2026 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X R Quick Spin: Hey, You Got Some Roush on My Nissan
Key Points in This Review
- The new Roush-developed package for the 2026 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X includes an Ohlins suspension and new wheels and upper control arms.
- The truck’s tires are slightly more aggressive, too.
- The package will not be available to upgrade existing Frontier Pro-4X trucks.
There’s now a Roush performance package available for the 2026 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X. Yes, that Roush — the “Mustang” Roush. Contrary to the blinged, boosted Mustangs and F-150s whipped up by Roush Performance, Nissan’s first collab with the storied Ford tuner is an off-road package for the already-off-roady Pro-4X grade, and no, there ain’t a supercharger in sight.
Related: How Much Is the 2026 Nissan Frontier?
Nissan bills its Roushified truck as the Frontier Pro-4X R, and just about the only way you’ll be able to pick it out from a lineup of standard Pro-4X trucks is a fresh set of Roush-branded wheels, “titanium”-hued accent trim, and a small set of “R” badges on the tailgate and front quarter panels. That, and some extra ride height: A set of remote-reservoir Ohlins 2.0 coilovers add 2 inches of lift in the front.
What Does the 2026 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X R Compete With?
- Takeaway: This package pushes the Frontier up from a Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road competitor into Tacoma TRD Pro territory.
Capping it off is a bright-red set of Roush-designed upper control arms, and a more aggressive variant of the Pro-4X’s stock Hankook Dynapro AT2 tires brings both grip and the “Xtreme” label. If all of this doesn’t quite sound like a match for a Ford Ranger Raptor, that’s by design; if the standard Pro-4X is best considered an equal match for a Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road, the new Roush package should bring it closer to the TRD Pro and Trailhunter versions of the Tacoma.
This isn’t really aftermarket, either. Frontiers designated for Roushification exit the standard Canton, Miss., production line for upfitting at a Roush complex just up the road. It then rolls onto the same cross-country transport as standard Frontiers en route to dealers. Disappointingly, customers will not be able to upfit existing Pro-4X trucks with a component kit, dealer-installed or otherwise.
Will the Roush Package Be Available for the Frontier as a Kit?
- Takeaway: Roush confirmed there are no plans to offer the new Pro-4X R package as a stand-alone kit.
I find that decision a bit silly, but I do understand the collective decision to not bolt one of Roush’s signature superchargers onto the Frontier’s naturally aspirated 3.8-liter V-6. A Roush rep on-hand indicated that while this was a consideration early in the project, projected pricing was far, far out of alignment.
For now, you’ll have to make do with the Frontier’s standard 310 horsepower and 281 pounds-feet of torque, backed by a nine-speed automatic transmission and selectable four-wheel drive. Even without Roush’s finger in the pie, this makes for a stout package off-road, especially with the locking rear differential and suite of terrain drive modes.
The most aggro off-road Frontier was already brutally handsome, but the new R is a clean, masculine step above with genuine off-highway vehicle park presence. And the capability ain’t so bad, either; Nissan put together an impressive obstacle course in the Las Vegas Motor Speedway infield for general billygoating and chassis articulation of both the R and non-R trucks, and I came away impressed with (and hungrier for) the new kit.
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How Does the 2026 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X R Drive Off-Road?
- Takeaway: It’s impressively capable and composed, at least based on our limited drive experience.
I’m impressed because both iterations of the Pro-4X demonstrated genuine roughneck characteristics with satisfying analog aspects, and I’m hungrier since … well, I didn’t drive it that much. A few loops of the obstacle course in both trucks were all we had, with zero on-road driving or extended cruising down a desert two-track. Compared to the standard Pro-4X, the R felt more composed during dramatic see-saw maneuvers and was less likely to scrape the undercarriage, not that the standard truck struggled with that.
Thanks to the tantalizing amuse bouche workout sesh, we’re already planning a route for the next time we slide behind the wheel. And if you’re already sold, expect to pay a $6,090 premium to tack that “R” on the tailgate for a total MSRP (not including destination) of $49,655.
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