Although initially released as a “heavy-half” fullsize pickup, the Nissan Titan XD was always destined to get a lighter-duty, 1/2-ton little brother. Just over a year after the XD’s debut, the company finally confirmed details of the standard Titan (which will forego the XD badging).

The standard Titan will probably be released later this year as a 2017 model, and in spite of its similar styling and proportions, it shares very little with the Titan XD. According to the company, the Titan and Titan XD each have unique chassis. According to Tim Miller, Nissan director of product planning for trucks, SUVs, and commercial vehicles, the vehicles “do not share any common chassis components. Even the lug nuts are different.”

What’s shared between the trucks is the 5.6L V-8 that will be optional on the Titan. The second generation of the company’s Endurance engine, the Titan’s V-8 will produce 390 hp and 401 lb-ft of torque, routed to the rear or all four wheels through a seven-speed automatic transmission. The gasser will soon be available on the Titan XD. The standard engine for the regular Titan will be a yet-to-be-revealed V-6 engine, likely an updated version of the 4.0L V-6 available in the Frontier or the new 3.0L twin-turbo V-6 from Infiniti’s lineup. The forced-induction engine is currently available in 300hp and 400hp configurations, and the former would make for an efficient, torquey base Titan engine.

The Titan’s exterior measurements are somewhat similar to the Titan XD’s, although the standard crew cab is 14.7 inches shorter than its diesel-motivated sibling. That length was likely cut mostly from the bed, as the Titan and Titan XD share a common cab. Expect the Titan crew to have a 5.5-foot bed, contributing to an overall length of 228.1 inches, with a 139.8-inch wheelbase. The Titan’s 79.5-inch width is identical to that of the Titan XD, and at 77.2 inches, it stands 1.5 inches lower to the ground than the XD.

Nissan tells us there will be three cabs and three bed lengths available, but it’s not clear in what combinations. We assume the regular cab will come fit with an 8-foot bed ( as seen in these spy shots ), making it a good fleet vehicle, and the King Cab should come with the 6.5-foot bed. We doubt we’ll see a regular cab/short bed combo, and the jury’s still out if the extended cab will be available with the long bed. Regardless, the standard Titan will be available in Titan XD–mirroring trim levels: S, SV, Pro-4X, SL, and Platinum Reserve.

Visually, the true-half is still very much a Titan, with bold fender flares and a sculpted fascia and bodysides. Inside, don’t expect much to be different from the Titan XD, with nice materials and good ergonomics throughout. Just about the only way to tell if you’re looking at a standard Titan is to look for the frame. If you can’t see it hanging out from under the bodywork, you’re looking at the 1/2-ton. Of course, the shorter bed on the crew cab is a good indicator as well.

We like the new Titan XD , and the lighter-duty standard Titan should only increase our respect for the pickup family. Its handsome styling and more approachable size, along with three cabs and bed lengths, should make it attractive to fullsize customers, particularly if it’s offered at a discount from the already-thrifty XD.

Source: Nissan