Crisp Handling and Smooth Ride

Nissan had two of its early production models available for 10-minute test drives on the streets of Detroit following a recent press conference, and while many of the other journalists went looking for additional comments from the Nissan folks and others just got up and left, I couldn't pass by the set of twin Titans parked outside Stroh Riverplace without climb into the driver's seat of one.

Jed Connelly, Nissan's senior vice president of sales and marketing, talks to journalists about the company's all new, American-made Titan full-size pickup truck inside Detroit's Stroh's Riverplace office building. (Photo: Joe Cabadas, Canadian Auto Press)

Outwardly, I like the Titan's look. This isn't some quirky vehicle designed for the compact urban areas of say Japan, Europe or even America's older cities, but one that could easily be viewed as a work/play truck in the U.S. Midwest, South or the wide open spaces of Canada.

It boasts bold "badging" on its liftgate; somewhat similar to how Ford has upsized its oval on its new F-150 pickups (I guess you have to do something to fill up what would otherwise be that huge sheet of metal back there). The pickup's "aggressive" styling outside is at least as distinctive as the recently updated Dodge Ram pickup and its engine, powertrain, plus exterior and interior components won't disappoint a potential truck buyer either.

Nissan's new 305-horsepower Endurance 5.6-liter DOHC V8 engine powers the new Titan. (Photo: Nissan)

Now, I'm not a "truck" person and can't say I've ever had much use for a vehicle where half the space is open to the air all the time--that's why I bought a trailer to tow behind my minivan--but I think I have an understanding of the attraction pickups have for many people and just what they might be looking for. You want a truck tough enough to handle tough jobs, yet you want all the creature comforts and passenger hauling capacity of cars and SUVs for after work hours, because who can afford two or three different vehicles these days. On that note, I think the Titan delivers.

It's equipped with just one engine choice, Nissan's new 305-horsepower Endurance 5.6-liter DOHC V8 from its facility in Decherd, Tenn. With a torque rating of 379 lb-ft at 3,600 rpm, the 4x2 Crew Cab has a maximum towing capacity of 4,264 kg (9,400 pounds) vs. 4,309 kg - 9,500 lbs for the other three variants. Its estimated fuel economy is 16.8 L/100 km (14 mpg) city and 12.4 L/100 km (19 mpg) highway for both the 4x2 King and Crew cabs and dips to 16.8 / 13.1 (14/18) for the 4x4 models, but should be able to go the distance with its 126 L (28 gallon) fuel tank.