It first appeared on the stage at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit a couple of years ago, and now the rollout of the Nissan Titan XD pickup line is complete with the delivery of the 2017 Nissan Titan XD King Cab body style.
2017 Nissan Titan XD King Cab/Images by David Goodspeed
We first saw the new Titan XD in the Cobo Center in Detroit and its new design had us thinking of a couple of previous full-size pickups had been melded together to form this one. It was the first delivery from new truck man Fred Diaz who came over from Ram to lead the pickup endeavors at Nissan. The new King Cab models simultaneously arrive on both Titan and Titan XD model lines to complete the showroom.
The King Cab is the tweener model between Crew Cab and Single Cab variants and offers seating for up to six and has wide-opening rear doors for easy loading. The rear seat can be deleted for commercial applications and there is a flat floor to accommodate all types of cargo. Titan and Titan XD each offer three cab styles and three bed lengths along with a range of trim levels and equipment packages as Nissan seeks to play in the big leagues of the pickup segment. Our recent tester was the 2017 Nissan Titan XD King Cab SV in 2WD with the gasoline V-8 engine and 6.5-foot bed length.
This was our first Titan XD tester with the gas motor as previous visitors arrived with the new Cummins V-8 engine unique to the XD lineup. This 5.6-liter gas engine has been upgraded from the Endurance V-8 under the hood of the first generation Titan pickups and delivers more power in the form of 390hp and 394 lb. ft. of torque. It is mated to a 7-speed automatic transmission with tow/haul mode and manual shift mode on the shifter stalk. With the gas engine, the Titan XD can tow up to 11,380 lbs. and has a max payload capacity of 2,710 lbs.
As a reminder, the Titan XD model rests between the half-ton and three-quarter-ton models competitively and in most all of its abilities and sizing. It shares many of the same features and amenities as the Titan lineup with the most notable exception being the diesel powertrain offering. Our SV tester features cloth captains chairs up front with a leather steering wheel. Other amenities include 7-inch color display with rear view monitor, Nissan Connect infotainment with navigation, mobile apps, and Siri Eyes Free, trailer brake controller and trailer sway control, trailer light check function, advanced drive-assist display, blind spot warning with rear cross traffic alert, 120V outlet in center console, and 20-inch alloy wheels with all-season tires. One thing our Monroney window sticker listed was running boards, but our tester did not arrive with these in place and they were seriously missed.
The Nissan Titan XD rides fairly smoothly around town and rarely reminds you of its size and capabilities. Climbing in and out is about the only time we were reminded it was the XD version. The gas engine is powerful and smooth across the powerband and just a little caution is exercised on takeoffs as it will spin a rear tire with too much throttle input. It is quiet enough to carry on conversations without the need for raised voices and the lack of center post on the sides is rarely noticed as Nissan has done a good job of keeping wind and road noise to a minimum.
I do have one criticism about the Titan pickups and that is the lack of remote locking tailgate. Nearly every competitor has this feature and it was missed on the Nissan. Tailgate thefts are rampant so peace of mind comes with a simple feature as the ability to lock the tailgate when you lock your doors. This should be a standard feature across the entire model line on all Titan and Titan XD trucks.
Pricing for the 2017 Nissan Titan XD King Cab begins at $33,560 for base S models. Our SV 2WD tester arrived with a final window sticker of $42,805. On 4×2 trucks, the Cummins powertrain is a $6,050 premium while on 4×4 models it adds $5,050. Fuel economy is not listed for Titan XD models as they are larger than light-duty truck classification and not required. We saw around 12 mpg in town on our tester during the week but never got the truck out on the highway to check those numbers.
For truck buyers needing something a bit bigger than the standard light duty models available yet not needing a three-quarter ton truck, Nissan Titan XD is the only choice on the market. The differences are minimal, sure, but there will be many that see the XD models as the right fit. And with the offering of a King Cab to the lineup, the rollout at Nissan in now complete and they are ready to participate in the truck wars with the Big Three.