The updated and refreshed 2020 Nissan Titan truck makes its official world debut at the 2019 State Fair of Texas. Nissan says the new Titan style draws inspiration from the Warrior concept truck from several years ago. The changes are more than skin deep. The new truck is more powerful. It has a new transmission, and a new optional 9-inch infotainment touch screen. Will these changes help the Titan gain more sales? Let’s take a closer look.
2020 Nissan Titan
We must talk about the styling of the truck first. This is not an all-new truck. The cab, bed, and chassis remain the same – the style is significantly different from the current truck. Most notable are the updated LED headlights and the new grilles that make the front of the truck look wider and higher.
The 2020 Titan will be offered in king (extended) cab and crew cab configurations, but a two-door regular cab will no longer available.
Power
The truck still uses the 5.6-liter gas V8, but the power rating has been updated to 400 hp from 390 horsepower. The torque is also up from 394 to 413 lb-ft. This is done by changing the mapping of the engine to react to different fuel octane levels. The 400 hp and 413 lb-ft rating is based on premium fuel, but Nissan guarantees at least 390 hp on regular unleaded 87 octane.
The major powertrain change is the new Nissan 9-speed automatic transmission. The old 7-speed automatic is gone. Nissan says the company invested around $230 Million into the updated 2020 Titan truck. It shows that the company is very serious about their truck lineup, and the newly developed 9-speed automatic is a big part of it. The 2020 Titan is the first usage of this new transmission for Nissan.
Capability
Nissan did not announce updated MPG ratings or payload/towing capability. Although, they did specify that they changed the rear axle ratio from 2.93:1 to 3.69:1. Since we don’t know the gear ratios with the new 9-speed automatic transmission, and we have not driver the truck – we cannot estimate if the new Titan will be more efficient or if it will be rated to tow more than before.
The current 2019 Nissan Titan is rated at a maximum of 1,620 lbs of maximum payload and 9,240 lbs of maximum towing.
Interior & Technology
Nissan has updated the interior with some new materials and larger storage compartments. The big change is the gauge cluster and the center infotainment screen. The 2020 Titan can be configured with a 7-inch information display in the center gauge cluster, and there is an all-new optional 9-inch touch screen in the center. The idea it go give the truck the technology and look-n-feel to compete with the best of them.
Naturally, competition is very very tough. The Titan must contend with the Ford F-150, Chevy Silverado 1500/GMC Sierra 1500, Ram 1500, and the Toyota Tundra.
All new Titans come with Nissan’s latest Safety Shield 360 driver-assistance suite of technologies. This package includes: Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Blind Spot Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Departure Warning, High Beam Assist and class-exclusive Rear Automatic Braking.
Nissan says that the new headlights are brighter and have better coverage than before.
All together, the 2020 Titan appears to have brought its game to the next level in terms of powertrain, technology, and safety. You can be sure that TFLtruck will test the new Titan in the real world off-roading and towing trailers.
