After a decade and a half, Nissan is finally debuting a complete redesign of its Frontier midsize pickup truck. Sales of the old truck held up well for many years and it was still a very functional truck, but the outgoing Frontier was so old its teeth were dragging on the ground. It debuted in 2005 and hadn’t changed much since.
Americans love pickups, having purchased almost 3 million last year—an amount equal to one out of every five new vehicles sold. The midsized segment where the new Frontier will play is just 21% of the market, but it’s gotten increasing attention from manufacturers in the last four years.
Toyota’s Tacoma is the biggest seller, capturing nearly 40% of the market. The Ford Ranger, Chevrolet Colorado and Jeep Gladiator also sell well. Nissan expects the market to grow modestly to about 650,000 annual truck sales through 2025.
“At first look, the Frontier is a solid update, addressing areas such as technology where the truck has aged, while keeping the core capabilities,” Stephanie Brinley, an analyst with IHS Markit, an automotive research firm tells Forbes Wheels. “The latest truck will see Nissan refine its execution, but not challenge convention.”
More Power, Similar Size
Nissan will market the 2022 Frontier as the most powerful truck in its class. And indeed, the standard 3.6-liter direct injection V6 engine produces 310 horsepower, two more than the six-cylinder motor option in the Colorado. It also is greater than the V6 on the Tacoma. Both the Colorado and the Tacoma come standard with four-cylinder engines rated at 200 and 159 horsepower, respectively.
“It is a capable and very powerful powertrain,” said Jared Haslam, vice president for product services planning at Nissan North America.
Torque is a different story. The Frontier is rated at 281 pound-feet of torque. But the Ford Ranger leads the class with 310 pound-feet.
Unlike the two previous Frontier generations, Nissan won’t make it available with a four-cylinder engine. But the automaker will offer rear- and four-wheel-drive versions, with both 5- and 6-foot beds, in multiple trim levels.
The powertrain, which is mated to a 9-speed automatic transmission, carries over from the 2020 model. But it was new that year and a marked improvement over the previous engine and transmission choices. The new powertrain was Nissan’s attempt to maintain consumer interest in the outgoing model. It didn’t work, with sales plunging 49.1% percent last year to under 37,000.
The automaker is preserving some of the characteristics that helped the Frontier stand out over more than a decade. At a time when midsize pickups are growing to nearly match the full-size trucks of a generation ago, the 2022 Frontier keeps the old truck’s 126-inch wheelbase. The body of the truck still grows a bit, almost 5 inches, mostly in the back.
Nissan’s intent is to keep the Frontier maneuverable in urban settings, expecting for that most buyers, the truck will double as their daily driver and their weekend adventure vehicle. It will still fit easily in most garages. In addition, the shorter wheelbase adds some agility when it does hit the dirt.
New Comforts, New Technology
The truck’s designers say it will be easier, quieter and smoother to drive than the previous generation. They’ve re-engineered the Frontier’s steering to provide a better on-center feel and faster response. The suspension has been tuned to better handle both on pavement and off-road driving. There are new hydraulic cab mounts that Nissan says will reduce road vibration by 80%. Other improvements including new urethane jounce bumpers and front and rear stabilizer bars for a steadier ride and better traction.
Nissan has added insulation, improved rear carpeting and installed front-door acoustic laminated glass to diminish cabin noise. Answering more complaints about the old model, it also upgraded the seats and added interior storage space. “We heard a lot about storage and seat comfort,” Haslam said.
The new truck gets a big jump in technology. The new center stack features a standard 8-inch touchscreen, with a 9-inch display optional. The dashboard has a 7-inch digital driver information display. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard. There are two USB ports in each row of seats, for four total. Nissan also added two 110-volt power outlets, one in the rear and the other in the truck bed.
The automaker makes a good advanced driver assistance system an option, but the base-model truck only provides forward collision and automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection. Buyers will have to purchase a package to get other important safety features such as blind spot warning, rear automatic braking, rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning and automated high beam headlights that adjust to traffic conditions.
Nissan has made its trailer sway control system standard. It detects sway when towing and automatically applies the brakes.
A Better Off-Roader
The 2022 Frontier will be the first first Nissan to have a surround view monitoring system with moving object detection that includes an off-road mode. The monitor system creates a birds’ eye view by stitching together views from four cameras mounted on the outside of the vehicle.
The new off-road mode, available on the Frontier PRO-4X model, functions while the vehicle is moving forward at slow speeds and the four-wheel drive system is set to 4LO. Nissan said it helps a driver negotiate tight trails without having an external spotter to avoid scrapes and dents.
The Frontier PRO-4X will be off-road warrior’s preferred choice. It adds an electronic locking differential, Bilstein off-road shock absorbers and underbody skid plates to provide wilderness capability.
Drivers who want to haul will appreciate the Frontier’s maximum towing capability of 6,720 pounds. The payload capacity is 1,610 pounds, and some buyers will appreciate the optional factory-applied spray-on bedliner. Another nicety is the clever Utili-track Channel System. The system provides hauling flexibility through the use of three special “C” cross-section rails mounted in the bed. There are four additional fixed bed tie-down hooks.
The Frontier also gets a major styling update. The square-jawed new model was inspired by Nissan’s 1986 Hardbody pickup, the first truck fully designed in the U.S., said Hiren Patel, the truck’s lead designer.
Stylists intended the main body of the vehicle to give a sense that it was derived from a single block of metal. The body components are meant to evoke interlocking blocks—think a stylish Lego set. A spoiler on the tailgate directs the viewer’s eyes up when looking at the rear of the truck. Frontier is embossed in large letters across the length of the tailgate.
The new Frontier should achieve Nissan’s goals by providing pickup shoppers with a credible choice that will allow them to tow, haul equipment and pursue their weekend adventures, Brinley said.
Pricing and fuel efficiency information will come closer to when it goes on sale this summer.