2009 Nissan Titan: What's New

Vehicle Overview
Nissan did nearly everything right with the Titan, but a fickle consumer base never reached out to Japan’s first aggressive attempt at the full-size truck market. Even winning a few magazine shootouts against Detroit automakers didn’t help this very capable truck expand its market beyond a loyal Nissan customer base and a few open-minded shoppers; Nissan will end Titan production at its Mississippi plant in 2010. Nissan’s next full-size pickup will be based on the Dodge Ram and will likely feature Dodge powertrain components.

The Titan comes in four trim levels: XE, SE, LE and the offroad-ready PRO-4X. The PRO-4X includes an electronic locking rear differential, 18-inch alloy wheels, BFGoodrich Rugged Trail tires, skid plates, Rancho shock absorbers and a 3.357:1 axle ratio.

New for 2009
This is the fifth year of production for the Nissan Titan, and very little has changed, other than Nissan revising its equipment packages for easier ordering. Highlighting this effort is the Max Utility Package, which combines popular towing and cargo-bed features. Specific features depend on the model, but the package is meant to include traction control, a tow hitch and harness, trailer-brake pre-wiring, extendable tow mirrors, a Utili-track tie-down system and a spray-in bedliner.

Exterior
Nissan offers the Titan in King Cab and Crew Cab versions, each with long- and short-bed cargo boxes, identified as long wheelbase and short wheelbase models. There is no regular cab.

The Titan’s styling has always been rather safe, never breaking enough barriers to draw customers away from the Detroit competitors. Also, the Titan’s front end has the exact same styling cues as the Frontier and Armada.

• Lockable bedside storage behind left rear wheel well
• Available 20-inch alloy wheels
• Available Utili-track adjustable tie-down system
• Available factory spray-on bedliner

Interior
A bench seat is standard in XE and SE models, with buckets seats standard on LE and PRO-4X Titans. The center console (on bucket seat models) can hold beverages, has a 12-volt power source and a cargo bin that can be configured to hold hanging files. The PRO-4X gets unique seats, meters and gauges, in addition to a red-stitched leather-trimmed shift knob and steering wheel. The overall interior layout is functional, and it’s been improved over the first version, which seemed to have more minivan cues than rugged truck personality. The luxury LE offers plenty of wood trim, and there’s an available 10-speaker, 350-watt Rockford Fosgate audio system.

• Fold-down front passenger seat (with bucket seats)
• Hands-free Bluetooth system
• Available rear-seat DVD entertainment system
• Spacious 126 cubic feet of interior room in Crew Cab

Under the Hood

• 317-horsepower, 5.6-liter V-8 with dual overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder makes 385 pounds-feet of torque
• Available E85 capability
• Five-speed automatic transmission
• 37-gallon fuel tank on long-wheelbase models

Safety
The Titan offers a full line of safety equipment, but not all features are standard. Available features include front seat-mounted side airbags and roof-mounted side curtain airbags. Electronic stability control is also optional.

• Front-seat active head restraints
• Available rear parking sensors

Of Interest to Truck Owners

• Maximum gross vehicle weight rating: 7,200 pounds (King Cab LWB 4×4), 7,200 (Crew Cab 4×4)
• Maximum payload capacity: 2,062 pounds (Crew Cab SWB 4×2)
• Maximum towing capacity: 9,500 pounds (King Cab SWB 4×2)
• Axle ratio: 2.937:1 (4×2 and 4×4), 3.357:1 (PRO-4X 4×2 and 4×4)
• Transfer case ratio: 2.596:1
• Crawl ratio: 29.18:1 (4×4), 33.35:1 (PRO-4X 4×4)
• Minimum ground clearance: 10.7 inches (PRO-4X)
• Approach angle: 30.5 degrees (King Cab PRO-4X SWB 4×4), 30.7 degrees (Crew Cab P4X SWB 4×4), 30.8 degrees (Crew Cab PRO-4X LWB 4×4)
• Departure angle: 27.7 degrees (King Cab PRO-4X SWB 4×4), 27.8 degrees (Crew Cab P4X SWB 4×4), 27.5 degrees (Crew Cab PRO-4X LWB 4×4)
• Cargo floor length: 79.1 inches (King Cab SWB), 98.8 inches (King Cab LWB), 67.3 inches (Crew Cab SWB), 87.0 inches (Crew Cab LWB)
• Cargo floor width: 63.8 inches
• Cargo floor width at wheel well: 50 inches
• Cargo bed depth: 19.9 inches
• Dana axles front and rear
• Tailgate illumination in cargo area
• Dampened tailgate assist