Nissan titillates with new diesel Titan, takes home Truck of Texas title

The all-new 2016 Titan XD's Cummins turbo-diesel puts out 310 horsepower and 555 lb.-ft. of torque and can tow more than 12,000 pounds when properly equipped. The all-new 2016 Titan XD's Cummins turbo-diesel puts out 310 horsepower and 555 lb.-ft. of torque and can tow more than 12,000 pounds when properly equipped. Photo: Jeff Yip Photo: Jeff Yip Image 1 of / 8 Caption Close Nissan titillates with new diesel Titan, takes home Truck of Texas title 1 / 8 Back to Gallery

The prices are a mystery, you can't order one and it'll be weeks before they hit showrooms, but the first all-new Nissan full-size pickup in 12 years is already bringing home the bacon.

The 2016 Titan XD, powered by a Cummins 5.0-liter turbocharged diesel V8, drove away with the Texas Auto Writers Association's "Truck of Texas" title at the 2015 Texas Truck Rodeo, held near San Antonio Oct. 8-9.

The Platinum Reserve version was selected top luxury pickup, the Titan XD PRO-4X was named TAWA's off-road king, and the Titan XD's turbocharged Cummins diesel V8 and its Aisin six-speed automatic transmission took best powertrain honors.

"This prestigious Truck of Texas award gives us tremendous validation heading into the Titan XD launch in December," said Fred Diaz, the senior vice president in charge of sales, marketing and operations for Nissan North America.

The 2016 Ford Explorer, redesigned and available with up to 365 horsepower, was voted SUV of Texas by TAWA's journalists, pundits and social-media mavens. The 2016 Volvo XC90, which wowed with its interior and infotainment interface, took home CUV of Texas honors. The Ram 1500 Rebel got the nod for best full size truck and the all-new 2016 Toyota Tacoma was the top midsize pickup. Truck Line of Texas went to Ford, maker of the F-150, the outgoing Truck of Texas.

Launched in 1992 by seasoned auto journalists, the Texas Truck Rodeo has grown along with the nation's appetite for trucks and sport/crossover utility vehicles. This year's event featured more than 80 vehicles in 17 categories. The definition of what constitutes a truck has also expanded – mixed in with the mainstream Ford F-150s, Toyota Tundras and Tacomas, Ram Power Wagons and Chevy Silverado 1500s were Fiat 500 and Mazda CX-3 crossovers. Grinding out as many evaluations as possible in two days may have been a Herculean effort, but TAWA members we spoke with said it was well worth the time.

"The Texas Truck Rodeo is one of the most prominent, respected and influential competitive vehicle events among all the national and regional automotive media associations," said Joe Sage, executive editor of Arizona Driver Magazine. "Though the awards have 'Texas' in their name, they're certainly not local or parochial.

"I've had pickup trucks nonstop since I was 24. They were very big during my years living in northwest Colorado, and they are very big in our magazine's home market, Arizona," Sage said. "Participating in the Texas Truck Rodeo is a fun and very useful tool for us, to make sure we're up to date on every development. And it's a great opportunity to learn directly from the top engineers and executives in person - who are also a great bunch to spend a couple of days with on a beautiful Texas ranch with some dandy Texas meals thrown in."

Nowhere are pickups more prevalent and relevant than Texas. Pickup owners "inherently understand that these types of vehicles are more decathlete than sprinter or high jumper," said Mark Williams, editor of PickupTrucks.com. "These people choose pickup trucks the same way the rest of the country chooses a midsize sedan - except cars can't tow as much, carry as much, work as hard, or adapt to the types of lifestyle activities most active pickup truck lovers enjoy."

TAWA members at the historic 900-acre Knibbe Ranch where the 2015 Truck Rodeo was held were among the first media representatives to experience the Titan XD and its 555 lb.-ft. Cummins turbo-diesel V8.

"The 2016 Nissan Titan XD was a big hit because of its new diesel engine and its capabilities, which span the light-duty and heavy-duty pickup classes. It also has handsome styling and some great chops off road," said Sue Mead, longtime journalist and off-road driver.

