Archive for January, 2010

The Tata Xenon XT: Tata Motors’ answer to the Mahindra Scorpio

Tuesday, January 19th, 2010

Xenon XTThe 2010 Tata Xenon XT (Cross Terrain) is Tata Motors’ lifestyle 4-door, 5-seater pickup and is the automaker’s bestselling vehicle in Europe. The Tata Xenon XT is available in both single cab and double cab configurations and features a chrome-plated grille and silver roof rails. The interiors of Tata Motors’ lifestyle pickup now have a beige color scheme with matching upholstery, a faux wood center and a floor console. The Tata Xenon XT will also have a CD/MP3 music system as an additional feature.

The new Tata Xenon XT can be powered by a DiCOR 2.2-liter Variable Turbine Technology (VTT) engine equipped with 16 valves (4 valves per cylinder) and operated by double overhead camshafts (DOHC) as a 4x4 option, which reviewers say is surprisingly powerful and matches up to the performance of the larger engines in other pickup trucks.

For 2010, the Tata Xenon XT has been made BS IV compliant. It will also have an electrical shift-on-the-fly mechanism and limited slip differential. Also, the Tata Xenon XT will be having ABS and sporting wider 235/R16 tires wrapped around stylish alloy wheels to add to its off-road capability. Accessories such as fog lamps, bed liners, side steps, boot lids, rollover bars, etc. will be available so that owners can fully-customize their own Tata Xenon XT to best suit their preferences.

The Tata Xenon is Tata Motors’ answer to the Mahindra Scorpio. No word on whether the Tata Xenon XT will be available in America.

Posted in News, Tata Trucks, Trucks | No Comments »

New Nissan Titan expected in 2014

Monday, January 18th, 2010

08_Nissan_Titan_06It looks like Nissan Titan fans will have to wait a few more years before the next generation Titan comes out. When the Nissan-Chrysler deal fell through, the Japanese automaker announced their commitment to stay in the full size pickup truck market and they are already working on the Titan replacement by themselves.

Although they didn’t have a display at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show that’s about to end this weekend, Nissan managed to make announcements about their trucks at the event.

The Nissan Titan experienced a few setbacks apart from the deal that didn’t happen including dwindling sales numbers. 2009 sales of the Nissan Titan dropped 44.1% from the previous year. But Nissan remains hopeful about the Titan.

“We had a pretty good December,” said Larry Dominique, Nissan North America’s VP for Product Planning. “From a market share standpoint, in October, November and December we were up 28 percent from the year before, on a month-by-month basis. On a [market] share basis, we were up 41% for those three months.”

According to Dominique, the increased sales were due to the cumulative effort of Titan dealers to seek out loyal customers whose old Nissan Titans need replacement. Nissan also improved the Nissan Titan’s traffic in showrooms and offered “value packaging”, which bundles popular option packages at a lower price.

The Titan is already the oldest half-ton pickup out there and since it debuted way back in 2003, this truck’s life span will reach up to 11 years. Nissan will likely be keeping the Titan’s 5.6-liter V8, but will be adding short term enhancements using hardware from their existing trucks such as the Nissan Armada and the Infiniti QX56 until its full redesign in 2014.

Dominique also said they will be seeking the approval of the Japan team and Nissan Senior VP for Light Commercial Vehicle business unit Andy Palmer and CEO Carlos Ghosn about building a heavy duty Titan and a light commercial vehicle truck. The heavy duty Titan will have a different powertrain and frame, but the same exterior and interior designs. On the other hand, the 2500 or a 3500 truck will allow their LCV team to grow and give them more truck volume. Reports say that while the light duty truck once approved will begin production after at least 2 years, the heavy duty truck may come out even before the release of the all-new Titan in 2014.

Posted in News, Nissan Titan, Nissan Trucks, Trucks | No Comments »

Nissan building Titan replacement alone

Tuesday, January 5th, 2010

2009_nissan_titanAmericans love their large trucks and Nissan is committed to stay in the full size pickup truck market even though Titan sales have been dwindling down. To be able to compete against the Big Three, as well as Toyota, Nissan has to work on a Titan redesign and quick.

According to an article at Chrysler backed out from their agreement to trade platforms early on.

"We're pretty much going it alone," says Nissan spokesperson Scott Vazin.

Meanwhile, their factory in Canton, Mississippi will continue producing the Titan until its replacement is ready to be released.

Visit NissanTitanForum.com to interact with fellow owners and enthusiasts and discuss anything and everything about the Nissan Titan.

Posted in News, Nissan Titan, Nissan Trucks, Trucks | 1 Comment »

PickupTrucks’ Top 10 Significant Trucks of the Decade

Monday, January 4th, 2010

f150

The economic downturn has indeed hit the pickup truck market hard especially in the past 2 years, but despite the difficulties it has caused, it’s undeniable how much the pickup truck industry has advanced in the past decade. In an article, Mike Levine of PickupTrucks.com named the Top 10 Significant Trucks of the Decade.

Crew cabs have been popular overseas way before it was introduced in America. The 2000 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab was the first compact pickup with four full-size doors sold in the US market. After it was released, buyers welcomed the addition of another option besides regular and extended cab because it allowed them to accommodate more passengers in their pickup trucks unlike before. Other manufacturers picked up on this and later, crew cabs became a major player in the pickup truck industry, taking almost half of the entire market share.

The 2004 Nissan Titan was the first real contender of a Japanese manufacturer to rival the full-size half-ton pickup trucks made popular by the Big Three. The 300-horsepower 5.6-liter V8 with an advanced 5-speed automatic transmission in extended or crew cab made waves back then, taking 80% of the half-ton pickup truck sales until it slowed down because early releases were deemed unreliable. There are still loyal  fans and enthusiasts up to now that believe the Nissan Titan is one of the best.

Another truck from a Japanese manufacturer also made the list. The 2006 Honda Ridgeline was honored for its innovation after being the first pickup truck to have an in-bed lockable trunk, as well as a dual-action tailgate that didn’t only fold down, but also off to the side for easy and convenient access to the bed. In addition, 2006 Honda Ridgeline also made some noise because it favored an independent rear suspension over conventional leaf springs giving passengers a more comfortable ride.

Finally, the author named the 2009 Ford F-150 the most significant pickup truck of the decade because it “remains the gold standard against which other half-ton pickup trucks are compared”. In 2009, Ford updated the reliable and much loved 2004 F-150 and gave buyers 7 different models, not including engine and cab type choices. With a great 6-speed transmission and groundbreaking features that others try to copy, the Ford F-150 is the bestselling truck because it caters to everyone.

Other trucks who made the Top 10 are the 2001 Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra Heavy Duty with 6.6-liter Duramax Diesel, the 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche, the 2005 Toyota Tacoma, the 2007 Toyota Tundra, the 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 and the 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor. The 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac and the 2009 Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra Two Mode Hybrids are also honorably mentioned. Read the full article here.

Posted in Chevy / GMC Trucks, Dodge Trucks, Ford Trucks, Honda Trucks, News, Nissan Titan, Nissan Trucks, Trucks | No Comments »