2016 Nissan Titan XD
After 12 years, Nissan finally introduced a second-generation Titan pickup truck. But more than that, Nissan introduced a “right sized” model that split the difference between a half-ton and three-quarter ton. Called the Titan XD, the truck debuted for the 2016 model year and features lustworthy components like a 5.0-liter Cummins turbodiesel, a modern cabin, and an integrated gooseneck hitch into the cargo bed. The truck comes in Single, King, and Crew Cabs with three corresponding bed lengths. Nissan’s strategy is undercutting the competition’s three-quarter ton trucks on price, while providing more payload and towing capacity than a half-ton pickup.
While not common, this strategy has been tried before. Chevrolet offered a Silverado 1500 HD in the early 2000s, but canceled the model due to slow sales. Nissan is well aware of this and is attacking the heavy duty market from both sides – both the high-end consumer trucks with every whiz-bang feature and the fleet segment with base model, single cab pickups built for work. Regardless of trim, the Nissan Titan XD is certainly capable of work. A high-strength frame supports the all-new body and the highly anticipated 5.0-liter Cummins V-8 turbodiesel. A heavily updated 5.6-liter gasoline V-8 comes standard. Properly equipped, the Titan XD can haul 2,920 pounds in the bed and tow 12,640 pounds via its gooseneck hitch. What’s more, Nissan’s specs are SAE J2807 compliant, meaning they are indeed true.
Update 06/20/2017: Nissan has released pricing for its late-released King Cab configuration. Check out the Prices section for the full breakdown of each Titan XD configuration.
Click past the jump to read more about the 2016 Nissan Titan XD.
There’s yet another police vehicle hitting the roads this summer – the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 SSV – a modified version of Chevy’s popular full-size truck. Equipped with several cop-centered features, the Silverado SSV will be well suited for Park Rangers, fire departments, and police special service vehicles (hence the SSV nomenclature).
Powering the Silverado is the 5.3-liter EcoTec3 V-8 making 355 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque. Like the civilian version, the 5.3-liter comes with GM’s three power-making, fuel saving technologies: direct injection, variable valve timing, and Active Fuel Management. All told, the Silverado gets up to 23 mpg highway in two-wheel-drive configurations. The engine is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission with an auxiliary oil cooler for heavy-duty hauling. Tow/Haul mode and selectable shifting are present too.
To power all the police equipment inside the cab is a 170-amp, high-capacity alternator with a massive 730 cold cranking amp battery. An extra dome light, a 110-volt outlet, and four upfitter switches are added as well. A-Pillar spot lights, wig-wag headlights, and auxiliary wiring for emergency lights in the grille are all available.
Chevy also includes a few features to keep costs down for the government agencies that buy these trucks. First is a common key set that allows one key to operate their entire fleet of Silverados and Tahoe PPV vehicles. No more lost keys or judicious labeling of key sets. GM’s new Duralife brake rotors also keep maintenance costs down over the long haul.
The Silverado SSV is available in two- or four-wheel-drive and come in Crew Cab form with either the 1WT or 1LS trim packages. Tons of aftermarket police equipment is also through third-party venders for outfitting the truck for specialized uses.
Chevy hasn’t release pricing for the Silverado SSV package, but expect costs to be more than the standard Silverado. Currently, a 1WT Crew Cab truck in 2WD costs $34,795 with no options selected.
Click past the jump to read more about the Chevrolet Silverado 1500.
Ram Trucks has just released the details and photos of its latest and greatest Power Wagon, a refreshed version of the heavy-duty, off-road champ that can handle nearly every strenuous task thrown its way. While the Power Wagon isn’t the only off-road-based truck out there today, it is certainly the only one capable of trudging deep ruts, climbing rocks, and fording 30 inches of water while hauling 1,490 pounds in its bed.
And yes, people actually do that.
While the obvious comparison is with the Ford Raptor, the trucks compete on two different playing fields. Designed as a high-speed desert runner, the Raptor is lighter and more nimble than the Ram while its suspension is designed to absorb jumps and bumps at tremendous speeds. Those Fox racing shocks work very well in those circumstances, but aren’t so great for towing or hauling.
