Next Nissan Titan will be built by Dodge



Looks like the rumors have proved true. The next Nissan Titan will be built by Dodge in their Saltillo, Mexico plant.

No word yet on the specifics, but it's safe to assume it will be merely a Dodge Ram with Nissan styling cues. Think Nissan Frontier/ Suzuki Equador, and you pretty much have the picture.

And from my perspective, it's not a pretty picture. Oh, I have absolutely nothing against the new Ram. In fact I'm pretty impressed with what I've seen so far of it. I just HATE badge-engineered vehicles, and that's what this will be. So in a nutshell, Nissan is packing it in, and will let Dodge do the heavy lifting (pun intended) from here on in.

The vehicle will go into production in 2011. No word yet as to whether Dodge will supply heavy duty versions, but my guess is that's part of the plan.

With this announcement you have to wonder what's next for Nissan's and Infiniti full-size SUVs, as they shared many components from the current Titan? Will they now also become Ram-based?

Full story here. The press release issued by Nissan can be found here.

Here's AutoObserver's take: Chrysler, Nissan Link to Share Models

Posted by Bob Apr 15, 2008 4:00 am

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Categories: Dodge | Infiniti | Nissan | Auto Industry | Trucks


Comments

brn - Apr 15, 2008 5:09 am (#1 Total: 20)  

 
 
I think I'd be a hoot if they went so far as to have the QX56 made by Mopar.

roar02ram - Apr 15, 2008 5:32 am (#2 Total: 20)  

 
 
Remember, that the Titan platform underpins not only the QX56 & Armada, but also the XTerra, Pathfinder, and Frontier. I'm guessing the QX56, Armada, and XTerra are pretty much dead, the Pathfinder's going back to a unibody, and the Frontier will be synched with some little truck from abroad.
 
I highly doubt that Chrysler would let Nissan use that platform for its own full-size SUVs...or any kind of SUV given that Chrysler has NEVER used the Ram as a foundation for an SUV. Then again, with coil springs already on it, this one's the perfect jumping point.

orangutan - Apr 15, 2008 6:28 am (#3 Total: 20)  

 
 
Crazy.

sandcountry360 - Apr 15, 2008 7:00 am (#4 Total: 20)  

 
 
Nissan can't really ditch the Frontier, as it's now shared with Suzuki. Aren't the Frontier & Co. built in Smyrna, while the Armada/Titan/QX56 & the Quest are built in Mississippi or somewhere? What are they going to do with that plant, as they're considering Axing the Quest too, aren't they? Maybe they'll replace the people movers with large crossovers to keep the plant going and sales from tanking. And I think the Titan's pretty much done. People bought the Titan because the Didn't want an American pickup. Now they'll either buy a Tundra or just get a Ram.

thebigal - Apr 15, 2008 8:29 am (#5 Total: 20)  

 
 
sheesh... not that I was really a fan of the Titan in the first place, but when it first debuted, it was a fairly capable truck and Nissan does posses the ability to build a "real" full size truck. Why do this???

estreka - Apr 15, 2008 9:03 am (#6 Total: 20)  

 
subarctic north - Great Falls, MT  
While I'm perplexed by this, I have faith in Carlos. There's reasoning behind this that I'm simply not aware of.
It looks like I'll be buying a current model Titan, adding a Stillen supercharger, and beefing up the suspension.

orangutan - Apr 15, 2008 9:22 am (#7 Total: 20)  

 
 

ateixeira - Apr 15, 2008 10:18 am (#8 Total: 20)  

 
Recife, PE, Brazil  
That QX got a hemi?
 
This is bad news for Nissan. Seems like they just gave up before they really even gave it a 2nd effort.

estreka - Apr 15, 2008 10:29 am (#9 Total: 20)  

 
subarctic north - Great Falls, MT  
You know, now that I think about it, I mentioned earlier that the new Ram interior looks suspiciously similar to the Titan's interior. In a way, this really validates that claim.
 
