All-New 2017 Nissan Titan Joins XD At Chicago Auto Show

First we had the Nissan Titan XD, a not-quite-heavy-duty pickup that showed there was life in the Japanese brand's truck division after years of neglect. Now we've got the 2017 Nissan Titan showing its face (in digital form) at the Chicago Auto Show as the second prong in the automaker's two-tier attack on the full-size segment.

First things first: despite the family resemblance in their styling, there's zero commonality between the quarter-ton Titan and its XD sibling. According to Nissan, the two trucks ride on entirely different platforms, which is evident when you get out the measuring tape and discover that the standard Titan is over a foot shorter than the Titan XD (overall), with most of that being chopped out of the vehicle's wheelbase (the Titan also rides lower). Once it goes on sale this summer you'll be able to buy the Nissan Titan in three different body styles – regular cab, plus a pair of four-door editions – as well as a trio of bed lengths, with the longest checking in at eight feet.

Under the hood the 2017 Nissan Titan benefits from an upgraded 5.6-liter V8 (shared with the also-new Nissan Armada) that provides 390 horsepower and 401 lb-ft of torque. A seven-speed automatic transmission is standard with the pickup, making it the only full-size to fill the gap between the six and eight-speed gearboxes that currently dominate, and four-wheel drive is of course optional. No diesel is in the cards for the new Titan, as that remains the exclusive province of the more rugged XD, but a V6 will eventually be offered with the truck.

The Nissan Titan is in tough to gain traction with full-size pickup shoppers after a decade of neglect saw it diminished to an afterthought amongst buyers. Competition for truck customers is cut-throat, and Ford, General Motors, and Ram have been pouring development dollars into their profitable rigs for as long as the Titan's R&D has been sitting on the shelf. It's likely going to take some time for Nissan to build momentum in the segment, but with two fresh pickup options leading the charge there's at least a chance that the brand can start to make up for the lost years.