. Throw in a few other details and it becomes clear that Nissan is targeting Chrysler's market share.
Chrysler has a problem. That problem is their inability to sell cars in the U.S. Specifically fuel-efficient small and midsize cars. Right now, Chrysler's Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) is one of the lowest in the nation because their sales are primarily in trucks, sport utilities, and sports cars. This is not to say that they aren't fully aware of this and working hard to change it, of course. We recently drove the 2015 Chrysler 200 and had earlier driven the Dodge Dart and were impressed with them both, but so far, consumers aren't flocking to Chrysler for small vehicles. It's going to take a lot of long-term marketing to change that consumer mindset, which seems to view Chrysler, Jeep, Ram, and Dodge as the go-to brands for not-so-fuel-efficient SUVs and trucks.
Seeing weakness, Nissan seems to be aiming to take some of Chrysler's market share, specifically in the pickup truck arena. The new Ram EcoDiesel is a great pickup truck with a lot going for it. Our brief time in it showed it to be an impressive truck with a lot of market potential. So far, it's selling well in its first weeks on the market. It's powered by a 3.0-liter V6 turbo-diesel engine, which is very similar in size and output to the diesel showcased for the Nissan Frontier Desert Runner prototype last year.
DON'T MISS: 2016 Nissan Titan, 5 Things to Expect
Meanwhile, the planned diesel offering for the big 2016 Nissan Titan Diesel will be a huge V8 Cummins outputting over 300 horses and around 550 lb-ft of torque. A massive set of numbers (read the details we have so far here and here). That plus a lot of other changes hinted at for the new Titan, which will include a more "contractor grade" lower-end offering and trim level changes, all seem to tell us that the new Titan will be far more marketable than the current, dated pickup truck, whose sales have been faltering for some time now.
Meanwhile, let's look at some other happenings at Nissan. First, their small car sales are excellent and have been almost across the board. The Altima, Versa, Juke, and others are seeing solid growth and high sales numbers. Similarly, their midsize and large SUVs are doing well. Overall, Nissan has a powerful lineup of model offerings to aggressively gain shares in the North American market.
Next, we look at who's running the show. Diaz, a former Ram Truck and Chrysler executive, is now a top dog at Nissan. He made the move to Tennessee just before the Titan was revealed to (finally) be going through a major revamp - one that, we've learned, is basically from the ground up with little of the old truck remaining. Coincidence?
Putting the bacon bits on top of this salad, we see CEO Carlos Ghosn clearly demanding that Nissan grow, and fast; and do so in the American market specifically. More bits come when we look at the huge amount of capacity and flexibility Nissan has created for its manufacturing here. Then we get our ranch dressing when we look at commercial vehicles and how fast and hard Nissan hit that market with its NV2500 and NV200 vans and the very open-ended way they've talked about getting heavier in that arena.
For Nissan to take more of the American market, they'll need to target every one of the segments it has and so far, they're doing just that. With few exceptions, Nissan has become a dominant figure in all segments but two: full-sized pickup trucks and heavy-duty commercial vehicles. The latter will come sometime in the near future, we think, as everything is falling into place to allow Nissan to get into HD vehicles. The former is coming fast thanks to the Titan, which will be Nissan's biggest reveal next year and will likely take center stage for months in aggressive marketing just before it enters showrooms.
Currently, the fastest-grower in the light-duty pickup truck market is Ram Trucks, who've been offering compelling versions of the Ram 1500 and heavily marketing them. For the Titan to gain popularity and share, Nissan will have to target not just the overall light- and even some medium-duty pickup truck market, but will have to cut into Ram's growth to do it.
If the new 2016 Nissan Titan is all its expected to be, Chrysler may have a lot to worry about.
