Ghosn Confirms Nissan to Persevere with Titan, Other Trucks in U.S.
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Ghosn Confirms Nissan to Persevere with Titan, Other Trucks in U.S.
In a recent meeting with automotive media, Nissan-Renault chairman and CEO Carlos Ghosn said Nissan intends to stick with fullsize pickups in the U.S. and also said there is a future for other trucks and SUVs in Nissan's model range, including the Quest minivan.
The fullsize pickup market has been battered by the U.S. economic upheaval and the auto industry's resulting plunge, and import-brand fullsizers have had the worst of it. Sales for Nissan's Titan were down a striking 50.2 percent through October, to a meager 15,393 sold.
After a deal in which Nissan arranged to have the next-generation Titan based on the Dodge Ram pickup and manufactured by Chrysler Group LLC evaporated earlier this year, questions began to circulate about whether Nissan would remain in the domestic-nameplate-dominated segment that has proven difficult for import brands to invade.
But Ghosn said despite the setback from losing the Chrysler connection, Nissan is hanging in the fullsize-pickup game.
"Titan will have a replacement, we are staying in the large pickup truck market," Ghosn said at the media event. He added that the next-generation Titan could again be designed and built by Nissan - or with a collaborator.
Ghosn also hinted that despite reports the next-generation Quest minivan would be built in Japan, its assembly could remain in the U.S. The company currently builds the Quest - as well as the Titan, Altima and the Armada and Infiniti QX56 fullsize SUVs - at its plant in Canton, MS. But the Canton plant also is being heavily refurbished to accommodate manufacture of light commercial vehicles beginning next year - leading to speculation the slow-selling Quest (sales through October: 8,083) could be moved elsewhere.
As for the Titan-based Armada and QX56, Ghosn said those models also will be replaced, but will be based on the smaller, more-efficient architecture of the Nissan Patrol. - Bill Visnic, senior contributing editor, with Scott Oldham, editor, Edmunds Inside Line
Nissan CEO says that despite headwinds, there will be a next-generation Titan fullsize pickup.
The fullsize pickup market has been battered by the U.S. economic upheaval and the auto industry's resulting plunge, and import-brand fullsizers have had the worst of it. Sales for Nissan's Titan were down a striking 50.2 percent through October, to a meager 15,393 sold.
After a deal in which Nissan arranged to have the next-generation Titan based on the Dodge Ram pickup and manufactured by Chrysler Group LLC evaporated earlier this year, questions began to circulate about whether Nissan would remain in the domestic-nameplate-dominated segment that has proven difficult for import brands to invade.
But Ghosn said despite the setback from losing the Chrysler connection, Nissan is hanging in the fullsize-pickup game.
"Titan will have a replacement, we are staying in the large pickup truck market," Ghosn said at the media event. He added that the next-generation Titan could again be designed and built by Nissan - or with a collaborator.
Ghosn also hinted that despite reports the next-generation Quest minivan would be built in Japan, its assembly could remain in the U.S. The company currently builds the Quest - as well as the Titan, Altima and the Armada and Infiniti QX56 fullsize SUVs - at its plant in Canton, MS. But the Canton plant also is being heavily refurbished to accommodate manufacture of light commercial vehicles beginning next year - leading to speculation the slow-selling Quest (sales through October: 8,083) could be moved elsewhere.
As for the Titan-based Armada and QX56, Ghosn said those models also will be replaced, but will be based on the smaller, more-efficient architecture of the Nissan Patrol. - Bill Visnic, senior contributing editor, with Scott Oldham, editor, Edmunds Inside Line
Nissan CEO says that despite headwinds, there will be a next-generation Titan fullsize pickup.
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At 139,000 units through October, I'm sure Nissan would be OK with Impala sales numbers for the Titan, even though they have, in essence, fallen off a cliff (Impala down 42%).
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Can you make money on a redesigned truck that only sells 15-20K units per year? I'm sure the current one "has made it's money," but can the next gen do so at such a low volume?
FWIW, I think the current truck looks awesome, I even bought an "X-Mods" RC Titan truck, but really have no interest in owning one, my bowtie trucks have been too damn dependable for me to sway. My next truck will be either the redesigned Colorado (big "if" on that one) or a used 07+ truck in 4-5 years?
FWIW, I think the current truck looks awesome, I even bought an "X-Mods" RC Titan truck, but really have no interest in owning one, my bowtie trucks have been too damn dependable for me to sway. My next truck will be either the redesigned Colorado (big "if" on that one) or a used 07+ truck in 4-5 years?
Last edited by Silverado C-10; Nov 18, 2009 at 10:56 PM.
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The Titan was a nice looking truck, good solid motor which although it is rated at 315 or so it will keep up with other trucks with more "rated" hp just fine, it's very comfortable on long trips, rides great, good pulling power, but the brakes on mine sucked, Nissan limits the power until you hit 3k rpm in first gear so you are sluggish off the line until you hit 3000rpm and then you're gone. I had mine for maybe 8 months, took it in to the dealer maybe 6 times, the front driver side window had a habit of not rolling up during wet weather, the brakes would warp and fade, and most annoying of all was the interior quality, it creaked and growned and made all kinds of annoying rattles you could never find. It got so bad I had to stuff tissue between the dash and the gauge cluster to keep it from driving me nuts. They need to offer a real mechanical LSD in those things at a minimum and the option of a full locker on the 2wd setups just like Chevy does. A good locker can get you just about anywhere you have business going in a 2wd truck. LSD is basically useless offroad.
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Last edited by rlchv70; Nov 19, 2009 at 11:54 AM.
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I was going to post the same thing...should've known you already did
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