For years, being a diehard Cummins diesel fan has meant aligning yourself with a certain Detroit-area pickup-maker -- and stepping up to a full-blown heavy-duty truck. That’s all changed with introduction of the 2016 Nissan Titan XD, which has just made its debut at the 2015 Detroit auto show.

Redesigned from nose to tail, the new Titan (more on the “XD” nameplate in a moment) replaces a truck that hadn’t changed all that much since the model’s introduction in 2003. Its fresh, muscular styling is butch enough to hold its own against Detroit’s square-jawed offerings, and chances are good that you’ll be able to find a Titan that meets your needs, thanks to the head-spinning range of trims and configurations set to hit the market.

The 2016 Nissan Titan XD pickup, a full-size truck that offers near-heavy-duty towing and hauling capability, has made its world debut at the 2015 Detroit auto show. Nissan

Prospective Titan buyers will eventually have a total of three engines, three cabs, three bed lengths and the option of two- or four-wheel drive, plus a total of five trim levels offered across the range, to contend with when they head to the Nissan dealership beginning later this year. And there’s that whole Titan vs. Titan XD thing. What’s the difference, anyway?

It gets a lot easier to digest when you think of the Titan as two semi-separate truck models: the full-size Nissan Titan (which gets gasoline V6 and V8 powerplants) and the kinda-sorta heavy-duty Nissan Titan XD (powered by a gasoline V8 and a Cummins diesel V8). The latter truck is what we’ll focus on now.

The Titan XD is big and beefy and has the motors to back up its bold stance: a gasoline V8 and a V8 Cummins 5.0-liter turbodiesel. The diesel puts down 310 hp and 555 lb-ft of torque and it’s mated to a six-speed Aisin automatic transmission.

Sitting on a fully boxed ladder frame not shared with the Titan, the Titan XD borrows components and engineering expertise from Nissan’s commercial-oriented NV line. Equipped with the range-topping diesel, it’ll haul a payload of more than 2,000 pounds and tow more than 12,000 pounds (Nissan didn’t give us exact specifications).

That’s more than most full-size trucks, though roughly equal to a two-wheel drive 6.2-liter V8-powered Chevrolet Silverado 1500 equipped with the most capable trailering package. Of course, the Titan XD can’t touch the 15-ton capacities of a properly equipped Ram 3500 Tradesman, which speaks to the staggering capabilities of today’s top-of-the line haulers.

To paraphrase Nissan, the Titan XD is a heavy-duty truck -- by the standards of 2003. And there’s supposedly a healthy demand for that sort of value proposition today. Out of the roughly 2 million pickups sold each year in the U.S., Nissan claims, 75,000 of those sales represent buyers switching from a full-size truck to a heavy duty truck to gain some towing capacity. These buyers need a little more capacity than what’s offered in a full-sizer, but probably not as much as is afforded by a heavy-duty truck. A similar number of buyers switch down from a heavy duty to a full-sizer, but they probably would prefer to retain some of the towing power they give up in the switch. That adds up 150,000 or so prospects right there.

The 2016 Nissan Titan XD pickup, a full-size truck that offers near-heavy-duty towing and hauling capability, has made its world debut at the 2015 Detroit auto show. Nissan

Adding the Cummins nameplate to the mix won’t hurt the Titan’s chances, either. Though Nissan stressed that the truck wasn’t built around the Cummins motor, the hallowed diesel-maker has a dedicated following among fiercely loyal pickup buyers. While the Cummins badge does also adorn heavy-duty Rams, the Titan’s engine isn’t the commercial grade 850 lb-ft torque monster found in the Ram -- simply put, it’s a different motor in a different truck targeted to a different sort of buyer.

Beyond that motor, the Titan XD gets all the usual tech and luxury refinements buyers in the segment have come to expect. There are projector headlights and standard daytime running lights up front and LED taillights out back. The spray-lined bed retains its useful Utilitrak cargo strap-down system; it gains extra LED illumination and a tailgate designed to be easily and smoothly opened and shut with one hand (we tried it, and it works as advertised). Also available is an in-bed gooseneck trailer hitch for those looking to take advantage of that 6-ton towing capacity.

The inside loses some of the circa-2003 hard plastic that we complained about on the last Titan we drove, at least in the fancy upper-trim trucks Nissan brought to the Detroit show (more rugged versions of the Titan and Titan XD will be offered to Nissan’s commercial buyers). There are lots of power points in the cabin, including 12-volt, 120-volt and USB hookups. Around-view cameras and parking sensors should help you avoid bashing into things.

The 2016 Nissan Titan XD pickup, a full-size truck that offers near-heavy-duty towing and hauling capability, has made its world debut at the 2015 Detroit auto show. Nissan

All in all, the Titan XD seems well-equipped to compete in an extremely competitive pickup market -- at least on paper. We’ll reserve judgment until we can put the truck to the test in something approaching a real-world setting.

Expect the Titan XD to go on sale in late 2015, with the non-XD Titan to follow in 2016. Pricing information and more detailed specifications will arrive closer to the sale date.

The 2016 Nissan Titan XD pickup, a full-size truck that offers near-heavy-duty towing and hauling capability, has made its world debut at the 2015 Detroit auto show. Nissan

About the Detroit Auto Show

The North American International Auto Show, known to most as the Detroit auto show, continues to serve as a barometer for the entire industry. Among the debuts this year will be the new Toyota Tacoma and a refreshed Chevrolet Volt. The 2015 event is held at Cobo Hall in Detroit and is open to the public from Jan.17-25. Check out our complete Detroit auto show coverage here.

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