Work and Play: Nissan Adds a Brace of Packages to Titan and Titan XD

Matthew Guy
by Matthew Guy

America loves its pickup trucks, evidenced by a segment that’s increased nearly 5 percent compared to the same time last year.

Sure, many trucks across the nation haul nothing but air in their beds, but more than a few actually work for a living. Nissan is attempting to lure both parties into its showrooms by adding a couple of new option packages to its trucks – one for work and one for play.

In a bid to further play with the Detroit Three heavy duty trucks, the Titan XD is now available with a Snow Plow Prep Package. The package includes high-capacity, heavy-duty front springs which increase gross axle front weight by 575 pounds. That’s enough to handle most plows from major manufacturers like Boss and Fisher. It is also roughly equal to the daily snowfall accumulation on the northeast coast of Newfoundland. Nissan also mentions Meyer, SnowEx, and Western-branded plows as plug-n-play options.

The Snow Plow Prep Package is available on all three Titan XD body configurations with the V8 gas engine – Single Cab, King Cab and Crew Cab – and on S and SV grade levels. The heavier duty springs were also offered last year on 2017 Titan XD models (as the Heavy Duty GAWR Package), making vehicles equipped with that package also snow plow-capable. Changing the name of the package to from “Heavy Duty” to “Snow Plow” is a shrewd marketing move on Nissan’s part. Certain XD customers opting for the plow package may also qualify for a $500 incentive.

Knowing not all hands are using their Titans for work, Nissan has extended its Midnight Edition paint scheme to the Titan and Titan XD. As one can likely extrapolate from its name, the Midnight Edition endows the truck with a dark-trimmed body-color grille, smoked headlights, shady exterior badging and wheels, and charcoal interior trim. Truck trim prices for 2018 aren’t yet announced, but the package costs $1,395 on the Pathfinder and $1,095 on the Rogue.

Tellingly, the Midnight Edition is only available on the high-volume, high-margin Crew Cab models – namely, the ones most likely to be used as family haulers and not work machines. Just about all the full-sized trucks now offer some sort of high-zoot monochrome trim, such as the Special Edition Package on the Ford F-150 that looks especially striking when paired with the Sport Appearance Package in a bold color.

With the Midnight Edition kit, Nissan now has an answer for those shoppers, if they’re interested in a truck painted Black, Gun Metal, or White.

Sneer if you want at what some may call a “paint-n-wallpaper” package, but many buyers slapping in excess of $50,000 down on a truck for daily use want something to match their personality. The aftermarket is rife with blackout trim and wheel options, so it makes sense for Nissan to get in on the action and offer it straight from the factory.

Year-to-date, the Titan line is up. Earlier this year, the big bosses at Nissan expressed their desire to grab a full 5 percent of pickup truck market share in the United States. However, chasing arbitrary targets has now fallen in favor of smart growth. To some, adding these types of packages might seem minor. However, they go a long way in pursuing conquest buyers and proving Nissan is serious about the truck game.

[Image: Nissan]

Matthew Guy
Matthew Guy

Matthew buys, sells, fixes, & races cars. As a human index of auto & auction knowledge, he is fond of making money and offering loud opinions.

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  • NMGOM NMGOM on Nov 13, 2017

    Love pickup trucks. Have had one since 1974, after seeing the True Light. Have three now: all with manual transmissions. There is nothing wrong with "nothing but air in their beds". Air is good. It helps you breathe..(^_^).. People buy pickups because - - - 1)They are tough, and have great traction with 4WD. 2) They are well-made, with a fit-and-finish that rivals Mercedes Benz. 3) They last a long time (Ave lifetime sedan = 11.8 years; Pickup = 15.6 years). 4) They are high up, so you can see traffic better. 5) They are VERY capable when needed in hauling and towing. 6) They have a simple, robust suspension design, not some fancy wear-prone Euro 5-link IRS crap. 7) They are comparatively inexpensive for their size (but if you get 'em loaded, they may go $70-80K too!). 8) They are safer in collisions now (Ford F-150 has 5-star plus). 9) They are more able to help a friend in need, whether moving or whatever. 10) They are pure AMERICAN! Why would you buy anything else? (Except if you are some low-life liberal who cries over trees and lives in the deep City with his painty-waist Prius...(^_^)) ====================

    • See 6 previous
    • Landau Calrissian Landau Calrissian on Nov 16, 2017

      @NMGOM I do listen to Rush a lot. Hemispheres is my favorite album, but 2112 and Grace Under Pressure are pretty good too. And unlike Hannity, they don't defend child molesters!

  • Eyeofthetiger Eyeofthetiger on Nov 13, 2017

    I wonder what happens if one actually installs and uses a snow plow on a Nissan truck equipped with the Snow Plow option package. When the powertrain fails because Nissans are garbage, will they still honor the warranty?

    • Krhodes1 Krhodes1 on Nov 14, 2017

      And how is the rust protection on them? There is NOTHING rustier than a plow truck, as a general rule.

  • MaintenanceCosts People who don't use the parking brake when they walk away from the car deserve to have the car roll into a river.
  • 3-On-The-Tree I’m sure they are good vehicles but you can’t base that on who is buying them. Land Rovers, Bentley’ are bought by Robin Leaches’s “The Rich and Famous” but they have terrible reliability.
  • SCE to AUX The fix sounds like a bandaid. Kia's not going to address the defective shaft assemblies because it's hard and expensive - not cool.
  • Analoggrotto I am sick and tired of every little Hyundai Kia Genesis flaw being blown out of proportion. Why doesn't TTAC talk about the Tundra iForce Max problems, Toyota V35A engine problems or the Lexus 500H Hybrid problems? Here's why: education. Most of America is illiterate, as are the people who bash Hyundai Kia Genesis. Surveys conducted by credible sources have observed a high concentration of Hyundai Kia Genesis models at elite ivy league universities, you know those places where students earn degrees which earn more than $100K per year? Get with the program TTAC.
  • Analoggrotto NoooooooO!
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