The reimagined Titan is all-new for 2017 and closely follows its quasi heavy-duty big brother, the Titan XD. Both trucks share styling and interior designs, but not everything is equal. The half-ton Titan is built to compete against segment stalwarts including the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado, and Ram 1500. As such, Nissan has expanded the Titan’s cab configurations to include Single, King, and Crew Cabs, along with adding trim levels that span the gambit of customer needs. The Titan does lack the drivetrain variety offered by the others, but the updated 5.6-liter V-8 and seven-speed automatic transmission are competitive.

As for how the half-ton Titan stacks up against the larger Titan XD, the Titan->ke482 carries the same styling design as the Titan XD. It measures 79.5 inches wide – the same as the Titan XD – though is 14.7 inches shorter. That length is subtracted from both the bed area and the nose, just ahead of the fuel-filler door and the front tires, respectively. This can be attributed to the Titan’s unique half-ton frame, not found under the Titan XD.->ke5347 Nissan says even the lug nuts are different. The cab sizes remain the same, too, with the standard Titan offering all three cab configurations, meaning Single, King, and Crew Cabs are present. Three bed sizes are available, measuring 5.5, 6.5, and 8.0 feet in length. The Titan comes in five trim levels: S, SV, PRO-4X, SL, and Platinum Reserve.

Update 06/20/2017: Nissan has announced pricing for 2017 Titan King Cab models. Check the Prices section for the full details.

Continue reading to learn more about the 2017 Nissan Titan.

2017 Nissan Titan

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2017 Nissan Titan
  • Engine/Motor: V8
  • Horsepower: 390 @ 5800
  • Torque: 394 @ 4000
  • Transmission: seven-speed automatic
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Exterior

The Titan shares much of its looks with the Titan XD, though there are several key differences. Most notable is its shortened length. You’ve got to look closely, but the Titan XD has a longer area just behind the headlights and ahead of the front tire. The same is true in the bed. The length of sheet metal between the bed’s bulkhead and the fenders is longer on the XD. Presumably, this is to help accommodate the fifth-wheel hitch. Since the Titan doesn’t comes with an integrated hitch, the truck can be shorter.

Beyond that, the trucks look nearly identical. A trained eye will spot the Titan’s front tow hooks are now incorporated into the bumper opening, rather than under the front bumper like the Titan XD. This is thanks to the Titan’s half-ton-style frame. Two other key differences are the side mirrors and engine badge. While the Titan XD comes with tall, two-section tow mirrors, the standard Titan comes with more traditional horizontal mirrors. The engine badge on the front fender denotes what powertrain is under the hood. Though the 5.6-liter V-8 will be offered in both trucks, the Titan won’t have a Cummins badge, while the Titan XD won’t have a V-6 badge (We haven’t seen a V-6 badge yet).That's because the Titan XD will be offered only with the V-8 or optional Cummins turbodiesel, while the half-ton Titan will come standard with the V-6 and optional with the V-8.

Interior

The Titan carries the same interior as the Titan XD, minus the low-counting tachometer that accompanies the Cummins turbodiesel. The truck also utilized the same features and equipment available in the Titan XD, including Nissan’s 360-degree camera system, Zero Gravity front seats, folding rear bench seat with underseat storage, and a wide variety of trim levels to choose from.

Like the XD, the half-ton Titan will come in Single Cab, King Cab, and Crew Cab configurations. This, combined with the five grades of trim levels, allows customers to choose from a wide swath of pickups – everything from the S-grade Single Cab up to the leather-lined and fully loaded Crew Cab in Platinum Reserve trim.

For those trucks ordered with such, the infotainment is typical Nissan, with menus and functions fairly easy to find. Lower on the center stack are buttons for the traction control, parking sensors, and heated steering wheel. Trailer brake controls reside further down, right beside a USB, AUX, and 12-volt ports.

For hauling passengers, the Crew Cab is the best choice. Loads of legroom in the second row makes long trips comfortable. The King Cab is the next largest with rear-opening doors. For contractors and fleet customers, or the rare breed of truck guy, the Titan will finally be offered in a Single Cab. This is a first or the Titan name.

Drivetrain

Under the hood is a revised version of the 5.6-liter Endurance V-8. This is the same engine found in the 2016.5 Titan XD, and similar to the new 2017 Nissan Armada and the 2016 Infiniti QX80, though the Nissan version is slightly detuned from the Infiniti mill.

The naturally aspirated V-8 features direct fuel injection, or what Nissan calls its Direct Injection Gas system, or DIG for short. Controlling the valvetrain is Nissan’s Variable Valve Event & Lift technology or VVEL. It mates together hydraulic-controlled variable valve timing with electronically controlled variable valve lift on both intake and exhaust valves. The resulting technology helps the V-8 produce 390 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 394 pound-feet of torque at 4,000 rpm. A seven-speed automatic transmission is the sole gearbox. It features a low 4.887 ratio in first gear for pulling power and a fuel-sipping 0.775 ratio in seventh for highway cruising. The transmission also features a fluid heater designed to bring the fluid to operating temperature more quickly, helping the transmission operate more efficiently sooner after start-up.

