Nissan takes aim at domestics with full-size Titan pickup

Nissan takes aim at domestics with full-size Titan pickup

2008 Nissan Titan pickup truck
By: Rob Beintema

Go big or go home. You could argue that Japanese automotive companies have gone plenty big enough. They seem to have conquered almost every niche of the automotive market.

Yet, whether it’s to achieve some unattained level of respect or simply because there’s just too much cash out there to ignore, those companies still occasionally foray into the field to butt heads against that last bastion of domestic supremacy – the full-size pickup truck.

After hemming and hawing with countless concepts and the half-hearted T100, Toyota dipped a toe into the market with their first-generation, three-quarter sized Tundra. And after gaining confidence with their compact pickups, Nissan also took a stab at it with the 2004 Titan.

Both companies found it heavy slogging. The so-called, even playing ground isn’t all that even, what with the overwhelming choice and number of models offered by the Big Three domestics. Not to mention the challenge of breaching the loyalties of a staunchly conservative truck crowd.

But the Japanese aren’t quitting. A second-generation full-size Tundra lineup was launched with all the accompanying hoopla earlier this year and Nissan also responded, albeit a little more quietly, with a new and revised Titan.

The 2008 Titan that rolled onto dealer lots this past spring offers more power, more interior refinement and more model selections. New long-wheelbase models have been added and Nissan is also trying to woo weekend-warriors with an offroad-packaged Pro-4X.

“The Titan lineup continues to expand in terms of both selection and flexibility, giving Titan buyers the perfect choice for just about any work or adventure need they might have,” said Ian Forsyth, Director, Corporate and Product Planning, Nissan Canada Inc.  “The PRO-4X and Long Wheelbase Titans embody our full-size truck philosophy, allowing drivers to take more cargo across more terrain in style and comfort.”

The Titan comes in a choice of four models – XE, SE, PRO-4X and LE. There are two cab styles – the extended-version King Cab and the full-four-door Crew Cab. Four bed lengths are available – 5’6” and 7’ for the Crew Cab, and longer 6’6” and 8’ boxes to match up with the shorter cabins of King Cab versions. Drivers can also choose between 4x2 and 4x4 drive configurations in some of the models.

Under the hood, the 2008 Titan harnesses the all-aluminum 5.6-litre V8 engine that was techno-bumped last year up to 317 hp rating and 385 lb-ft of torque. This is a proud and powerful engine that I tried desperately not to redline, mindful of the cost of refilling a 140 litre tank and the painful limits of my gas card. I averaged just over 14L/100km, right about what I expected, somewhere in the middle of the estimated rating of 18L/12.2L/100km (city/hwy).

There is still only one engine choice for the Titan, reason for some criticism from the trucking crowd along with the lack of a regular cab size. And allow me to suggest that both Nissan and Toyota should apply a little more inspired innovation to their powertrain selection – diesel, hybrid, multi-displacement engines, whatever – like they do with their car lineups if they want to beat, let alone compete with the big boys.

Titan’s 5.6-litre V8 comes with a 5-speed automatic transmission that was designed for heavy-duty truck use, with emphasis on towing up to a maximum capacity of 9,300 pounds for King Cab and 9,400 pounds for Crew Cab. For 4WD models, Titan adapts a shift-on-the-fly 4-wheel drive system with 2WD/4HI/4LO modes with electronic control part-time transfer case.

This latest generation Titan has been freshened a little on the outside with a minor facelift up front, new wheel lip moldings all round, and with all-new wheel designs. It has an aggressive stance, big truck character and, when it comes to the long-wheelbase SE model tested here, it doesn’t just look like a big truck. Man, it IS a big truck.

Inside, the Titan has new seats and a refined gauge package for ’08. The interior with revised centre stack has a quality look and feel that is hands-down more sophisticated than the big-piece plasticity of the Tundra.

Other 2008 Titan enhancements include stuff you’d expect to find in a luxury sedan - an optional Bluetooth hands-free phone system, a factory-installed XM satellite radio tuner, heated leather seating, an available 350-watt 10-speaker Rockford Fosgate audio package and an 8.0-inch DVD screen (up from 7 inches last year). Two new exterior colors – Pebble Beach and Timberline – and a new beige interior choice are also now available.

My Crew Cab tester was roomy in front and back and even the King Cab version offers easy access through doors that swing open to almost 180 degrees. Anyone using the Titan as a mobile work area will appreciate a massive centre console with a variety of storage choices and dividers. The console box can even hold hanging file folders and there’s a 12-volt power point for phones or electronic hookup. And when closed, the flat console makes a great work surface for laptops.

Behind the passenger compartment, my Titan SE offered the longest Crew Cab bed in its class, measuring a full 7 feet. My chiropractor started eyeing the pickup, muttering something about an old hot tub they had always meant to haul down to the dump.

Nobody has more friends than a pickup owner. But I begged off, with protestations of scratching up a test vehicle, even though all Titans come with a standard spray-on bedliner designed to help prevent scratch damage and corrosion.

The Titan also offers an optional Utili-track tie-down channel system, with five "C" cross-section rails that are mounted in the bed (two channels in the bed floor, and one each on the bed side rails and the bed header panel). Removable utility cleats (rated at 200 pounds) slide into the channels for cargo tie-down.

There are also four standard stake pockets and Nissan offers accessories like bed dividers, sliding cargo trays, modular storage units and bike and kayak racks.

One other thing I liked. Titan’s tailgate will not fall open. A hidden strut dampens the tailgate action and assists in opening and closing.

And one last feature that I’ll mention is a storage compartment for small tools, work gloves etc. that opens behind the rear wheel fender on the outside of the driver’s side sidewall. A recipe for rust, some say but I think it’s a nice innovation on wasted space and, based on other recent concepts playing with the same idea, we’ll probably see a version adopted more widely across the market.

The 2008 Nissan Titan is definitely worth a look. It’s a slightly different take on the common domestic theme with all the strengths, capabilities and workhorse ethics North Americans demand from their trucks. And it boosts those capabilities with a touch of individualistic styling, sedan-like civility, and enough available luxuries to make any truck owner happy.

2008 Nissan Titan AT A GLANCE

BODY STYLE: Full-size pickup.

DRIVE METHOD: front-engine, 4X2 or 4X4

ENGINE: 5.6-litre, all-aluminum V8 engine (317 hp / 385 lb-ft)

FUEL ECONOMY: 18L/12.2L/100km (city/hwy)

SAMPLE MSRPs: King Cab XE 4X2 - $33,498; Crew Cab LE 4X4 - $51,498; As tested: Crew Cab SE 4X4 Long Bed - $43,698

WEBSITE: nissan.ca.

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