Days after Land Rover showcased a one-off Discovery Sport that was developed specifically for the Austrian Red Cross, Nissan is doing the same for the American Red Cross with the introduction of the Ultimate Service Titan. As its name implies, the Ultimate Service Titan isn’t your typical Nissan Titan pickup. It’s a mobile command center that’s developed to respond to disasters and emergencies without breaking stride. The Nissan Ultimate Service Titan is the latest manifestation of a partnership between Nissan and the American Red Cross, one that, in the last five years alone, has raised $2.5 million in donations for the Red Cross. You can add the Nissan Ultimate Service Titan to that list now. The one-off emergency response vehicle debuted at the Miami Auto Show.

2018 Nissan Red Cross Ultimate Service Titan

Specifications
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  • Model: 2018 Nissan Red Cross Ultimate Service Titan
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Pros
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Nissan Red Cross Ultimate Service Titan Exterior

This is the Nissan Ultimate Service Titan. The front half of it still looks like the standard Titan, albeit with a handful of new functional additions. But the back-end of this vehicle is what makes it unique. While the custom truck is based on the Titan XD Diesel Midnight Edition Crew Cab, the pickup’s heavy-duty commercial-grade ladder frame now accommodates a temperature-controlled B&S Customized Lightweight Bed Box that serves as the truck’s mobile command center.

Before we get to that, though, let’s look at the front section of the Ultimate Service Titan where a two-tone white and red body finish and graphics of the American Red Cross logo establishes this model’s identity. It’s also fitted with an Addictive Desert Designs Stealth bumper to help protect it from the elements. A Warn Zeon Platinum 12S winch helps the pickup in rescue and recovery efforts while the auxiliary lights from Baja Designs make sure that no place is too dark for the Titan. The emergency response vehicle also rides on massive Nitto Ridge Grappler tires, ensuring that this one-off creation can travel even to places that are extremely hard to reach.

Now let’s turn our attention to the Bed Box. Most of its important features are found inside, but it does have a small pull-back ladder that helps responders get in and out of the command center without any trouble.

Every exterior element of the Nissan Ultimate Service Titan is designed for a purpose. When it comes to saving lives, anything less isn’t acceptable.

Nissan Red Cross Ultimate Service Titan Interior

There are two interiors here, and both of them come with a lot of equipment of the life-saving variety. Granted, Nissan doesn’t exactly mention the specifics of what the interior of the Titan contains, but you assume that a first-aid kit is in place in the cabin. That could include a handful of trim options to go along with power windows and locks and a large driver infotainment screen.

As decked out as the interior is, the undisputed highlight of this emergency response vehicle is the bed box and the contents inside it. Nissan’s not messing around it in describing it as a mobile command center because it literally has an assortment of tools and equipment needed in any emergency. The interior layout comes by way of Goose Gear Custom, which installed a desk, couch, and a mobile kitchen. The latter includes a stove, sink, microwave, and a SnoMaster Refrigerator. The box also comes with a bed, a generator, solar panels, and a Wi-Fi hotspot.

Don’t mistake it as a hotel, though, because it’s far from one. Goose Gear Custom created the interior with the Red Cross and its volunteers in mind. The SnoMaster refrigerator, for example, is used for blood storage. Additional storage is also available courtesy of a Rhino-Rack Pioneer Tray System and Pelican Professional Gear Cases. The Nissan Ultimate Service Titan isn’t messing around with its emergency response vehicle status.

Nissan Red Cross Ultimate Service Titan Drivetrain

Since the Nissan Ultimate Service Titan traces its roots to the Titan XD Diesel, it gets its power from a Cummins 5.0-liter turbodiesel engine that produces 310 horsepower and 555 pound-feet of torque. It doesn’t look like the well-regarded turbodiesel engine received any engine upgrades, but a lot of the one-off truck’s other technical specs certainly did.

The ICON three-inch suspension lift kit is a good example of a technical upgrade that serves the Ultimate Service Titan well. It also features custom rod end bearings and patent-pending Delta Joints. These components aren’t just for show. They help provide increased ground clearance for the vehicle, especially in areas where it’s needed. Likewise, the suspension lift kit also enhances ride quality, whether it’s on- or off-road. As important as it is for the Ultimate Service Titan to adjust its ride height, ride quality helps keep the patients and medical personnel inside the mobile clinic/command center safe and comfortable.

Another important piece of this puzzle is fuel capacity. Since the Ultimate Service Titan needs as much fuel as it can carry, Nissan equipped t with a custom fuel tank that can hold up to 75 gallons of fuel, ensuring that the emergency vehicle can serve its purpose for longer periods of time without having to make a pit stop in a gas station.

Conclusion

When Land Rover presented the Discovery Emergency Response Vehicle, we thought that it was as good as it was going to get for a new-age ERS vehicle. Turns out, we were a little short-sighted about our assumptions. Nissan’s Ultimate Service Titan builds on what Land Rover created with the Discovery Emergency Response Vehicle and takes it to another level. It’s not just because Nissan was able to create this one-off vehicle from a Titan XD pickup truck. It’s not even about how cool and awesome it looks. It’s about the vehicle’s purpose.

Nissan’s one-off emergency response vehicle is a great addition to the Red Cross’ fleet or any medical fleet for that matter. It features state-of-the-art medical technology and combines it with a massive and marauding heavy-duty pickup that can go places where some of its contemporaries can’t go. The result speaks for itself.

Here’s to hoping that the American Red Cross makes good use of it. Better yet, how about you build a few more of these, Nissan. A fleet of these bad boys would certainly come in handy when the next disaster strikes.

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2018 Nissan Titan.

Read our full review on the 2018 Nissan Titan XD.