With a string of recent home-run vehicle introductions behind it, Nissan is about to attempt its toughest launch yet.  The 2004 Titan hits dealers this December, taking Nissan into full-size pickup truck territory.  How new is Nissan to the last Big-Three dominated market?  As the Titan was being shown to journalists for the first time, Nissan dealers across the country were scrambling to equip their service departments with vehicle lifts strong enough to hoist the big pickup trucks for oil changes.

Rather than trying to compete with the comprehensive, two-hundred model lineups offered by Ford and Chevrolet, Nissan has targeted a relatively narrow section of the market, so the Titan is intended to appeal to buyers looking for a recreational truck, rather than a work truck.  Especially in Texas, Nissan is looking for buyers for whom a pickup truck is a lifestyle choice, rather than a work necessity.  To woo the personal-use buyers, the Titan is considerably more stylish than any of the competition, and all models are well-equipped.  Built in Canton, Mississippi, the only thing overtly Japanese about this burly truck is its badge.  The 5.6 liter V8 is the largest in Nissan’s lineup, and is designed specifically for use in this truck.  This is a “town truck” with some serious capability.

The Titan looks huge, but it’s about the same size as the new Ford F-150.  It’s not quite as tall as the towering Dodge Ram, either.  Up front, the Titan greets the world with a chrome, three-element grille.  The hood is incredibly stubby, and domed to clear the engine.  The arched hood increases the Titan’s apparent height.  There’s lots of chrome, from the cannon-like auxiliary lights under glass to the wide bumper.  It’s offered in extended and crew cab models.  In the extended cab, the rear access doors can be opened flush to the body, a design feature that’s sure to please anyone who’s ever found themselves trapped between the front and rear doors in a parking lot!  The real design story is at the rear of the truck, however.  Not content to just target the personal-use market, Nissan has also re-thought the pickup bed.  The big trapezoidal taillights and Frontier-like tailgate with plastic “armor” around the handle hide a pickup bed with a standard spray-in bedliner, power point for plugging in electrical accessories, tailgate-level work light and an available driver’s side storage cubby for trailer hitches and other small equipment.  Nissan also offers a bed-channel cargo system, which puts tie-downs on adjustable tracks, instead of the traditional permanent fixtures.  With this, cargo can be tied down more securely and attached to the floor, sides, or front of the bed as necessary.

The Titan is generously large inside, with lots of headroom and legroom.  The dash forms what Nissan engineers call a “wall” to provide a feeling of security (as if the monstrous truck itself wasn’t enough).  There is a choice of bench or bucket front seats, and column or console shifters.  In both versions, the center console is generous.  With a bench seat, the console folds up to become a third seat; when the column-shift, five-passenger option is checked, the center console becomes big enough to hold hanging file folders and serve as a mobile filing cabinet.  The Titan is available with a whole host of luxury-car like features, including a navigation system and DVD entertainment system, reverse sensing parking aid, and a tire pressure monitoring system.

Nissan didn’t forget that even trucks that never see a job site are often expected to work hard.  All Titans are half-ton trucks, but like Ford and GM, Nissan is pushing the boundaries of what a half-ton truck can do.  The 5.6 V8 is the only engine offered, but it’s larger than the standard V8s of the competition.  Power is rated at 305 horses and 379 ft-lb of torque, and all Titans feature five-speed automatic transmissions.  The extra gear makes the big motor manageable around town, putting down the power smoothly without the surging and growling common to the Dodge Ram and other big-displacement V8s.  Payload is a healthy 1600 pounds; towing capacity is up at 9500 pounds.  Nissan hopes to challenge the preconception (created mostly by the lightweight Toyota Tundra) that Japanese-built pickup trucks can’t work as hard as American ones.  An available towing package adds a 3.35 rear axle, hitch equipment, extra gauges, towing mirrors and Nissan’s handy Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) stability control system.

Buyers get a choice of two- or four-wheel drive, of course.  The Titan has a low-range transmission.  The 4×4′s off-road ability is enhanced by a sophisticated limited-slip system on front and rear axles which uses the anti-lock brakes instead a differential lock to enhance traction.  An electronically locking rear differential will be available next year.  The Titan’s short front and rear overhangs and over ten inches of ground clearance also improve its dirty-road prowess.  An optional off-road package includes four-millimeter skid plates and Rancho gas-filled shocks.

Suspension revolutions are uncommon when it comes to hard-working trucks, and the Titan’s familiar independent front, solid-axle rear is no exception.  The front suspension consists of double wishbone arms, which offer more communicative handling.  Around town, the Titan feels tough, but less harsh than Dodge and Chevrolet.  You’ll never mistake it for a car, though, thanks to its size and the husky growl from that huge V8.  On the road, the Titan’s easy to drive thanks to the short nose and a low beltline that offers great visibility.  Our test truck was a King Cab model, and exhibited none of the body flex that’s occasionally found in extra-cab pickups.

The Titan goes on sale this December.  Pricing hasn’t been set yet [at the time of original publication in 2003], but Nissan promises a window sticker competitive with Ford and Chevrolet.

Specifications:

All specs are for the 2004 Nissan Titan SE extended cab, which we tested.
Length:         224.2 in.
Width:            78.8 in.
Height:            75.1 in.
Wheelbase:        139.8 in.
Curb weight:        5019 lb.
Payload:        1643 lb.
Towing capacity:    9400 lb.
Engine:         5.6 liter DOHC V8
Drivetrain:         five-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Horsepower:         305 @ 4900
Torque:         379 @ 3600
Fuel capacity:        28.0 gal..
Est. mileage:        14/19

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