MORE
ON TITAN
September 2003 - Full-size trucks
are serious business in Texas, and the next big thing is
here. As Nissan North America (NNA) launches the all-new
2004 Titan in Texas on September 25 at the State Fair,
the company is taking its first-ever full-size truck into
America's heartland of trucks.
"To
say that Texas is important to Nissan would be a huge
understatement," said John Spoon, regional vice president,
Nissan North America. "Texas boasts almost 20 percent
of U.S. truck sales, making it one of the world's most
competitive truck markets and historically dominated by
domestic manufacturers."
The importance of Texas to Nissan is evident by the amount
of money and time the company has committed to this key
market. Nissan has made a significant investment into research
over the past several months to better understand the Texas
demographic and target market. Other dedicated efforts
include retrofitting several of its 60 dealerships in Texas
and redesigning showrooms to accommodate the full-size
trucks. Dealers are also hiring additional staff and training
new sales teams.
"With
the addition of Titan and Pathfinder Armada, we have
expanded the Nissan brand to be a true full-line auto
manufacturer," added Spoon. "We are making sure
our dealers are well-prepared to sell, service and talk
big trucks. This is new for Nissan, but we're going in
with the right artillery."
The Titan is built on an all-new full-length boxed ladder
frame, featuring a newly designed Nissan Endurance 5.6-liter
DOHC V8 with 305 horsepower and 379 lb-ft of torque, controlled
by a standard 5-speed automatic transmission. The Titan
is available in King Cab and Crew Cab models with choice
of 2-wheel and 4-wheel drive.
"Nissan's
entrance into this segment will transform the consumer
landscape for full-size trucks," said Larry Dominique,
chief product specialist for Titan. "The Titan brings an
exceptional combination of powerful performance, bold styling
and a new level of innovation to the full-size truck market."
Other key features of the 2004 Titan include:
- 168-degree rear-opening door
- Class-leading 127 cubic feet of interior space - best-in-class
leg room and head room (Crew Cab)
- High
Utility Bed with bed-side lock box, segment exclusive
Utili-track™ bed channel tie-down
system and industry-first spray-in-bed liner
- 9,500 lbs towing capacity
The Titan, which was conceived, developed, styled and
engineered primarily in North America, will be assembled
at Nissan's new $1.43 billion manufacturing facility in
Canton, Mississippi. It will be available in dealerships
in late 2003.