2016 Nissan Titan XD Pro-4X Diesel Arrival

Landing an all-new truck is a rare occurrence. Landing one from an overseas-branded automaker is even more so. With Nissan roaring in a completely rethought Titan, we had to find out if it’s anything for the market leaders to sweat about. To wit, we got our hands on a 2016 Nissan Titan XD Pro-4X off-road model with four-wheel drive and the new Cummins 5.0-liter turbodiesel V-8. Yeah, we grew some chest hair just writing that last sentence.

The XD essentially stands for “extra duty” (Nissan doesn’t officially define a meaning), but it occupies a space between a light-duty and heavy-duty full-size pickup. You could call it a tweener, but to hear Nissan tell it, the Titan XD represents the capability of a heavy-duty pickup from 10 years ago. Those trucks were just fine for folks back then, and today’s heavy-duty, commercial-grade capabilities are a bit over the top for the real world. After all, when was the last time you towed 15 tons of anything? The propitiously named Titan XD is an attempt to show less can be more.

Upfitting from a standard Titan to an XD runs about $1,500 and puts your starting price at about $37,500. Speccing out the diesel with its 555 lb-ft of torque adds another five grand to the bill, and four-wheel drive will cost you $3,000 on top of that. As a result, our midgrade Pro-4X model with the diesel and four-wheel drive is $52,165 before other options. Nissan shows its appreciation to someone buying that powertrain combination by including Bilstein shocks, skidplates, special wheels and all-terrain tires, and a locking rear differential. There are also niceties such as keyless entry, a blind-spot warning system, automatic headlights, a trailer brake controller, a backup camera, spray-in bed liner, a navigation system, and an integrated gooseneck trailer hitch.

To that kitchen-sink list, we added a few other options. The $1,100 Pro-4X Utility and Audio package got us front and rear parking sensors, a 12-speaker Rockford Fosgate stereo system, power-sliding rear window, LED bed lighting, an adjustable bed tie-down system, and a 110-volt outlet in the bed (in addition to the one in the cab). The $1,510 Pro-4X Luxury package added the Around View 360-degree camera system, cooled front seats, and Titan Boxes, which fit over and around the wheelwells in the bed. We also got the $3,310 Pro-4X Convenience package, which adds a remote starter, heated leather seats in the front and rear, an auto-dimming driver-side mirror, and a heated, power tilting and telescoping steering wheel. A la carte, we opted for mud flaps, an electronically locking tailgate, and never-lose-it-in-a-parking-lot Solar Flare yellow paint. All told, our truck rolls heavy at $59,060.

I do mean heavy, too. At 7,340 pounds, it’s as heavy as a typical heavy-duty truck—so much for being a tweener. Unfortunately, it’s also slower than a typical HD truck, at 9.2 seconds to 60 mph. It’s a good thing trucks aren’t just about speed. Will that put us off the Titan XD after a year? Or will its other capabilities save the day? We’ll have to see.

2016 Nissan Titan XD Pro-4X 4WD (Diesel)
BASE PRICE	$52,165
PRICE AS TESTED	$59,060
VEHICLE LAYOUT	Front-engine, 4WD, 5-pass, 4-door truck
ENGINE	5.0L/310-hp/555-lb-ft turbodiesel DOHC 32-valve V-8
TRANSMISSION	6-speed automatic
CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST)	7,340 lb (59/41%)
WHEELBASE	151.6 in
LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT	243.6 x 80.7 x 78.4 in
0-60 MPH	9.2 sec
QUARTER MILE	17.0 sec @ 81.2 mph
BRAKING, 60-0 MPH	135 ft
LATERAL ACCELERATION	0.70 g (avg)
MT FIGURE EIGHT	29.8 sec @ 0.55 g (avg)
EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON	Not Rated

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