Texas-Sized Titan: Nissan Rolls Out a Revised Pickup

If a company is going to introduce a bevy of changes to one of its pickup trucks, Texas is definitely the place in which to do it. In fact, it is a popular urban legend that the Lone Star state’s piece of the pickup pie is so large, one manufacturer splits its national marketing efforts four ways: North, West, East, and Texas.

Nissan is a small but active player in the North American pickup truck game, not unlike the plucky Corgi in the dog park yapping at the Great Danes and German Shepherds. For this upcoming 2020 model year, the company has shovelled several cubic acres of development dollars at its Titan full-size truck.

It’ll be simple to spot a 2020 Titan in traffic, thanks to a liberal application of LED mascara on both the front and rear lamps. Its lighting signature is different than the older trucks, along with the addition of a new front bumper style and different badging. Taking a page from the book of Detroit, vastly different grilles will be fitted to varying trim levels, with dark and aggressive ones on the Pro-4X and chrome-bedecked units on the Platinum Reserve, for example.

Upgrades reside under the hood, too, with the 5.6-liter Endurance V8 gaining a few ponies to push its total to an even 400 horsepower. This puts it in league with the 5.0-liter V8 and 5.7-liter Hemi at Ford and Ram, both of which make 395 horses. GM continues to offer 355 hp in its 5.3L V8. The four-century rating will allow Nissan to advertise the Titan as having “the most powerful standard V8 in its class,” an assertion which is technically true.

However, it would behoove the smart shopper to recall the Titan has but one engine choice while the trucks from Detroit have several. Your author will note that the 2019 Titan has one of the best sounding exhaust notes these jaundiced ears have ever heard on a stock pickup truck. The engine is now mated to a nine-speed automatic, a ‘box that will likely improve acceleration feel and increase fuel economy. The latter is currently quite poor in real world testing, so this change is welcome.

Inside, the old infotainment system — which was as advanced and useful as a Lite Brite — has been binned in favor of a new 9-inch touchscreen which includes new features and the continuation of standard CarPlay. A dual-panel sunroof makes an appearance as well, surely pleasing the denizens of hyperborean nations.

The 2020 Titan is also a showcase for Nissan’s burgeoning array of driving aids, including automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control. It’s worth noting that other, more expensive machines are devoid of this equipment.

In the States, this new 2020 Nissan Titan will be available in King and Crew Cab body styles, with the regular cab having been deep-sixed earlier this year. Look for them on dealer lots in January.

[Images: Nissan]