Nissan 
has finally pulled the covers off the half-ton 2017 Titan pickup, though the debut was somewhat soft. The automaker released a short narrative on the truck with only a handful of photos, none of which show the interior. Nevertheless, the main talking points are known. Let’s have a look.
First off, the Titan carries the same styling design as the Titan XD. It measures 79.5 inches wide – the same as the Titan XD – though is 14.7 inches shorter. That length is subtracted from both the bed area and the nose, just ahead of the fuel-filler door and the front tires, respectively. This can be attributed to the Titan’s unique half-ton frame, not found under the Titan XD. Nissan says even the lug nuts are different. The cab sizes remain the same, thought the standard Titan offers all three cab configurations, meaning Single, King, and Crew Cabs are present. Three bed sizes are available, too, measuring 5.5, 6.5, and 8.0 feet in length.
Just like the Titan XD, the Titan comes in five trim levels. They are S, SV, PRO-4X, SL, and Platinum Reserve. The headlining drivetrain will be the revised 5.6-liter Endurance V-8 with a new seven-speed automatic transmission, while an undisclosed V-6 is still in the works. Both 2WD and 4WD drivetrains will be offered.
“Titan will compete in the heart of the full-size pickup segment – the half-ton – while the Titan XD provides a unique solution for customers by bridging the cost and capability gap between traditional half-ton and full heavy-duty pickups,” says Rich Miller, the director of product planning for trucks, SUVs, and commercial vehicles for Nissan. “Together Titan and Titan XD will cover nearly 85 percent of the total full-size truck market.”
The 2017 Nissan Titan will hit showrooms in the summer of 2016. Pricing and other information will be released closer to its on-sale date.
Continue reading to learn more about the 2017 Nissan Titan.
Exterior
The Titan shares much of its looks with the Titan XD, though there are several key differences. Most notable is its shortened length. You’ve got to look closely, but the Titan XD has a longer area just behind the headlights and ahead of the front tire. The same is true in the bed. The length of sheet metal between the bed’s bulkhead and the fenders is longer on the XD. Presumably, this is to help accommodate the fifth-wheel hitch. Since the Titan doesn’t comes with an integrated hitch, the truck can be shorter.
The length of sheet metal between the bed’s bulkhead and the fenders is longer on the XD.
Beyond that, the trucks look nearly identical. A trained eye will spot the Titan’s front tow hooks are now incorporated into the bumper opening, rather than under the front bumper like the Titan XD. This is thanks to the Titan’s half-ton-style frame. Two other key differences are the side mirrors and engine badge. While the Titan XD comes with tall, two-section tow mirrors, the standard Titan comes with more traditional horizontal mirrors. The engine badge on the front fender denotes what powertrain is under the hood. Though the 5.6-liter V-8 will be offered in both trucks, the Titan won’t have a Cummins badge, while the Titan XD won’t have a V-6 badge (We haven’t seen a V-6 badge yet).
Interior
Note: 2016 Nissan Titan XD pictured
Nissan has not released any photos of the 2017 Titan’s interior, though we’d be thoroughly surprised if it didn’t look like the Titan XD’s digs. We expect to see the same level of equipment and finishings in the Titan as in its big brother. That suspension is backed by Nissan’s statement of both Titan and Titan XD trucks sharing cab sizes and widths.
Of course, both trucks sharing an interior isn’t bad. In fact, we really enjoyed the Titan XD’s interior during our first-drive event last December. Nissan ’s Zero Gravity seats are comfortable, the controls are intuitively arranged, the infotainment system is typical Nissan, and the gauges are easy to read.
For hauling passengers, the Crew Cab is the best choice. Loads of legroom in the second row makes long trips comfortable. The King Cab is the next largest with rear-opening doors. For contractors and fleet customers, or the rare breed of truck guy, the Titan will finally be offered in a Single Cab. This is a first or the Titan name.
Drivetrain
Under the hood is a revised version of the 5.6-liter Endurance V-8. This is the same engine found in the 2016.5 Titan XD, the new 2017 Nissan Armada, and the 2016 Infiniti QX80, though the Nissan version is slightly detuned from the Infiniti mill.
The resulting technology helps the V-8 produce 390 horsepower and 401 pound-feet of torque.
The naturally aspirated V-8 features direct fuel injection, or what Nissan calls its Direct Injection Gas system, or DIG for short. Controlling the valvetrain is Nissan’s Variable Valve Event Lift technology or VVEL. It mates together hydraulic-controlled variable vale timing with electronically controlled variable valve lift on both intake and exhaust valves. The resulting technology helps the V-8 produce 390 horsepower and 401 pound-feet of torque. A seven-speed automatic transmission is the sole gearbox.
