Posted on 06/22/2006 1:50:31 PM PDT by Abathar
TOKYO -- A newspaper reported Thursday that Nissan plans to develop a new heavy-duty version of its Titan pickup truck by the end of the decade to cash in on the lucrative U.S. market.
Currently, the Titan is only sold in the United States.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the beefed-up version of Nissan's Titan would be aimed at contractors and trailer haulers. It would compete with vehicles such as Ford's F-250 pickup.
A Nissan spokeswoman declined comment.
The move would be a challenge to the domain of Ford, General Motors and Chrysler, which have leaned on highly popular pickup trucks to offset slumping sales of passenger cars. The vehicle is reportedly scheduled to come out in late 2009.
Nissan would likely stop making Nissan Quest minivans at the company's assembly plant in Canton, Miss., to make room for the new Titan, the report said.
The Houston Chronicle reported that Nissan produced 99,775 units of the current Titan in 2005. Both the Titan and the Quest are made at the Mississippi plant, The Chronicle reported.
I'll second that. My '97 F-250 7.3L Powerstroke Crew Cab now has 278K on it and is still going strong. It has been the best vehicle I've ever owned, including several Toyotas and Nissans, each of which were falling apart by this time. Oh, and it gets 24 mpg on the highway. It'll pull anything and haul anything you want. I routinely carry a Bigfoot truck camper while pulling a 26' car hauler trailer, no sweat.
I've heard from several folks, including a couple of Ford mechanics, that the new 6.0 Powestroke is a piece of crap, though. I heard this morning from a Ford rep that Ford is discontinuing the 6.0 liter in favor of a 6.4 liter next model year.
My husband works at a Nissan dealership and recently bought a Titan - we love it. And neither of us had ever really cared for trucks before. Roomy, comfortable, sharp-looking. Gas mileage is a killer, though!
Um... As in GM pretty much OWNS Isuzu. The Duramax contract is an exclusive one, so they won't be making a diesel for Nissan anytime soon.
Personally, I'm not a truck enthusiast. I prefer more curves, power and handling in my ride.
It's not practical in lousy weather. No top, no windows, no heat (except engine) and no A/C except wind.
We bought 3 ourselves, we let the pumpers decide. Not a problem yet. Me, i drive a 4 door Z-71, I'm GMC all the way.
I was a Cuda fan, big time. Being born in 1950, I was definitely a 60s generation motorhead. My Dad's hottest car was a 1966 Chrysler 300 with a 440 TNT and twin quads.
Neither Toyota nor Nissan had heavy enough trucks for large cargo trailers. Interesting that they finally got into the market. We just bought a Ford F250, but were looking for a used diesel anyway, so we wouldn't have been in the market for a new one anyway.
Lexus LX470, myself. My sore ass days are over.
(It has a hydraulic deal to raise the ground clearence, if I need it. Figure if the Toyota it is based on is good enough for Mutal of Omaha, good enough for lease roads in Pecos County.)
That's what we just bought! It sounds like a bus from the outside, but is surprising quiet inside, even at highway speeds.
The Acura RSX will be discontinued so you better get one quick.
We'd read that the 2003 6.0 Powerstroke had tons of problems, but that they worked it out on newer models. That's why we went for a 2004.
I hope they "beef up" the brakes, as well.
Nissan recently bought back my brother's Armada
(which is a Titan turned SUV) due to recurring
brake problems. However, kudos to Nissan for stepping up
and doing the right thing.
Do you really believe that the Duramax charade is anything more than a union busting tactic ?
engine is a GM (light duty) design
Same Moraine workforce (line & management) - locate cross town & drop IBEW (not UAW or teamsters) membership.
Several (token) Isuzu reps on station to keep up appearances.
Nothing beats the Honda Element for ugly, and I am planning to get a 2007 model
http://automobiles.honda.com/images/2006/element/customize/base_car/SI_lx4wd_34FRONT.jpg
I'm also partial to the looks of the classic XKE.
After having a 1992 buick roadmaster for about ten years, my dad bought a 06 altima 4-cylinder. He said it has good pickup. I thought he'd go for the v6 as he has always been a big car guy, but he said the 4-cylinder was very peppy.
http://images.securedwebform.com/stock/300/scion/xb/2006/5ha.jpg
FWIW I don't think the Element is all that ugly. The only thing I don't like are the rear suicide doors. When you have kids in the back seat, they can't let themselves out without first opening up the front passenger door.
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