Williams also enjoyed getting his hands on the Titan. "I have been on a few early engineering drives but this was my first chance to drive a production-ready unit and it did not disappoint," said Williams, who said he was a bit surprised the "half-ton-plus" won in the Truck Rodeo's off-road category. "But maybe that shouldn't be a surprise because the integration engineers have done an amazing job making the big-torque Cummins smooth and responsive on rough 4x4 trails and when running empty on pavement - not an easy thing to balance. Clearly it's a better truck than the one it replaces, but the new kid on the block is going to really have to prove itself if it wants to succeed in the most competitive car or truck consumer class in the U.S."

Texans can be sure that Nissan and other automakers will be touting their wins in local media markets. "I've heard many a manufacturer call (Truck of Texas) one of the three big awards they want to win when coming to market with a brand new truck," said Williams. "This is where the momentum starts. With that said, TAWA also runs the risk of giving their award to whatever is new and shiny that year, not being able to judge the pickup thoroughly enough with just one or two short drives. Some might argue that if you can't live with the truck, flushing out the weak links, or seeing how it directly compares to its competitors in a series of different comparison tests, you can't judge it to be better or worse than anything else -- unless you are really good and experienced at doing so."

Mead, who's been inducted in the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame and won her class in the 2010 Dakar Rally, added that Ford's truck line "stole the show for the breadth of its lineup that includes the all-new 2015 F-150, new special-edition models and trims, as well as some top-notch truck technology like Pro Trailer Backup Assist."

Social media consultant Eric Tung was impressed by some of the TAWA members' driving skills, the 2016 Lexus LX570 (winner of full-size luxury SUV) and Volvo's 2016 XC90 T6.

"Even with the luxury finishes and leathers, the LX570 can still go off-roading and hold its own," Tung said. "When it came to interiors, I really liked the Volvo XC90. It had a luxurious, yet outdoorsy, Scandinavian feel. It was upscale and sophisticated, yet could still handle a camping trip."

Readers should note that first- and second-place awardees were, in some cases, separated by exceedingly small margins. But that could be evidence that the biggest winner may be the consumer. "Overall, this was a fine crop. There were no bad vehicles at all," said Linda Water Nelson, sport vehicle editor for Texas Fish & Game Magazine.

Texas Auto Writers Association's 2015 Texas Truck Rodeo results

» Truck of Texas: Nissan Titan XD (Cummins Diesel)

» SUV of Texas: 2016 Ford Explorer

» CUV of Texas: 2016 Volvo XC90 T6

» Truck line of Texas: Ford

» Luxury pickup truck: 2016 Nissan Titan XD Platinum Reserve

» Off-road pickup: 2016 Nissan Titan XD PRO-4X

» Full-size pickup: 2016 Ram 1500 Rebel

» Midsize pickup: 2016 Toyota Tacoma Limited, TRD Off-Road, TRD Sport

» Off-road utility vehicle: 2016 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon Hard Rock, Sahara Unlimited

» Full-size luxury SUV: 2016 Lexus LX 570

» Mid-size luxury SUV: 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit 4x4

» Compact luxury SUV: 2016 Land Rover Discovery Sport HSE LUX

» Full-size SUV: 2015 Dodge Durango R/T AWD, Citadel AWD

» Mid-size SUV: 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland 4x4, High Altitude 4x4

» Compact SUV: 2016 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk, Limited

» Full-size CUV: 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited AWD

» Mid-size CUV: 2015 Nissan Murano Platinum

» Compact CUV: 2015 Jeep Renegade Trailhawk

» Luxury CUV: 2016 Volvo XC90 T6

» Heavy duty pickup truck: 2016 Ram 2500 Laramie Longhorn

» Best commercial vehicle: 2016 Mercedes-Benz Metris cargo, passenger van

» Best technology: Ford Pro-Trailer Backup Assist

» Best connectivity: Volvo Sensus

» Best powertrain: Nissan Cummins turbo-diesel V8 and Aisin 6-speed transmission