D22 Possible for the next North American Frontier

[Nd4SpdSe]

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2014/0 ... -frontier/

Would breath some new life in our old trucks for mods and upgrades and available parts for maintanance.

[Miner]

A little late for a bad April fools joke isn't it?

[Miner]

North America doesn't need this...




It needs this MODERNIZED and put on a serious DIET...



Honestly after you scrap the suspension, steering brakes, interior and sheet metal off the NP300 what's left...a bare frame setup for antiquated power trains and torsion bars...that's probably rusty.

[the x kid]

Could be interesting. Love the old hard body's or the older smaller Tocos.

[CruiserRomey]

hmm. I think i get it though. why go toe to toe with tacos and hiluxes? I think the demographics for this truck exists, itll be a different niche in n.America. there are a lot of these navara s in s.america and they've done well. its a work truck that'll get the job done and for less, pretty much nissans answer to the hilux. its a reliable platform imho.

[Miner]

2015 Nissan Navara NP300 Unveiled



I think I like it

[lookzcustoms]

[Miner]

Great to see the video, disappointing to see how far away they are in terms of long term testing etc with only one mule and the show truck equiped with the 2.8 motors. However the ATLAS Commins was also a 2.8 developed in the Titan platform so there is more testing done than they are taking credit for.

Sidebar ... I hate the TFL truck guy, he either has no idea what he is talking about or no ability to articulate himself.

[Nd4SpdSe]

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2014/0 ... h-america/

Our industry source who reported that Nissan would use an old version of the Frontier has reported back to us with some bittersweet news.



The reported next-generation Frontier, which would have been based on the bones of the old, first-generation Frontier, has been abandoned. According to our source, bringing the old technology up to modern crash standards was too onerous a task, and the costs were simply too high – even with using an already paid for architecture.

The big issue at hand is this: Nissan still wants to have a small, basic, fuel-efficient affordable truck, since they see it as an untapped niche. Their original thinking was that the D22 Frontier would let them get their in a cost-effective way (remember, small trucks are low-margin, difficult to price and carry significant regulatory burdens). But now that this option is off the table, Nissan is forced to use the all-new Navara as a starting point.

From a superficial perspective, that’s not such a bad thing. The Navara is a modern, global mid-size pickup that is a proven design and a sales success across the globe. The problem is that, as it sits now, it’s far too expensive for what Nissan USA is looking for. So, the North American truck will use the Navara architecture, due to its crashworthiness, and ability to fit a modern, diesel engine under the hood, but the tradeoff will be a fair amount of content will not make it across the ocean.

As with the now dead D22, Nissan Mexico will be responsible for engineering the truck to meet NAFTA standards. This “clean sheet” approach, if it can be called that, will cause further delays. The current Frontier will soldier on until 2018, when the new truck arrives. A diesel variant arrives a year later. The new truck will likely have a different look and stick to the original mandate of being akin to a modern-day Hardbody. But instead of actually being a a modern day Hardbody, it will be a revamped modern truck.

Nissan had planned to give North American truck buyers something truly unique, but it was not to be. We will be getting what is arguably the better, more modern option, but this new approach will just add more time, effort and expense to the program. The goal of a low-cost, fuel-efficient pickup is still in sight. Nissan will just be approaching it in a different way.