2020 Nissan TITAN Brings Styling and Tech Upgrades

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Written by Paul Strauss | September 28, 2019
2020 Nissan TITAN Brings Styling and Tech Upgrades

It hasn’t been all that long since Nissan revamped its TITAN pickup truck. The second-generation, full-size pickup debuted for the 2016 model year. But with tough competition from the likes of Ram and GMC, Nissan decided to go back to the drawing board and up their game for the 2020 model year.

The most obvious change for the new TITAN is the redesign of its exterior. Whether you go with the SL, Platinum Reserve, or PRO-4X trim, each of its three new grilles is decidedly more aggressive than the outgoing model, with more dramatic and substantial look overall. There are bright new headlights, surrounded by a sharp new LED daytime running light design that Nissan calls a “double boomerang.” The overall look is closer to the design Nissan first showed with its Warrior concept back in 2015.

For 2020, Nissan is cutting back on the available engine options, putting the Cummins diesel to rest for now, and opting to offer only a 5.6-liter V8. This time, it makes 400 horsepower and 413 lb-ft. of torque on 91-octane gas. The engine has been retuned from the prior-gen, and gone is the old 7-speed, replaced with a new 9-speed automatic that’s designed to improve the overall torque curve and acceleration.

The interior of the new 2020 models looks great – especially in the Platinum Reserve trim level, with lots of premium leather, real wood, and quilted seating surfaces. The center display comes in either an 8″ or 9″ touchscreen, both with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The excellent 15-speaker Fender audio system is still available as well.

Every TITAN gets Nissan Safety Shield 360 protection as standard equipment, including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind spot warning, rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning, high beam assist and rear automatic braking, a feature not found in other trucks of its class.

As in the past, the PRO-4X is the most capable TITAN, riding on 18″ off-road wheels, with Bilstein off-road shocks, an electronic locking rear diff, a skid plate up front, as well as a trailer hitch and NissanConnect and navigation standard. While I prefer the rugged looks and features of the PRO-4X, I have to say that the shiny rear tailgate accent on the Platinum Reserve is quite sharp, and sets it apart from the pack.

Only time will tell if the upgrades improve the overall performance and sales of the TITAN, but from strictly an appearance perspective, I think that Nissan is definitely headed in the right direction this time out.

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