Dodge Ram
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/MediaNav/year=2009/make=Dodge/model=Ram%20Pickup%201500/firstNav=Gallery#
 
Nissan Titan
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/MediaNav/year=2008/make=Nissan/model=Titan/firstNav=Gallery#

rsholland - Apr 15, 2008 10:29 am (#10 Total: 20)  

 
Ellicott City MD United States of America  
Yeah, that my feeling too. They just gave up...

orangutan - Apr 15, 2008 1:18 pm (#11 Total: 20)  

 
 
Maybe Nissan will help Dodge build a decent small pickup.

roar02ram - Apr 16, 2008 5:33 am (#12 Total: 20)  

 
 
sandcountry -
 
You're right that they can't completely ditch it, but I doubt Ghosn (Le Cost Cutter) would continue the Frontier/Xterra/Pathfinder bones without a Titan program to support them. It's much more likely that he'd dump the Xterra, move the Pathfinder back to a unibody, and try to synch the Frontier with a similar small pickup program elsewhere globally. It's easy enough to badge-engineer something different for Suzuki.

rick8365 - Apr 16, 2008 6:40 am (#13 Total: 20)  

 
 
WTF!?!
 
I'm just reading this now.....still haven't gotten my chin off of my desk!
 
I think the Titan has been a heck of a good effort, especially as a first attempt. I don't think there's a lot to do to keep it competitive either. On the flip side, they have had trouble moving them without hefty incentives. I would (and might) buy the current one.....but I won't be buying a rebadge; what's the point?
 
I think the Frontier, XTerra and others built on the Alpha platform will continue to be, even through revisions (not the Pathfinder - of course). It's a good foundation and I think it will be smart for Nissan to get the mileage out their investment that way.
 
I will miss the real Titan.... a true Titan amongst trucks.

firstwagon - Apr 16, 2008 9:46 am (#14 Total: 20)  

 
 
Aside from the engine, I never saw much to like about the Titan. It would always be at the bottom of my list for full size trucks.
 
Still it's odd to see Nissan give up like that.

rsholland - Apr 16, 2008 10:07 am (#15 Total: 20)  

 
Ellicott City MD United States of America  
Not only give up, but give up so easily...

rick8365 - Apr 16, 2008 3:17 pm (#16 Total: 20)  

 
 
It does take what might have been viewed by history as an excellent starting point / stepping stone to a series of ever improving trucks and instead makes it look like a giant blunder, boondoogle waste of money.

82nis - Apr 19, 2008 12:57 pm (#17 Total: 20)  

 
 
the QX56 and the replacement for the Quest will be moved to a japanese plant for production. the QX56 will be a crossover SUV and the armada will basically stay with the canton plant. saying that the other trucks in nissan's lineup will be vanquished is quite pathetic. the next generation armada will be redesigned and will be in production. as for the pathfinder, nissan hasn't decided if it will be a unibody or body-on-frame platform. so the xterra and frontier will likely share a platform with the armada. nissan spent $1 billion dollars on the titan platform and spent, from what i remember, millions on building a facility just to build the titan and armada/qx56 side by side. so i see this is a strategic move and if you read the articles it will save nissan on development and it also said that nissan will be able to use some of dodge's parts bin to make multiple configurations and make the truck more profitable. and nissan is going to design, i am hoping, their own version of the ram truck, not just a carbon copy. and this is good for both companies...it could be a miss or hit. so we will see what happens in the next couple of years.

ma5t3r1984 - Apr 29, 2008 11:19 am (#18 Total: 20)  

 
 
THE DEATH OF NISSAN TRUCKS AS WE KNOW IT, I CANT BELIVE THAT THA TITAN WILL BE REPLACED BY THE RAM TITAN WAS BUILT WAY BETER, WHAT ARE THEY THINKING

paisan - May 10, 2008 7:29 pm (#19 Total: 20)  

 
Staten Island & Caroga Lake, NY  
"Chrysler will manufacture a full-size pickup for Nissan. Based on a Nissan unique design, this truck will be manufactured at Chrysler’s Saltillo (Mexico) Assembly Plant"
 
Hmm this is quoted directly from the Nissan press release. From the looks of it, they aren't rebadging anything, just merely using Chrysler under-utilized production. Similar to Camary's being made in the SIA plant in Indiana.
 
-mike

paisan - May 10, 2008 7:31 pm (#20 Total: 20)  

 
Staten Island & Caroga Lake, NY  
Ouch just read that other article, that came out after the initial press release... Sad day.
 
-mike






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