
“Ladies and gentlemen, we are proud to introduce the pick-up that American truck lovers have been waiting for…the all-new Nissan Titan.”
- Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and CEO of the Renault-Nissan Alliance

Whether that turns out to be true or not remains to be seen, however what remains a fact is that Nissan put in the wrench time and developed a product that, at least on paper, sounds excellent. 555 lb-ft of torque at 1600 revs, yes please.
Nissan is banking that the Titan XD will tickle the fancy of the estimated (theirs) 150,000 annual shoppers who find themselves in pickup limbo. Not needing the size or full capability of an HD but needing more than what a conventional half ton can offer.
So how does the XD differ from its eventual half ton stable mate?
The big one obviously is the 5.0 Cummins ISV diesel, however the drive train differences don't end there. The XD will receive an Aisin six speed automatic, exclusive to the truck, in order to deal with the increased torque loads. Helping to put the power down is a new transfer case. The rear end received a purpose built axle from American Axle MAnufacturing, similar to what Nissan uses in their Commercial Vehicles.
Drive train aside, substantial work was put into beefing up the XD's underpinnings for more arduous duty. Nissans Commercial Vehicle program was the jumping off point, Titan XD's frame is a fully boxed, full ladder setup made from high strength steel, making it sturdier and stronger.
XD's front end is shared with the full size NV's (although that may be both new Titans not just XD). Double wishbone front suspension was reinforced and out back received larger leaf springs and all new HD leaf bushings.
However, oddly auto 4WD for the transfer case is conspicuously absent, conspicuous considering its something present on all other H/T's and has been for years.
And thats just the mechanical effort that went into the XD, never mind the host of clever add ons and useful work tech.
- Integrated Trailer Brake
- Tow/Haul Mode
- Downhill Speed Control
- Trailer Sway Control
- Trailer Guide (rearveiw monitor)
- Integrated LED Bed Lighting
- 5th Wheel Hitch
- Damped Tailgate
- 120 Volt Bed Outlet
- Utili-Track Tie-Down System in the floor
- Lockable Storage Boxes
- Nissan Around View
- Telescoping Exterior Mirrors

Price is the last large question that remains to be answered. North of $50K would seem logical if you factor in the big diesel and the buckets of content. Consdiering modestly equipped EcoDiesels were rolling off the lots north of $40K, fifty large seems like a fair place to speculate...