Nissan Drops Diesel for Titan Pickup Truck

Nissan Motor Co. is phasing out the V-8 diesel option and paring down the number of cab configurations for its fullsize Titan pickup truck in the U.S. 

The moves signal a retreat for the Titan, which Nissan had hoped would become a stronger contender in the American large pickup market, according to Automotive News. It points out that Titan garners only 1.5% of the segment.

Demand for the Titan through the first half of 2019 plunged 23% to 18,000 units. That compares to sales of more than 448,000 Ford F-150 pickups during the same period.

Analysts blame the Titan’s lackluster sales in part on the vehicle being awkwardly positioned between traditional half-ton and three-quarter-ton models. Launched in 2015, the current Cummins diesel in the Titan XD generates 310 hp and 555 lb-ft of torque, making the Nissan model significantly less powerful than its American Big Three rivals.

Still, the diesel-powered Titan XD has been popular among Titan customers, accounting for about one in eight sales. AN cites a Nissan letter to its U.S. dealers that says the company remains committed to the market for fullsize pickups but wants to focus the lineup and maximize its return on product and marketing investments.

Nissan tells AN it will update the XD in 2020, presumably with a gasoline engine, with capabilities similar to the outgoing diesel model.