In the 1970s, pickups began to displace cars as the average American's vehicle of choice. In the subsequent decades, sales of light trucks have exceeded all expectations and despite blips on the radar (namely fluctuating gas prices), your average half tonner still outsells most rival cars by around two to one, something that Japanese manufacturers, as they made in roads here in North America, became only too aware of.
While it wasn't long before they got the small car segment licked, building a full-size pickup was an entirely different proposition. Toyota's first effort, the 1992 T-100 was a disaster: too small, underpowered and expensive (though it was well made). Its second, the Tundra, was still ¾ size, even though it finally offered a V8. But it was rival Nissan, which can be credited for launching Japan's first true full-size pickup. Aptly named the Titan, it debuted for the 2004 model year. Critics were stunned. Here was a 224-inch long truck, weighing over 5,000 lbs and powered by a 5.6-liter V8.
Built at Nissan's facility in Canton, Mississippi, it appeared, on paper, to offer everything that GM, Ford and Dodge did with their half tons. However, while newer designs, from Toyota and also the Detroit three have debuted since then, the Titan has soldiered on largely unchanged.
Currently the future of the Titan is uncertain, with a deal to share a platform with the current Dodge Ram having fallen through and Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn saying the automaker will go-it-alone in building a replacement. With a timeline for a second generation Titan uncertain, we at AutoGuide felt it was time to revisit this pioneering Japanese full-size rig to see how it compares in today's marketplace.
Things can change fast in the auto business. Back when the current Pathfinder was launched, in 2004 as a '05 model, truck based SUVs represented around half the market. Today, the landscape is dominated by car-based crossovers and yet, there's still a lot to be said about driving a proper Sport Utility.
This author remembers driving the 2005 Pathfinder when it was first launched, so testing the 2010 version was like revisiting and old friend. Some things have changed, like trim levels, which now comprise S FE, S, SE and LE, but a lot hasn't. This third generation 'Finder is still what it was in the beginning – unapologetically a truck with a choice of two or four-wheel drive. It's styling has been only mildly updated (2008), which means Tonka truck looks and big fat tires protruding from fairly muscular fenders are still the order of the day. Like every four-door Pathfinder that came before, it also features somewhat hidden rear handles, giving it the look of a classic two-door design.
Inside, despite getting on in years, the Pathfinder remains highly versatile. Three rows of seats mean seven-person capacity and both the second 40/20/40 split bench and 50/50 third row can fold flat into the floor, freeing up a whopping 79.2 cubic feet in cargo space (it's 16.1 cu-ft with all seats in the up position). Other neat interior features include no fewer than 12 cargo tie downs, eight cup holders (two for bottles), a dual-storage glove box, standard tilt steering wheel and cruise control.
The next generation of Nissan's Titan pickup truck is scheduled to arrive somewhere around 2014 and could be joined or even proceeded by a heavy-duty version. The news comes from a report by PickupTrucks.com, after an interview with Larry Dominique, vice president advanced and product planning and strategy at Nissan North America.
Despite making up only a miniscule segment of the truck market (2.11 percent to be exact), Nissan execs have repeatedly enforced the automaker's commitment to offer a light duty full sized pickup truck. Initially Nissan was working with Chrysler to develop a new truck based on the Ram 1500, but after Chrysler's bankruptcy proceedings and takeover by Fiat, the new Chrysler company broke off the agreement.
With the Titan's future uncertain and market conditions unfavorable, sales plunged throughout the year, but Dominique believes the truck may have hit a turning point as original buyers seek to replace their trucks with new models.
Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn has said publicly that Nissan without Chrysler's help, Nissan will go it alone, developing an all new Titan from the ground up.
Dominique is currently putting together a proposal for his bosses that would see the Titan and a heavy duty Titan share some exterior and interior parts, but with different frames. Ideally, this would lower production costs, while expanding Nissan's share of the truck market.
With a date of roughly 2014 to the new Titan the current truck could have a production run of 11 years. Nissan will attempt to keep its truck fresh and competitive with updates from other trucks, like the Armada and Infiniti QX56.
Subdued in 2009, America's most important auto show is back on track at the start of a new and more optimistic year. General Motors and Ford will take center stage with a long list of new and important products including the 2011 Ford Focus, 2011 Ford Mustang GT, Chevrolet Camaro Convertible, 2011 Chevrolet Aveo, Buick Regal GS, GMC Granite Concept, Cadillac XTS Concept and Cadillac CTS-V Coupe. As for Chrysler, it doesn't have any press conference scheduled, but it will display a rebadged five-door hatchback from Fiat's Lancia brand, as well as a lineup of Fiat 500 models, including a convertible, electric version and a sporty Abarth model. Now under Fiat's wing, the Chrysler booth with also display amazing machines from both Ferrari and Maserati.
Other important vehicles debuting at the show include the Honda CR-Z Hybrid, a dedicated hybrid concept from Toyota, the 2011 BMW 3 Series, BMW Z4 sDrive35is, 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe, MINI Beachcomber Concept and the Mercedes E-Class Cabriolet.
There's sure to be plenty more as well, so check back often as we update this page with the latest breaking news from the Detroit Auto Show starting January 11th.
Plus: Don't forget to sign on to get email updates from AutoGuide.com's live coverage of the 2010 Detroit Auto Show.
The North American International Auto Show, hosted each year in Detroit, appears set to return to its former glory for 2010. Many of the automakers absent from last year will be displaying and introducing models, while fears of bankruptcy for the U.S. manufacturers have been realized and have now subsided thanks to generous government aid and the help of foreign partners, the cooperation of the unions and a lot of tough decisions.
Important debuts for the first auto show of 2010 include the Honda CR-Z hybrid sports car, a Dedicated Hybrid Concept from Toyota, the BMW Z4 sDrive35i, the MINI Moke Concept and the 2011 Ford Mustang GT.
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