2020 Nissan Titan Platinum ReserveJil McIntosh PARK CITY, Utah Despite its name, the Nissan Titan has never actually been a titan in a segment dominated by the Detroit automakers. But with its 2020 makeover, its a contender.The good news is an engine re-tuned for more power (but read on for more on that), a new transmission, updated styling inside and out, and overall, its a truly decent driver. It also comes with a segment-exclusive five-year or 160,000-kilometre bumper-to-bumper warranty.The bad news? If you want anything other than a V8-powered Crew Cab 44 truck with a 5-foot-5 bed, look elsewhere. Nissan Canada has targeted our strongest buyer preference of four doors and four-wheel drive, and wont offer the King Cab or two-wheel-drive models as the U.S. will. The larger Titan XD, slotted between light- and heavy-duty and with a six-foot-five bed, also gets the new transmission and styling updates, but loses its optional 5.0-litre Cummins turbodiesel engine. As before, the Titans powered by a 5.6-litre V8 that, on the 2019 version, makes 390 horsepower and 394 lb.-ft. of torque. Nissans now advertising that the 2020 model makes 400 horses and 413 lb.-ft. of torque, the best in the segment for a V8 engine. Ah, but theres a catch the engines been retuned, but you only get those bigger numbers on premium-grade fuel. Pour in 87 octane, and you still get the old numbers, and thanks to the price difference at the pumps, Im guessing thats what most owners will experience.The new transmission has nine speeds instead of seven, and an improved final drive ratio provides more towing grunt. The extra gears should improve fuel economy; final figures arent out, but the 2019 model gets 13.4 L/100 kilometres. Maximum towing capacity is 9,350 pounds (4,241 kilograms), while payload tops out at 1,630 pounds (739 kilograms) for the Titan. On SV trims and up, a towing package that includes an integrated brake controller, extendable mirrors, and trailer hitch is standard. You can also check your trailers lights by yourself using the key fob.There will be four levels at launch early next year: S, SV (with available Convenience or Premium packages), off-road-ready PRO-4X, and Platinum Reserve. Prices are still secret, but for 2019, they range from $47,198 to $69,998. The basic truck is unchanged, and styling changes are mostly trim. The grille looks smoother, painted or chromed surfaces differentiate the levels, theres a wide band across the tailgate it hasnt quite grown on me and new lighting. The front lamps are twice as bright as before, but the redesigned taillamps include surprisingly tiny brake lights. The tailgate is damped, and theres an available bed step that flips out from the corner. Cargo management options include bed channels with cleats, spray-in bedliner, and storage boxes.The interior styling bears a basic resemblance to the outgoing model, but with more luxo-look materials, an available dual-panel sunroof, and a larger centre stack with a standard eight-inch or optional nine-inch infotainment screen. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, and the Titan gets its first Nissan Connect Services, including WiFi, over-the-air software updates, and traffic services.Nissan prides itself on zero-gravity seats, and so it should: These are extremely comfortable, and heated and cooled front seats, heated rear seats, and a heated steering wheel are available. The rear seat backs fold down, while the cushions fold up. In lieu of a flat floor, theres a fold-out floor panel thats more robust than the flimsy ones Ive seen on some other trucks. Every Titan gets Nissans Safety Shield 360 suite, which adds blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, front and rear emergency braking, lane departure warning, and automatic high-beam headlamps. But the big question is how it drives, and the answer is extremely well. The nine-speed shifts smoothly and never hunted for a gear, even when the route included very low speed limits up very steep hills. The Titan much bigger than it needs to be, just like every truck out there, but it doesnt feel like a behemoth on the road. The suspension is tight, it handles well and doesnt wallow around corners, and I particularly like that the hydraulic steering has just the right amount of weight and with good feedback to tell you whats happening under your wheels. Its also very quiet, thanks to laminated glass in the windshield and front windows. Should you want some noise, a premium Fender audio system is standard on the PRO-4X and Platinum Reserve.I took the PRO-4X on an off-road course and it did exactly what its supposed to do, traipsing effortlessly over rocks and ruts (alas, its been dry in Utah and there wasnt any mud for fun), thanks to Bilstein shocks, a locking rear differential, and hill descent control. I also towed a 6,000-pound horse trailer, and as with all trucks today, the Titan seldom seemed to notice it was there. So
Origin: First Drive: 2020 Nissan Titan