2016 Nissan Titan, 5 Things to Expect
Here are 5 things we expect to see when the 2016 Nissan Titan is unveiled.
1. New Powertrain Options and the Cummins Diesel
The current-generation Nissan Titan has failed to gain a significant amount of market share in the full-size truck market. A big reason for this is the lack of engine options. For the new Titan, one of the chief items to improve is their engine lineup. With only one gas-guzzling engine, a 5.6L V-8, Nissan has a huge opportunity.
We already know Nissan will offer a Cummins 5.0L V8 Turbo Diesel engine. This engine has/will create a lot of buzz and should help Nissan grab market share from others. Why? Truck buyers have been clamoring for a Cummins diesel in a half-ton for years. Nissan will be the first to offer such an engine in this class.
Nissan ultimately needs more options for truck and fleet buyers who don’t necessarily need the large V-8 engine. With this thought in mind, we won’t be surprised if Nissan offers a smaller V-6 powered engine. Other truck manufacture offers a V-6 engine. This engine offers better fuel economy with a lower price while sacrificing some of the towing capability of the larger V-8 engine. This is a good tradeoff for truck/fleet buyers who don’t plan to tow with the truck.
2. Better Fuel Economy - dismal fuel economy from the current truck will change with new engine technology improvements
When the Titan was unveiled back in 2003 (see the unveil date of the 2016 Nissan Titan), the full-size truck market was all about towing and capability. Now, it is much more about fuel economy. With the new engines, Nissan will need to really improve their fuel economy numbers. A hot topic among truck buyers, fuel economy has vaulted from the bottom of their wish lists to the top. Nissan must realize this and get it right to become more relevant among truck buyers.
We expect their new engines to offer improved fuel economy somewhere in the mid to late 20s mpg hwy. Currently the Titan gets 13/18 city/hwy MPG.
3. New Interior - upgraded materials, new gauge cluster, better ergonomics
Another key truck category which has changed immensely since 2003 are truck interiors. They used to be rudimentary in nature, focused more on work than pleasure. This is simply not the case any longer. Truck interiors have vastly improved and are more “Cadillac” like than the truck interiors of yesteryear. This is one of the big areas Nissan needs to improve on. For the new Titan, we expect:
• New gauge cluster with a large TFT informational screen between the tachometer and speedometer.
• Larger infotainment screen with built-in back up camera and a wider assortment of apps
• Redundant controls on the screen, steering wheel and in the center console
• Additional storage throughout the cab
• Improved seat, dash and steering wheel materials
• Fully adjustable driver seat with improved ergonomics to reach the center console
These improved interiors will likely be tiered to different trim levels. This should mean Nissan’s SV Premium trim level will be radically improved to offer near Infiniti-like comfort and material quality.
4. Larger truck – wider and taller exterior dimensions
Parking a Titan next to any other competitor truck, it is obvious how much smaller the Titan is to them. The current-generation feels more like a 7/8 scale pickup like the older Toyota Tundra pickups were. Being the smallest full-size truck might seem great to a certain segment of buyers, it just isn’t good from a competitive standpoint. Much like the 2007 Toyota Tundra, the Nissan Titan needs to grow substantially and we expect it will. This will allow it to improve its hauling capacity and appeal to fleet buyers, farmers and construction workers.
5. More bells and Whistles
Nissan needs an edge with the new Titan. With this goal, they will try to incorporate more bells and whistles throughout the truck. Many of these additions will likely be safety related in the form of:
• Blind spot monitoring
• Lane departure assist
• Additional airbags
• Adaptive Cruise Control
We could also see Nissan offering a keyless entry and ignition system. This is a nice feature on their sedans and the keyless options are making their way into trucks. By offering a keyless ignition, they can also assure themselves of avoiding an ignition switch failure debacle like GM is currently dealing with.
Other ideas center on the bed cargo area and better utilizing this space. Other truck makers like Ram and Ford have focused quite a bit of attention on this area. Nissan already has a creative storage idea in the rear quarter panel. They should keep this innovation going with new storage ideas throughout the bed. This area is an easy way to help your truck stand out versus the competition.
In the end, Nissan has a tough challenge ahead of it. Not only do they need to radically update their current truck, they also need to increase market share to pay for the r&d it takes to make these changes. Throw in the uber-competitive full-size truck market where each truck churns out big profits and the stakes are high. Will the new Titan meet all these goals? We will find out.
Comments
Pages