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2016 Titan XD Crew Cab SL 4×4: takes on the heavyweights

Published 9:14 am Friday, April 29, 2016

To say Nissan was bold with its new class of full-size pickup truck offering – The 2016 Titan XD Crew Cab SL 4×4 – is a vast understatement. After all, it’s taking on the heavyweights of Chevy’s Silverado, Ford’s F-150 and the Dodge Ram that dominate this category in America. And have for years.

Combining the capability of a heavy-duty hauler with the drivability and affordability of a light-duty, the Titan may nudge its way into the conversation – at least for open-minded truck aficionados. Nissan continues to up the ante with cutting-edge towing, utility and driving aids to make the Titan a powerful precision tool for hardworking, hard-playing truck dudes – or dudettes.

My tester was powered by a Cummins 5.0-liter V8 turbo diesel that delivers 310 horsepower and 555 lb.-ft. of torque. If that doesn’t do it for you, a 5.6-liter Endurance V8 gasoline engine will be available later this spring with 390-horsepower. The engine is paired with a heavy-duty, six-speed Aisin automatic transmission.

The Titan XD came with a crew cab that seats five adults with plenty of leg, shoulder and head room. The on-board computer said I averaged almost 13 mpg for my week of city/highway driving. A full-size pickup bed comes with railing to secure your toys and is pre-drilled to accommodate a fifth-wheel.

Bed features include the popular spray-on bedliner, flush-mounted LED bedrail lighting, cargo and tailgate lamps, 120-volt in-bed access and a damped tailgate that is light to lift and smoothly damped when lowering.

It also features an industry-first Utili-track Bed Channel System with four heavy-duty aluminum alloy cleats that move and lock anywhere along the walls, bed floor and header tracks to give the user endless tie-down possibilities.

Called “XD,” the Titan offers some of the effortless towing and hauling of larger, more expensive heavy-duty trucks – including an available maximum towing capacity of 12,314 pounds and maximum payload capacity of 2,091 pounds.

The model features a new transfer case designed to ensure maximum power distribution in every gear. It distributes torque to both ends and provides four-wheel drive when added traction is needed on snow, ice, sand, mud, muck, dirt, water, gravel – whatever the job site presents.

Durable off-road performance has also been emphasized, with features such as hill-descent control, hill-start assist and brake limited-slip differential. A new off-road gauge uses accelerometer data to calculate the vehicle’s pitch and roll angles.

Among the list of new available towing aids are an integrated trailer brake controller, trailer sway control, tow/haul mode with downhill speed control and a trailer light check system that allows one-person hook-up operation – checking turn signals, brake lights and running/clearance lights from inside the cab.

The premium Titan XD SL trim level features an interior distinguished by leather-appointed seats, heated driver and passenger seats, passenger-side four-way power seat, power tilt and telescopic steering, memory function for both the seat and the tilt/telescoping steering wheel and wood inmold film instrument panel finishers.

The SL grade exterior offers auto dimming outside mirrors, 265/60R20 BSW tires and 20×7.5-inch painted aluminum-alloy wheels, chrome outside mirrors and door handles, removable aero front bumper spoiler, gloss chrome grille surround, satin chrome mesh grille, chrome front and lower fascias, chrome rear bumpers, four front and four rear-parking sensors, power-sliding back glass, proximity-activated puddle lamps and LED signature headlights. Step rails are also available as an accessory.

I could have used them, as my aging back – by the end of the week – was barking like a dog.

2016 NISSAN TITAN XD CREW CAB SL

BASE PRICE: $55,030

AS TESTED: $56,425

Base price includes destination charge. Vehicles are provided by the manufacturer. Prices may vary at local dealerships.