It’s a miracle the Nissan Titan ever advanced to a second generation, registering as it does just a half-percent of the U.S. pickup-truck market. But the new Titan is here, with two distinct chassis and three engines, wrestling from the bottom of the pile. After debuting the pricier, not-quite-heavy-duty XD diesel last year, Nissan is now offering a gasoline V-8 in the XD for $5000 less.
A base 2017 Titan XD 4×2 Crew Cab S will start at $36,485 when it arrives this summer. Initially, Nissan will sell only Crew Cab gasoline V-8 models, with standard and extended King Cab models to follow. Later still, a true half-ton Titan (with a shorter length, wheelbase, and height) will emerge alongside a gasoline V-6.
Despite its rarity on the job site?or just about anywhere?the new Titan XD V-8 will cost a couple hundred more than a comparable 2016 Toyota Tundra with the 5.7-liter V-8, a vehicle that outsold the Titan 10-to-one last year. But it’s a couple hundred less than a similar Ford F-250, which is exactly the spot Nissan wants as it bridges the light- and heavy-duty segments.
Unlike the Cummins diesel, which gets a six-speed automatic, the gasoline XD pairs its 5.6-liter V-8 with a seven-speed. The V-8 is good for 390 horsepower at 5800 rpm and 401 lb-ft of torque at 4000 rpm, increases of 73 horses and 16 lb-ft over the outgoing engine, thanks to direct injection, variable valve timing and lift, and higher compression (11.2:1 versus 9.8:1). Fuel economy, towi...