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Comments
In 2004 the titan set the
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In 2004 the titan set the standard for 1/2ton trucks it brought to the market innovations that no others had
300+ hp
spray in bed liner
on bed stow away compartment
double wishbone fr suspension
and many more
now that the other players have almost copied most of those innovations after 10 yrs.
the stage is set for the next titan to once again set the pace
it will be no less revolutionary than the 2004 model and it will be another 10 years for the rest to catch up.
they are about to unleash a monster 1/2 ton that you can bank on
my insider at Nissan claims they will have a 400+ hp v8 a 332hp 568 tq diesel
and a v6 as well they will have more bed and cabin offerings he also mentioned that the suspension
will be up graded
I can see them taking share from Toyota not ram
ram's ecodiesel appears to satisfy many though they are not good for carrying heavy loads (coil sprung)
secret
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secret
look for the titan to move up to 2500
frontier 1500
and a new truck to fill the void left by frontier
the new truck will be small smaller than current frontier
Nissan should put the diesel
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Nissan should put the diesel into the work vans ASAP for testing and fine tuning, nobody will hawk over those numbers as hard as the Titan MPG and give them a chance to fine tune any issues because there is always some issue..
I have a '05 Titan crew cab,
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I have a '05 Titan crew cab, it's been an exceptional truck. Better reliability than GM, Dodge, etc. I drove long haul and had the Cummins 444 with an 18 speed Road Ranger in a Peterbuilt 379. The Cummins is a great engine, but what is the transmission going to be? The drive line? The rear axle? Does anyone know at this point? I now pull a 6600 lbs. Airstream and have no problems with my Titan. I want the diesel, primarily for the, hoped for, fuel economy, and the engine brake for the mountains. I will probably wait to buy till 2017 model, let the first year prove the diesel Titan. It will be interesting to see how well the Titan will do. I am not a die hard Nissan owner, BUT, the Titan has proven itself to be far better in quality of build, ride, yech than I have seen in Ford, GM, Dodge, over the years. If you read what is said about the others in their first year after production, they are great trucks. If you read about the the longer they are on the road, they're quality issues start to show up, whereas the NISSAN Titan does much better. I like the design of some of the newer trucks, but I want quality and value for my money, that is why I will wait for the Nissan Titan diesel rather than jump to buy the other vehicles with their issues.
It what you say is true, than
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In reply to I have a '05 Titan crew cab, by Lee (not verified)
It what you say is true, than why are Nissan sales so low? Maybe because you're an domestic hating import lover. Nissans are garbage. And everything that company makes is fugly.
There's a reason nobody in
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There's a reason nobody in there right mind buys Asian brand pick ups. They are cheap garbage. If a contractor showed up at my house driving a Toyota or nissan , they would be fired for stupidity.
Nissan will take market share
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Nissan will take market share from toyota. Most american haters will only buy imports no matter how bad they stack up. Both of those trucks are failures. Toyota came out and said they were going to "dominate" in truck sales like the camry. they have never had more than a few percentage points. Nissan will sell some the first year to the same american haters. But sales will fall to levels like they have now. No serious truck person considers import branded. And those are the repeat buyers
What do you mean by American
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What do you mean by American hater? I am a service connected disabled Marine. I would fight and die for my country even in the condition I am in. I love America and my freedom that I have served for. Now having said that may the best truck win, its really all about competition, and what you need. My current needs are quality as #1, efficiency #2. I am now waiting on the Ridgline for a test drive.
And as far as being an American hater, would you risk or offer your life for your country, for freedom of speech and other freedoms, if in fact this is your country? What would you do if ISIS came down your street wanting your woman and home? Would you cower and turn Muslim or do you stand and fight?
I know what I would do and for that reason you should be thanking every veteran that you cross paths with. Sorry, I diverge, Honda Ridgeline with a 9 speed sounds like a winner and yes Asians make better quality vehicles. I am a 51 year old Caucasian America lover. I would love to see Honda incorporate a diesel into the Ridgline and the 9 speed tranny.
Sounds like you're an Asian
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In reply to What do you mean by American by Robert C (not verified)
Sounds like you're an Asian loving american hater. If the Japanese came down your street, raped your wife then shot all the rest of your family, would you still love their product? Well go ask the Chinese people. Because that's what they did to them for centuries. If your sending your money to Japan, you're no friend of any of ours. And if you're considering a ridge line, you're pretty stupid because that's not even a pick up. Its more like a cheap ugly SUV for pussies.
Robert, thank you for you
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Robert, thank you for you service and sacrifice. The previous post was union "made in the USA" rhetoric. Anyone in the industry knows this is an outdated concept. Auto manufacture, design, assembly is global like it or not. The best truck is the one you like best, meets your needs, fits your budget, etc. There is no "best" truck or manufacturer and anyone who thinks otherwise is uninformed.