That’s where the Power Wagon picks up. Built on the back of a Ram 2500 Heavy Duty truck, the Power Wagon has the strength of the heavy duty combined with the off-road prowess of a Jeep Wrangler. The fact both the Wrangler and Power Wagon come from the same manufacturer shouldn’t come as a surprise. They actually share some hardware – at least in concept — namely the front axle’s electronic sway bar disconnect. With the push of a button, the massive solid axle is free to twist in full flex, keeping its 33-inch tall tires on the ground no matter how severe the terrain gets.
The list of impressive hardware continues throughout the three-quarter-ton truck as the Ram powers its way through Prius’ nightmares and Raptors’ dreams. Click past the jump for the full run-down.
Click past the jump to read more about the 2014 Ram 2500 Power Wagon.
The SsangYong Musso is a double cab pickup based on the Musso SUV. The vehicle was commercialized between 2002 and 2005, and features Mercedes engines and transmissions. The Musso Pickup offered a good compromise between luxury, strength and refinement, but it never received the deserved attention.
Thanks to the use of Mercedes parts, the truck was pretty reliable delivering strong on road performances and being able to deal great with heavy loads too.
The SsangYong Musso Pickup was offered with either 4x2 or 4x4 drive modes and was able to tow a maximum weight of 3500 kg, while payload is rated at 854 kg.
The ChineseGreat Wall Wingle has entered the worldwide market in 2006. The vehicle was also known as the Steed in Europe and the V-Series in Australia.
The Steed was available in both single and double cab configurations and offered a good mix between comfort, price and practicality.
The exterior design looked like a combination between Isuzu’s D Series and the Volkswagen Magellan Concept.
The vehicle is available with two engines which come with 2.4 and 2.8 liter displacements and are mated on a five speed manual transmission. The Steed 3 can be ordered with either 2WD or 4WD configurations.
The Holden Rodeo was basically a rebadged version of the Isuzu Rodeo and was sold between 2003 and 2007.
Except for some minor exterior differences the Holden Rodeo looked identical with its Japanese twin. The same platform was also used to build the GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Colorado.
The Holden Rodeo was offered in a wide range of versions including single, double and extended cabs, and also two and four wheel drive models.
The truck was fairly practical and coped great with many arduous jobs. Though, the Holden Rodeo had to deal with a pretty strong competition which affected its sales charts.
The vehicle has a minimum payload of 1054 kg with a maximum towing capacity of 2000 kg or 3000 kg, depending on the engine.
The old Colorado was a pretty competitive vehicle, offering a good balance between comfort and utility. The new generation moves this heritage even further and is a completely new vehicle designed from the ground up to respect the contemporary requirements of pickup trucks.
The 2012 Holden Colorado shares the same platform and technology with the Isuzu D-Max, but it’s equipped with its own GM engines.
Similarly with the old model, the new Holden Colorado is offered with regular, extended and crew cabs. The vehicle is offered with a choice of two engines which come with 2,5 and 2,8 liter displacements.
The previous generation Holden Colorado arrived in 2008 and is available with a wide range of body styles and engines which make it well suited for a large number of buyers.
The pickup truck is available in 4x2 and 4x4 configurations and the engines lineup includes both diesel and petrol units. Three cab versions are available namely Single Cab, Space Cab and Crew Sab.
Despite the fact that is based on the same platform as the Rodeo, the Colorado is a totally different vehicle that puts accent on utility. The 2008 Holden Colorado was sold until 2012 when it was replaced by the new generation which is based on the Chevrolet Colorado. The old model vehicle had a starting price of $19,990 (excluding taxes).
The previous generation SsangYong pickup was launched in 2007 and was a surprisingly good product offering a high class interior comfort, capable engines and reasonable road manners. Price also worked in Actyon’s advantage, but the exterior design was anything but charming.
After five years, SsangYong decided to come up with a new generation which keeps all the good attributes of the previous model and also features a more attractive exterior design.
With a starting price of $26.990, the new Actyon Pick-up continues to be one of the most affordable double cab pickups from the market.
