While inspecting
the brand new Titan Crew Cab introduced here in New York, a few hints
were dropped about the next Nissan Frontier expected to arrive for the
2005 model year by fall 2004.
The biggest
surprise revealed by Fred Suckow, a senior marketing manager for Nissan
North America, is that the next Frontier, and Xterra SUV, will share its
chassis with the Titan full-size pickup. This will allow the Frontier
to grow in width to become a true midsized pickup. It will also share
the Titan's sturdy closed section ladder frame construction.
Thoughts
of a larger Frontier bring to mind the need for a bigger powerplant. Suckow
is mum about a new V6 except to say, "our story for the new Frontier
will be about power and performance."
And since
the Frontier will have the Titan's chassis, what about the possibility
of a V8 to compete with Dodge Dakota? Suckow adds only that, "a V8
is still being looked at for the truck."
In Nissan's
research and design efforts, Suckow mentions they have looked to Toyota's
Tacoma as the "gold standard" in the compact and midsize segment.
Asked about
GM's new Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon midsize trucks that are expected
to be priced in the upper teens to mid-20s, Suckow says, "with the
new Frontier we will not be fishing in that end of the market. We want
to compete in the top 2/3 of the segment."
Suckow expects
to see Frontier sales volume grow from around 70,000 units to 80-90,000
units and leaves this as a final word: "We think we'll have as many
surprises with the next Frontier as we have with Titan."
