Nissan Titan Heads to China
As part of Nissan's previously stated desire to expand into global markets, the automaker will make the full-size Titan pickup truck available to other countries looking for American style and power.
According to Automotive News (subscription required), Nissan wants to make the half-ton Titan available for global export. First stop? China, where having a big American pickup is likely to be a status symbol.
The North American market has been one of the few places in the world for significant full-size pickup sales, but if Nissan plays this right, that could change. Australia, the Middle East and Russia — where more demanding terrain and weather conditions exist — could be the perfect markets for a larger, hard-working, full-size pickup. Other truckmakers, such as Ford with its F-150 Raptor, have found exporting pickups quite profitable. However, these truckmakers typically target countries like Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates, where citizens can afford the extra cost.
Most other countries use mid-size pickups for commercial and fleet use, with capacities limited to 1 metric ton of payload along with restricted towing capacity.
We should note that while the half-ton Titan and heavier-duty Titan XD are showing huge sales gains this year — up almost 200 percent year over year — they are still minor players in the full-size pickup truck class.
We expect to see the smaller players in the full-size class, like Nissan, reach outside the highly competitive U.S. marketplace as they slowly grow their presence here. Whether that means we'll see more optional equipment choices for the Titans down the road — maybe a rainforest suspension or tundra weather package? — remains to be seen. Our guess is a Warrior Package would do pretty well overseas.
Cars.com photos by Mark Williams
Comments
I hope they increase the QA as part of doing this move. My hood isn't even aligned right and the telematics unit doesn't work.
It sounds like someone is listening.
The demand for US-made ideas, goods and services has been growing for a very long time.
China is one of the strongest economies on earth and along with S Korea their interest in American fashions and lifestyles is hot. As I have recently noted, the Arabian Peninsula is another place where American goods are a status symbol but some of my fellow commenters here on PUTC want to dispute it for some reason.
Expert presently expect 2018 to be a real breakout year for the world's fastest growing economies and cash that was resting on the sidelines during so much of the last 10 years has surged into the equity markets.
Barring some extraordinary geo-political event, we are on the verge of something special. Nissan's timing could not be better.
When will Nissan offer a sun roof in the Titan? I mean what are they doing.
Diesels are the hot ticket here for international sales. No one
on the other 6 continents wants to buy a EPA mandated truck
thats choking on all that pollution stuff. Try finding urea on the Serengeti. Or any other out-of-the-way locations these trucks are capable of going.
Nissan claims the glass is too heavy for a sun roof. Jaw dropping nonsense. And again, that 26 gallon tank has got to go!!!!!! There are aftermarket tanks that will DOUBLE that. There is so much they can do with this truck and yet corporate stupidity is holding it back.
Diesels are the hot ticket here for international sales. No one
on the other 6 continents wants to buy a EPA mandated truck
thats choking on all that pollution stuff. Posted by: Richard66NY | Nov 24, 2017
Don't worry. Nissan will happily produce non-USA trucks for international markets. It would not surprise me if Nissan already has plans to open facilities in the Far East or India.
poopajim,
Dumb move. The UAW must pay you well. I live in China for several weeks out of the year and know for a fact that they don't need Nissan Titans.
@Bafo
So what you're saying is they don't need full-size trucks? That's why the Chinese are cloning F150s and Ford is shipping over Raptors that are selling like hotcakes. Give it up. Your options are so old, boring and stuffy.
. Your *opinions are
[Big Al] knows for a fact that they don't need Nissan Titans.
Posted by: Big Truck | Nov 24, 2017.
@Big Al
So how many Chinese truckers did you interview for your report? I'm sure that in a nation of over a billion people there could be some alternate viewpoints.
@Richard66NY
As much as you hate the pollution crap as you say it. It sure is nice that the air we are breathing is getting better. Go look at China and India and tell me how their Air is currently? Yeah lets take off those pollution control measures just to please you while more and more people get sick. Give your head a shake.
I did and I heard nothing. Give yours a shake and you'll wake
the dead. It seems to me that 90% of all engine performance
issues are directly related to all the crap that the EPA is
mandating. Driveablity, reliability, re-gen issues, untold
thousands in parts replacements...like everything else, gov't
seems to want to balance all budgets on the backs of the driving public.
No one is advocating a return to the bad of days of out of control smog. And while you're blowing your own horn, go try spouting your noise in the countries that are REALLY causing a lot of the pollution today. That would be India and China.
The leftys in the EPA have had it in for diesels for 20 years.