Under the hood, you’ll find an upgraded 2.0 liter turbo diesel engine which delivers a maximum output of 155 hp. The truck continues to be available with both 2WD and 4WD configurations.
SsangYong find it hard to survive during these difficult economic conditions, but somehow it managed to remain in the competition and continues to sale its vehicles worldwide.
The manufacturer is especially known for its SUVs and pick-ups which come with an affordable price tag and are fitted with all modern common sense features.
The 2007 Actyon Sports pickup was sold until 2012 when it was replaced by the new generation. The old model was offered with both 2WD and 4WD configurations and was powered by either a petrol or a diesel engine. The vehicle features a ladder frame chassis and has a kerb weight of 1900 kg.
Great Wall is a less known Chinese automotive company, which recently has started to sell vehicles in Europe too. The Steed was the first Chinese vehicle launched on the UK market and it’s basically a four door double cab pick-up priced pretty competitively at $22.000.
Offered only in two wheel drive configuration, Great Wall Steed is equipped with a 2.0 liter engine which comes with a variable geometry turbocharger. The engine churns out 143 hp and it is married to a six speed manual gearbox.
The truck has a gross vehicle weight of 2,885kg with a maximum payload of 1,095kg. When properly equipped, the Great Wall Steed can tow up to 2,000kg.
Service intervals are set at 10,000 miles, and the vehicle is covered by a three-year/60,000 mile mechanical warranty.
The Subaru Baja was sold in only one generation being available between 2002 and 2006. The idea behind the Baja, was to develop a vehicle which came with an all wheel drive, four passenger carrying capability and an open bed at the back. Basically Subaru wanted to create a vehicle that combines the handling and comfort of a conventional passenger car with the practicality of a pickup truck, a concept that can be also found at many American small pickups.
The Subaru Baja had a unibody design and shared many common elements with the Legacy and Outback models.
The Subaru Baja was available only with a double cab configuration and was powered by a 2.4 liter flat-4 engine.
The Mark LT is Lincoln’s second attempt to design a luxurious pickup after failing with the Blackwood model that was sold for only one year. Lincoln’s first luxury pickup was highly criticized for its lack of practicality and the not-so-luxurious cabin. However the company didn’t give up and decided to try it’s luck once more with the Mark LT.
The new luxury pickup was launched in 2006 and features a smarter style mixed with a longer load bed and a modern looking cab. The vehicle is based on the four door version of the Ford F-150 pickup and it’s powered by Ford’s 5.8 liter Triton V8.
Any usual pickup buyer is interested about tow ratings, cargo capacity or price/value ratio. Though, there are some people who don’t give a damn about these figures and are ready to pay a huge amount of money for something that doesn’t offer four-wheel drive, comes with a half long bed, and drinks oil like the Drunken Master.
This is exactly the case for Lincoln’s Blackwood luxury pickup launched on the market in 2002.
The Lincoln Blackwood is based on the Navigator SUV and has a double cab configuration. Under the hood there was a strong 300 hp V8 unit and the starting price was set at not less than $52.000.
The Lincoln Blackwood was sold in a pretty limited edition with only 10.000 units being built and its direct competitor was the Cadillac Escalade EXT.
The first generation Escalade EXT was launched in 2002 and shared the same underpinnings with the Chevrolet Avalanche.
The second generation came in 2007 and continued to share many common elements with the Avalanche, both of them being built on the new GMT900 platform. To remain in front of the pack, the vehicle has also received a series of cosmetic and technological adjustments.
The second generation Cadillac Escalade EXT is fitted with a stronger V8 engine which develops 403 hp and an upgraded rear suspension. The base price for the EXT is $54.210.
The Cadillac Escalade EXT is based on the luxurious Escalade SUV introduced by GM in 1999. Similarly with the Ford Sport Trac and Chevrolet Avalanche, the Escalade EXT is a hybrid vehicle resulted from the combination of a SUV with a full sized pickup truck.
The truck shares many common elements with the Chevrolet Avalanche and has even the same innovative “Midgate” (separating the passenger area from the cargo bed) which made its sibling famous.
The vehicle is offered only with a double cab configuration and it’s fitted with a wide range of luxurious features that can’t be found at many pickup trucks from the market.
