Ever since Nissan announced that it would be producing a bigger, badder, diesel-powered heavy half-ton pickup back in January of 2015, people have been excited to see the Titan XD. It didn’t start coming off the production lines until very late last year, but once it did, anyone who drove the XD instantly forgave Nissan for making them wait that long.
Nissan really did its homework on the Titan XD. The XD part of the name stands for eXtended Duty. Nissan chose that designation over HD, or Heavy Duty, because they consider it a half-ton pickup, even if it’s one of the beefiest in the class. It was designed in response to the many truck buyers who need something bigger than the typical half-ton, but don’t need the over-the-top power of a three-quarter or one-ton.
And it all started with the 5.0-liter V-8 Cummins diesel engine. The larger size of the XD, compared to the previous Titan, was necessitated by that engine. But the attention to detail didn’t end there. Nissan pulled out all the stops making the XD quite possibly the most comfortable, capable half-ton pickup on the market today. It’s a little sluggish off the line, compared to gas-powered half-tons, but it’s not designed for speed. It’s made for people who use their trucks for what trucks were made for – pulling heavy stuff. The 310 horses and 555 pound-feet of torque make easy work of 12,000 pound trailers or more than a ton of payload.
So far, it’s only available in three trim packages – the standard, the Pro-4X off-road package, and the top-of-the-line Platinum, and you can only get it in the double-cab with a six-foot bed. Other configurations may be on the horizon.
Nissan hit the nail on the head with this truck. It’s an incredible ride, and it’s equally comfortable off-road, on the highway, pulling a load or traveling empty.
