Nissan unleashes new Frontier
SUNDANCE, Utah — The last time Nissan offered a redesigned Frontier pickup truck, George W. Bush was starting his second term as president. Yes, it’s been a while. Hiren Patel, project lead designer at Nissan Design America in San Diego, where the Frontier was designed, said the new truck’s look was informed by Nissan’s mid-1980s Hardbody pickup.
“I really like the cleanliness of that design,” Patel said during the Frontier’s launch last month in Utah. “Every panel has a purpose, and the look of toughness to it even though it’s a small truck.”
But Patel said his staff was careful not to make the new truck too trendy: “They’re looking for things that are maybe a bit more longstanding, that are going to look good in 10 or 15 years.”
Mission accomplished. The Frontier is all-new, yet very recognizable in character. Its chiseled front grille and LED lighting wrap rearward into softer forms that give it an underlying strength. Its size is perfect, whether you opt for the Crew Cab or King Cab. You won’t find it too wide for trails or that narrow parking spot.
Patel and his crew were careful to design a truck
that could then be customized by the customer, not the company. So, you can get a sprayed-in bedliner from the factory (optional on SV and PRO-4X), and the bed has tiedown points. The tailgate is dampened, and the rear bumper makes a handy step.
That same rational sensibility continues inside. It doesn’t look as if it’s festooned with the latest tech, even though it is. The 9-inch touchscreen is placed at the top center of the instrument panel. The interface is easy to operate and sensibly designed with two large knobs rather than on-screen slider controls, which would have been impossible to use while wearing work gloves. Similarly, the climate controls are easy to operate with gloves on.
On-road behavior is exemplary, even in the off-road-ready PRO-4X trim. Its newfound refinement can be felt in the Frontier’s lack of body motions over bumps. There’s a noticeable absence of excess rebound that you’d expect in a truck tuned for off-road prowess. The responsive steering has a nice heft to it, even at low speeds. There’s a noticeable lack of noise, be it from wind, road or tires. That’s especially true off road, a truly pleasant surprise.
And should you take it off-road, you’ll find it to be very capable. No, there aren’t any trail modes, just the hardware you need to get the job done: a parttime, shift-on-the-fly fourwheel-drive system with a four-wheel-drive low range and locking differential. It tackled a twisting, narrow, rock-strewn trail with the aplomb of a faithful steed.
The V-6 engine provides more than enough power, although the nine-speed transmission does seem to be more concerned about fuel economy at times. The solution is to shift for yourself, which delivers a far more satisfactory experience, particularly off-road.
The Frontier is a mustdrive against its competition, as it provides the no-nonsense utility that once characterized all pickups. It proves that bigger isn’t always better.