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COVID-19 has failed to stop its launch.
Despite the widespread disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Nissan has confirmed its updated 2020 Frontier along with its completely redesigned successor still remains on schedule. The 2020 Nissan Frontier, complete with a new 3.8-liter V6 engine will go on sale this spring as originally planned, Nissan officials confirmed to Autoblog.
In addition, the redesigned 2021 Frontier will be revealed by the end year. In fact, next-gen Frontier prototypes are on their way right now to the US for final testing. It was at the 2020 Chicago Auto Show back in February where Nissan surprised us by unveiling the updated 2020 Frontier. Despite being in its final production year, that new V6 and accompanying nine-speed automatic transmission are very much welcomed. The rest of the truck will remain mostly the same as before.
Nissan has also finally revealed some interesting details about its successor. We already knew it'll share the 2020 model's powertrain, but it'll also be lighter and more aerodynamic, which shouldn't come as a surprise given that the current truck dates back nearly 15 years. Efficiency is one of the new Frontier's main goals and we expect the 2WD version will surpass the 18/24 mpg EPA rating the 2020 2WD Frontier received. For comparison, the 2WD Ford Ranger has a 21/26 mpg rating.
Another underlying question is whether the 2021 Frontier will retain a four-cylinder and manual gearbox option. Officials didn't provide a direct answer but it should be noted the manual take rate is currently just 5 percent.
Perhaps most interestingly, the redesigned Frontier will share some components with its predecessor though, again, Nissan declined to go into specifics. However, this more or less confirms earlier reports that the next Frontier is being specifically developed for the North American market. The alternative plan could have been to update the overseas-only Nissan Navara, though it too is aging fast since its latest redesign was in 2014.
Look for the updated 2020 Nissan Frontier to arrive in dealerships in the very near future and stay tuned for what will hopefully be more specific details regarding its long-awaited successor.
