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Did We Drive the Next Nissan Frontier?
By Chad Kirchner
To say that the Nissan Frontier is getting a bit long in the tooth would be the understatement of the millennium. Last receiving a significant refresh in 2004, the truck is nearly old enough to get its own driver's license. Yet, all these years later, it's still a good truck.
But like all things automotive, the Frontier will eventually get an update. Pinning down an exact date from the folks at Nissan is difficult, but there are reports it's likely to happen soon. Again, getting them to confirm that is difficult.
When it does go on sale, what could that new Frontier be like? Fortunately, we don't have to look far for inspiration. In other parts of the world, Nissan sells the Navara pickup. This metric-ton pickups (meaning it can carry more than 2,000 pounds) shares a heritage with the Frontier, and it's a likely bet that an updated Frontier would be similar.
Arctic Trucks Navara AT32
I recently had a chance to drive the newest Arctic Trucks version of the Navara in North Africa. The Nissan Navara Off-Roader AT32 was probably my favorite truck of those I drove in 2018, and it shows us some of the way forward for the new Frontier when it comes to market.
Also sold as the Alaskan under the Renault badge, the Nissan Navara is a thoroughly modern truck with a ton of capability. Navaras come with locking rear ends and four-wheel drive. The Arctic Trucks version raises the truck by just more than three-quarters of an inch and adds a front locker and unique tires. A 2.3-liter diesel engine provides plenty of torque for off-roading, and the seven-speed automatic transmission is quite refined.
Adding to the refinement is a load of creature comforts inside, including Nissan's Zero Gravity seats that are heated, dual-zone climate control, satellite navigation, cruise control with limit functions and even a 360-degree camera system.
Finally, ride quality is helped by a five-link rear suspension setup. Even with that setup, it's rated to tow 7,716 pounds in 4x4 configurations, though the Europeans don't have a towing standard like SAE International's J2807.
While you can find some of those features on the 2019 Frontier, it lacks most of the advanced technology.
Navara Vs. Frontier
For me, the Frontier is appealing if any of the following is true: trucks are too expensive, trucks are too complicated or trucks are too big. The Navara checks only one of those boxes.
A British journalist who was on the Nissan drive said that the Navara is considered a premium pickup truck in the United Kingdom and Europe; in the U.S., the Frontier is a smart value buy.
Regardless of how Nissan positions the updated Frontier, we can be assured we'll still get a lot of the Navara's technology, especially on the higher trims. The 360-degree camera is making its way to many Nissan products, including the Titan and several crossovers.
Navigation and dual-zone climate control are already available on Frontier but expect the updated NissanConnect multimedia system with support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It'd also be wise to expect the LED headlights to make their way to the Frontier.
The Navara Dark Sky concept, created in conjunction with the European Space Agency, epitomizes a future Navara. That Navara has Nissan's ProPilot Assist driver assistance technology, tuned for towing a trailer, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see that in both the new Frontier and Navara as an option.
The Navara isn't larger than the Frontier, thankfully. The Frontier has a 125.9-inch wheelbase for the short bed, and the Navara short bed is 124-inch (after converting from metric). Since the Navara is crash-rated for the U.S., it does give me hope that the new truck won't grow significantly in size.
Under the Hood
The biggest unknown is the engine. The Navara gets two diesel options, depending on trim. Neither of those engines are certified for sale in the U.S. Nissan does have a partnership with Cummins, which has a 2.8-liter diesel that would likely fit nicely. It was even put in a Frontier concept a few years back.
It's more likely, though, that the new Frontier will be powered by a gas engine. A revised version of the 4.0-liter V-6 in the current truck would be fine, but Nissan should use the seven-speed automatic transmission instead of the antiquated five-speed. A six-speed manual should also be an option.
Depending on how Nissan positions the new Frontier, it may try to hit a specific price. Some of the safety technology will be inexpensive to add, but some of the luxury features won't be. In fact, the Navara AT32 we drove was more than $64,000. Arguably, that truck is as good or better than the 2019 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison, which starts at $48,045 with destination.
Ideally, the new Frontier will remain the value player it always has been, especially in the lower trim levels, while still offering something for enthusiasts to get excited about. It might be a NISMO-badged Frontier or some variation of the Pro-4X, but it'd be awesome to have something like the Navara AT32 to compete with the Colorado ZR2 here in the states. We'll just have to wait and see.