Both 2WD and 4WD drivetrains are offered, with the 4WD system getting an electronically controlled, two-speed transfer case with both high- and low-range gearing. PRO-4X models also get an electronically controlled rear differential lock for serious of-roading.

Nissan's initial fuel economy estimates at 15 mpg city, 21 mpg highway, and 18 mpg combined in a 2WD crew cab Titan. Once the EPA releases its findings, we'll update this section.

Safety

The 2017 Titan comes with a host of safety features, including both active and passive types. Traction and stability control systems keep the Titan’s shiny side up, while blind spot monitoring and Nissan’s 360-degree Around View Monitor camera system keeps the driver from merging or backing into objects. If all else fails, dual front and side curtain airbags help protect passengers.

Prices

Pricing for the 2017 Nissan Titan start at $29,580 for the base S trim with the Single Cab in RWD. Bookending the other end of the spectrum, the Platinum Reserve Crew Cab 4x4 starts at $55,400 before options. The Titan has undergone a purposefully slow roll-out, with Crew Cab models coming first, followed by the Single Cab. As of June 2017, Nissan is selling its King Cab Titan. Prices for this extended cab version start at $32,550 for an S trimmed RWD truck. The PRO-4X is the highest trim available for the King Cab and is only offered with 4WD.

Titan S Single Cab 4x2

$29,580

Titan SV Single Cab 4x2

$32,460

Titan S Single Cab 4x4

$32,610

Titan SV Single Cab 4x4

$35,490


Titan S King Cab 4x2

$32,550

Titan SV King Cab 4x2

$35,930

Titan S King Cab 4x4

$35,580

Titan SV King Cab 4x4

$38,960

Titan PRO-4X King Cab 4x4

$43,290


Titan S Crew Cab 4x2

$34,780

Titan SV Crew Cab 4x2

$37,670

Titan SL Crew Cab 4x2

$46,380

Titan Platinum Reserve Crew Cab 4x2

$52,310

Titan S Crew Cab 4x4

$37,810

Titan SV Crew Cab 4x4

$40,700

Titan PRO-4X Crew Cab 4x4

$45,020

Titan SL Crew Cab 4x4

$49,460

Titan Platinum Reserve Crew Cab 4x4

$55,400


Competition

Ford F-150

Ford has ruled the half-ton truck segment for nearly 40 years with sales of its F-150 and Super Duty models outpacing everyone else. The current F-150 continues the trend thanks to a recent remake for the 2015 model year. The truck features an aluminum body, a steel frame, and a wide range of engine, cab, and bed options. It’s hard to find another vehicle on the market with more possible build configurations.

The F-150’s bread-n-butter engine is the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 with twin turbochargers, 365 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque. For V-8 lovers, Ford offers the 5.0-liter V-8 with 385 horses and 387 pound-feet. Prices for the F-150 start at roughly $26,000 and venture into the low $60,000 range.

Read our full review on the Ford F-150 here.

Read our full review on the Chevrolet Silverado here.0

Chevrolet can boast the second highest sales in the half-ton market, thanks to its Silverado pickup. Like the F-150, the Silverado comes in nearly every conceivable cab, bed, and engine configuration, though Chevy sticks to a more traditional powertrain lineup. The truck can be had with one of three engines, depending on cab choice and trim level. They include the 4.3-liter V-6, 5.3-liter V-8, and the mighty 6.2-liter V-8. Transmission choices include six-speed and eight-speed units.

The Silverado can be equally as expensive as the F-150, with prices starting around the $26,000 mark and extending near the $60,000 threshold.

Read our full review on the Chevrolet Silverado here.

Conclusion

The 2017 Nissan Titan is a huge step forward. Its bold new looks and modern cabin help make it more competitive while the heavily revised 5.6-liter Endurance V-8 and seven-speed automatic transmission give it a powerful leg up on several of its competitors’ V-8s.

Interest in the half-ton segment is hotter than ever these days and consumers should appreciate the added variety. The Titan’s innovated bed features, impressive towing and payload capacities, macho looks, and five-year/100,000-mile warranty will help attract customers while items like the Zero Gravity seats, available Rockford Fosgate stereo, and roomy back seats will help close the deal.

Update History

Update 08/15/2016 Nissan has released official pricing for the 2017 Titan Crew Cab, along with an impressive five-year/100,000-mile warranty. Check the “Price” section below for the full details.

Update 03/24/2016: Nissan has officially pulled the covers off the 2017 Titan pickup. This half-ton carries the same looks as its Titan XD big brother, though is designed for the mainstream half-ton truck market.