The pickup comes with a 5-speed electronically controlled "Torq-King" automatic transmission that is specially designed for heavy-duty truck use and towing (no "manny tranny" for those who like working a manual stick shift).

Opened wide--the Nissan Titan King Cab's doors open wide to provide ample access to the front and rear seats. (Photo: Joe Cabadas, Canadian Auto Press)

"When creating the Titan," noted Larry Dominique, chief product specialist for the truck, "we found that most people's prerequisites for a serious full-size truck are horsepower, torque and towing capacity. So that's where we put our highest priority. Nearly 90 percent of the Endurance V8's torque is available below 2,500 rpm, giving the Titan an advanced capability to tow, haul and drive off-road."

The Titan drives and rides much like the new Ford F-150 with fairly crisp steering. There is no "wobble" when you turn the steering wheel--you know, waiting for the front wheels to actually start turning like some other full-size pickups. It rides like a truck (yeah, I know some of you are thinking, "duhh," but the new F-150 has a bit of a smoother ride to it), but it didn't seem as bouncy as other full-size pickups I've driven.

Two early production Titans were available for automotive journalists to take 10 minute long spins on the streets of Detroit. The pickups were easily able to manage the potholes on the side streets just east of General Motor's headquarters at the Renaissance Center office-building complex. (Photo: Joe Cabadas, Canadian Auto Press)

I must point out, however, that my brief excursion on Detroit's side streets, some potholed and others newly paved, gives me only a glimpse at the truck's capabilities. I didn't get it up to freeway speeds, nor was it loaded in the back and I wasn't towing anything. Still, it was fairly comfortable to sit in while thumping over a rutted, partially brick-lined, partially asphalt road along Detroit's aging riverfront near the Medusa Cement Company and the RenCen. All in all I didn't detect anything noticeably amiss or wrong with the Nissan's new truck, but rather it met my expectations for a full-size pickup--that fairly crisp steering and a better ride are now the price of entry for those who want to compete in this segment.