Nissan Titan Diesel Teased As All-American

We already knew the next-gen Nissan Titan was getting a Cummins diesel, and the Japanese automaker is also marketing its American manufacturing credentials as well. But can a new diesel V8 and an all-American marketing campaign help lift sales that have fallen to record lows?

The teaser video doesn’t tell us anything we didn’t know in terms of the 5.0 liter Cummins V8. I was initially disappointed that Nissan didn’t go with a smaller displacement diesel, like the 3.0 liter EcoDiesel V6 that helped the Ram 1500 earn a 28 MPG rating. I’ve since come around to recognize that this engine could make the Titan a powerful competitor while also earning respectable fuel economy compared to better-selling brands.

The Nissan Titan did enjoy a brief spat of popularity in the mid-2000s, peaking at just under 87,000 sales in 2005, but sales probably won’t even break 12,000 for 2014. Part of the problem is that the current Titan was introduced back in 2003, meaning its been on the market (and for the most part, unchanged) for over a decade now. It’s simply not competitive anymore, especially when automakers like Ford, GM, and Chrysler have gone through three major redesigns in the same time period.

Nissan didn’t mention any specifics, but I have to imagine that lightweight materials will play a role in the next Titan as well. The teaser was heavy on pumping up the American street cred, such as a design penned in California, tested in Arizona, and engineered in Michigan. Of course this makes sense, since the Titan isn’t sold outside of North America, but that’s neither here nor there, right?

On January 12th the world will get its first look at the new Nissan Titan and its Cummins diesel. Can a new engine, a new look, and a new emphasis on its American design breath new life into this flagging nameplate? If not, there’s always the Nissan Frontier diesel concept and the next-generation LEAFto look forward to.

Nissan Titan Diesel V8 Originally Meant For Ram

It has been known for awhile that Nissan was working with Cummins on a diesel engine for its full-size Titan pickup, but few would have predicted the 5.0 liter V8 that was delivered. Apparently, the 5.0 liter Cummins going into the Nissan Titan was originally going to be used in Ram truck too, back when Chrysler and Nissan planned to co-develop pickups together.

Originally Cummins was said to be working on a smaller, 2.8 liter diesel four-cylinder engine that would be used by Nissan and Chrysler in their identical trucks. But Chrysler’s 2009 bankruptcy put the kibosh on those plans, with Fiat swooping in with a 3.0 liter EcoDiesel engine that could get upwards of 26 mpg highway while providing 400 ft-lbs of torque. That’s a winning combination.

But according to sources within Chrysler, it wasn’t just Fiat’s arrival that spurred the use of the smaller diesel engine. The 5.0 liter Cummins V8 is said to return only 23 or 24 mpg, and while its 500 ft-lbs of torque are impressive enough, the 23 mpg 3.5 liter Ford EcoBoost gas engine provides 420 ft-lbs of torque. While not quite as powerful, the EcoBoost is in all likelihood thousands of dollars cheaper than the diesel-powered Titan will end up being. The Ram EcoDiesel option costs just $2,850 more than the gas-powered HEMI V8.

Of course I’ll wait for the official details to pass judgement, but it seems to me the American truck market still needs a small-displacement, high-MPG diesel with torque and a reasonable asking price. Nissan missed the bullseye by going big and trying to compete with domestic diesels, though the gamble might still pay off if the price is right.

 Source: Automobile Magazine

Nissan Titan Could Get Cummins Diesel Engine With Thursday Announcement

It’s taken awhile, but Americans are warming up to diesel engines once again, compelling automakers to put these efficient oil-burners in a wider variety of vehicles. The Nissan Titan, one of just two full-size Japanese pickups sold in the U.S., is rumored to be getting a diesel engine option with an announcement scheduled for Thursday morning.

These rumors first started circulating a couple of years ago, with Nissan and Cummins co-developing a four-cylinder diesel engine for the faltering Titan. That 2.8 liter engine was rumored to deliver a combined 28 mpg, along with 350 ft-lbs of torque. The current 5.6 liter V8 in the Nissan Titan gets just 15 mpg combined with just a bit more (385 ft-lbs) torque, so a diesel-engine option would just about double the Titan’s fuel economy.

It would also be one of just two full-size trucks to offer a smaller diesel engine option, along with the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel, which uses a 3.0 liter V6 with 410 ft-lbs of torque on tap. While GM, Ford, and Chrysler all offer massive, and massively powerful diesel engines, motors like the 6.7 liter I6 in the Ram 3500 are overkill for 99% of jobs outside of ranches or regular hauling. The only glimmer of hope for a four-cylinder diesel pickup came from outside the U.S.,when Indian automaker Mahindra wanted to import its TR20 diesel pickups. But that whole plan fell down like a drunk at a stair climbing competition, leading to lawsuits, hurt feelings, and no small diesel pickup for America.

A smaller diesel engine option would give the Nissan Titan something to differentiate it from other pickups in this price range, and could deliver fuel economy even better than the Ram EcoDiesel. Keep your fingers crossed kids, because like many of you, I’ve been waiting for a legit four-cylinder diesel pickup for years…and we might finally have one. The Nissan Titan diesel is expected to debut in the fall 0f 2014.

 Source: The Truth About Cars