Hopefully, Donald will reverse some of the more stringent
demands. We all want clean air and water. It's just that some
of us don't need a government jack boot on our throats to
achieve it.
It is great to see a more serious approach to exporting US full size pickups.
They will be expensive as the global market is very niche and small.
Maybe the US can allow imported pickups as well to cater for its niche market.
Go look at China and India and tell me how their Air is currently?
Posted by: GMSRCRAP | Nov 24, 2017
@GMSRCRAP
Current concern about air pollution tend to focus on the 10 or 15 cities around the globe that have the worst problems: LA, Mexico City, Beijing and the rest.
The majority of the world's cities are in regions where the prevailing air currents prevent the accumulation of the exhaust gases in low places. Miami and Seattle for example.
Smart folks are beginning to realize that the policy of making every car or truck comply in a world where only a few are needed is a waste of money and resources.
GM, the air is China is probably the worst in the world. It makes
LA in the 1970"s look a Rocky Mountain High. No one is
disputing your claim that trucks should run as clean as possible.
My issue with you is the road you chose to get there. The noose
around diesels has slowly tightened since the O'Bama EPA began
issuing every more strident levels and the marketplace has had
to scramble to meet levels lest their vehicles not get certified.
Thats all I'm saying ....
As we all know, China has serious pollution problems. They were even talking about banning all ICE production in China.
@papa jim--I thought you were only interested in the Hamptons and Palm Beach? Is it any surprise that auto companies are interested in China with over 300 million in the middle and upper class? Much more significant number than the Hamptons and Palm Beach.
@Jeff S
you take things too seriously.
You could have spent a beautiful late November afternoon watching some great college football games, but instead you wasted your time getting all annoyed over people criticizing you.
@papa jim--You could have done the same thing. You wastt d a perfectly good day. You do seem to be obsessed with the Hamptons and Palm Beach. Have you been there? If not you need to go there and get it out of your systems. I went to a nice Thanksgiving dinner with my nephews and my older brother. My nephews have different brands of trucks from Ram, F-150, F-250, and Tundra. I did not get bent out of shape because they didn't own a Silverado or they didn't all have the same political opinions. You might not have liked that but it was just family and a lot to be thankful for. All of us are different but what unites us is that we are family.
@Mark Williams
"Australia, the Middle East and Russia — where more demanding terrain and weather conditions exist — could be the perfect markets for a larger, hard-working, full-size pickup"
Mark would have to say defintely NO. Otherwise they would already be selling them already.Russia is a terrible place for a Pickup Truck.Middle East wants and uses heavier European Trucks.. They have had US Pickups in Australia since the 50's They have made no impression whatsoever.
"First stop China where a big Pickup would be a Status symbol"
Mark Williams, Hardly a luxury SUV then you are talking.Comments seem to have no idea of the conditions outside NA
Best one is this "
Chinese are cloning the F150" yes and every other vehicle that the small Chinese companies want to add to their collection.
I wonder how easy it would be for the Chinese to reprogram the exhaust system so the 5.0 would not need DEF fluid. Probably even quicker than sawing off a DPF filter with a sawzall.
@BD--The Chinese are very ingenious so I would think they could do anything.
The Chinese are not ingenious, what they are is very good
at stealing technology they didn't develop and then apply it to their own needs. They're not developers, they're thieves....
What they have stolen for us is beyond jaw dropping.
@Richard66NY --True, but the Chinese also invented gun powder, and printing press, and sailed around the World long before the Spanish or anyone else. China had a long period where they were isolated from the rest of the World. The Chinese are smart people.
Yeah, smart enough to let others do the grunt work then they'll
just help themselves to all the fixin's.....
Yes, they did give the world a lot early on...but that was 2,000
years ago.....or more. Like the saying goes: what have you done
lately? Not much.
@Richard66NY--I am not a fan of their practices either. American companies to some degree are responsible for this by setting up factories in China for cheaper labor.
@Jeff S
You sound naive as hell.
China is one of the more pricey labor markets today. Go to booming cities like Shanghai and tell people that labor's cheap. They'll laugh you out of town.
The printing press was invented in Germany-Johannes
Gutenberg by name, around 1440. The Chinese had nothing to do with it.
The earth was circumnavigated by Magellan in 1519. Again, the Chinese had nothing to with that either. Sorry Jeff but
you're 0 for 2. But that DID give us gunpowder and dim sum
and for that, I am extremely thankful-especially the dim sum
part. Here on Long Island, it's highly prized. Thats some good
eats....( enough with world history. )
Cheap labor is NOT the same as innovation...Please remember
that.
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