The Escalade EXT features a guzzling 345-horsepower V8 engine combined with a full-time all-wheel-drive system.
The final generation of the legendary D Series was rebadged as the Dodge Ram when Lee lacooca took charge of the Chrysler Corporation.
The Dodge Ram D Series was sold until 1993 when it was replaced by a completely redesigned Ram which shortly after became one of the best sold pickups in US.
The D Series range included three models, namely the D-150, D-250 and D-350. The vehicles were available with both single and double cabs with either short or long beds. Power options included a wide range of engines with the base unit being a 3.9 liter, followed by 5.2 and 5.9 liter V8s.
The Mitsubishi Raider was a small pickup truck sold on the US market. The vehicle was basically a rebadged Dodge Dakota with oversized fenders and a few other small modifications.
The Raider was among the first models sold by Mitsubishi on the US market, but it was never a best seller.
The vehicle was available in three configurations including Extended Cab 2WD, Double Cab 2WD and Double Cab 4WD. The five-passenger Extended Cab model has a 6.4-foot bed, and the Double Cab models come with a 5.3-foot bed.
Unlike the Dodge Dakota which comes with optional strong V8 engines, the Mitsubishi is available only with one 3.7 liter V6 engine which develops 210 Hp. At least Mitsubishi offers a five-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, compared to Dodge’s three-year/36,000-mile comprehensive coverage. Though, Dodge still continues to remain on top, as it provided a lifetime warranty for the powertrain.
The bond between Isuzu and GM continues to be pretty strong and the companies still share rebadged trucks and pickups between them. Even is the success of this business isn’t brilliant and Isuzu’s rebadged i-Series pickup didn’t managed to conquer a lot of hearts, the companies are ready to move one.
Unfortunately, the Chevrolet W-Series medium seems to share the same bad karma with the Chevrolet T-Series whose unsuccessful lead to its premature death in 2009.
With only two months after the N Series was launched in Japan, Chevrolet introduced the W Series in US but shortly after, in January 2009 the American company decided to wind-down its medium-duty truck operations.
The Chevrolet W Series was offered with both single and crew cab configurations in Class 3 (W3500), Class 4 (W4500), Class 5 (W5500), and class 5 (W5500) versions.
Isuzu sold rebadged GM vehicles from some time now and one of the latest models launched by the company is the i-Series pickup which is based on the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon. The vehicle is available in both single and double cab versions with either 4x2 or 4x4 configurations.
The i-Series is far from being among the best choices you can find in this segment as both its materials and build quality are behind average. The engines are also a half step behind models like the Toyota or Nissan, but the price is smaller than most if its rivals.
Though the competitive price strategy wasn’t enough to boost Isuzu’s sales and its i-Series was always at the bottom of the sales charts.
Judging by the poor sales recorded by Isuzu on the US market, it’s possible that the i-Series could be the last passenger car sold on this market.
Unlike other oversized pickup trucks, the GMC Topkick had a pretty long life span. The vehicle is basically a rebadged version of the Chevrolet Kodiak and was sold until 2009.
The Topkick pickup was a medium duty truck designed to be able to deal with those loads that were too heavy for a conventional pickup truck and its 6.6 liter V8 unit can tow up to 16.000 pounds.
The vehicle was modified in 2003, when it received a series of new features, some exterior changes and upgraded technologies. The new truck came with both 4x2 and 4x4 configurations and had a starting price of $55.000.
The Chevrolet Kodiak shared the same designed and technologies with the GMC Topkick and Isuzu H-Series and was commercialized between 1980 and 2009. The vehicle was designed as a medium duty truck used for utilitarian and commercial purposes.
The last generation was launched in 2003 and it was built on the new platform G-Platform.
The new model came with a bigger cab and was offered with both 4x2 and 4x4 configurations. Power comes from a 6.6-liter, 300-horsepower Duramax diesel V-8 and the base two wheel drive Kodiak starts at about $55,000.
The Chevrolet Kodiak has a maximum towing capacity of 16.000 pounds, plus the additional 5,500 lb. it can carry at the back.