Both 2WD and 4WD drivetrains will be offered, with the 4WD system getting an electronically controlled, two-speed transfer case with both high- and low-range gearing.
Safety
Nissan hasn’t disclosed much in the way of safety, but count on a full host of active and passive systems. If the Titan is anything like the 2017 Armada, it will offer things like Predictive Forward Collision Warning, Intelligent Cruise Control, Distance Control Assist, Forward Emergency Braking, Lane Departure Prevention and Warning, Blind Sport Warning, and Blind Spot Intervention.
We’ll bring you all the details when Nissan makes the announcement.
Prices
Pricing has not been announcement at this time, and won’t until closer to the Titan’s on-sale date in the summer of 2016. Until then, we suspect the truck will carry a starting price of roughly $30,000 on into the low $60,000 range for the range-topping Platinum Reserve.
Competition
Ford F-150
Ford has ruled the half-ton truck segment for nearly 40 years with sales of its F-150 and Super Duty models outpacing everyone else. The current F-150 continues the trend thanks to a recent remake for the 2015 model year. The truck features an aluminum body, a steel frame, and a wide range of engine, cab, and bed options. It’s hard to find another vehicle on the market with more possible build configurations.
The F-150’s bread-n-butter engine is the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 with twin turbochargers, 365 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque. For V-8 lovers, Ford offers the 5.0-liter V-8 with 385 horses and 387 pound-feet. Prices for the F-150 start at roughly $26,000 and venture into the low $60,000 range.
Read our full review on the Ford F-150 here.
Chevrolet Silverado 
Chevrolet can boast the second highest sales in the half-ton market, thanks to its Silverado pickup. Like the F-150, the Silverado comes in nearly every conceivable cab, bed, and engine configuration, though Chevy sticks to a more traditional powertrain lineup. The truck can be had with one of three engines, depending on cab choice and trim level. They include the 4.3-liter V-6, 5.3-liter V-8, and the mighty 6.2-liter V-8. Transmission choices include six-speed and eight-speed units.
The Silverado can be equally as expensive as the F-150, with prices starting around the $26,000 mark and extending near the $60,000 threshold.
Read our full review on the Chevrolet Silverado here.
Conclusion
Though Nissan hasn’t released all the juicy details on the 2017 Titan half-ton pickup, we can clearly see it will be a competitive player. It’s new, bold design, powerful engine, wide selection of cab choices, and long list of options should make truck buyers very curious. We fully expect this new generation of Titan to blow away Nissan’s previous truck sales numbers. Much of that will likely be attributed to the wider selection of cab sizes.
We will certainly keep a close watch on the new Titan’s progress in the industry and look forward to getting behind the wheel.
Press Release
Now that the all-new flagship XD model of Nissan’s reimagined TITAN family of pickups is on dealer lots, Nissan is turning its attention to the upcoming “standard” (half-ton) version of TITAN at the 2016 Chicago Auto Show with a special photography release.
“There’s a strong family resemblance between TITAN XD and the standard TITAN, with their shared rugged exterior style,” said Rich Miller, Director of Product Planning for Trucks, SUVs and Commercial Vehicles, Nissan North America, Inc. and Chief Product Specialist for TITAN and TITAN XD. “TITAN will compete in the heart of the full-size pickup segment – the half-ton – while the TITAN XD provides a unique solution for customers by bridging the cost and capability gap between traditional half-ton and full heavy-duty pickups. Together TITAN and TITAN XD will cover nearly 85 percent of the total full-size truck market.”
TITAN is built on a separate chassis from TITAN XD, and is approximately 228.1 inches long (14.7 inches less than XD) and 79.5 inches wide (same as XD), with the cab size shared between the two vehicles. “The TITAN and TITAN XD do not share any common chassis components,” added Miller. “Even the lug nuts are different.”
TITAN will be available in 4×2 or 4×4 drive configurations with three cabin configurations – Crew Cab, King Cab and Single cab – and three bed lengths – 5.5, 6.5 and 8 feet. Similar to TITAN XD, TITAN will be available in five trim levels – S, SV, PRO-4X, SL and Platinum Reserve.
The TITAN will be powered by Nissan’s 5.6-liter Endurance® V8 gasoline engine capable of 390 horsepower and 401 lb.-ft. of torque. This engine will be mated to a 7-speed automatic transmission. A V6 gasoline engine will also be available (details to be announced at a later date).
The Nissan TITAN will be assembled in Canton, Mississippi with the 5.6-liter V8 gasoline assembled in Decherd, Tennessee. The truck goes on sale in summer 2016.