Nissan Titan 2020 Australian launch: what we know so far

If you're a fan of giant utes (or “trucks”, as our American cousins might say), then the news that Nissan will soon be launching the US-bred Titan pick-up in Australia would surely have had your cowboy boots tippy-tapping in anticipation.

It certainly caused plenty of excitement here in the CarsGuide office, and so we've done some digging to learn exactly what to expect when the big Nissan does touch down on our shores.

We know that it's a matter of when, and not if, for the Titan. Nissan is still playing coy on the timing, but the full-size truck will absolutely launch in Australia at some point in the near future.

Nissan Australia MD Stephen Lester, for example, told CarsGuide he is pushing to launch the vehicle locally “ASAP".

"There are definitely plans to expand. Even within Navara we’ve seen the development of special versions support the growth of that car, and we’ll see that continue for sure," Mr Lester said. "But I also believe a vehicle like Titan would make perfect sense for Australia. We’ve been hard at it with the global team to push for this, and we’ll stay hard at it, because I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

"I’d hate to put a timeframe on it, but we will push hard to get it ASAP, and we will take it any day of the week, just as quickly as we can get it.”

Which is all hugely exciting (Nissan would be the first car company to offer a true factory-delivered full-size truck in Australia), but it also means it’s time we take a closer look at just what we can expect.

The Titan was an instant hit in the USA, shifting more than 100,000 units since its 2016 launch. Sure, that's a drop in Ford's ocean, but it's an impressive result for a relative newcomer. And that success is what inspired Nissan’s executive team to actively investigate other markets it believes could prove equally successful for the full-size pickup. And Australis is at the very top of that list.

The American-born Titan is available Stateside in two sizes; a standard Titan and an ever bigger XD version (though we'd expect Nissan Australia to only take the smaller version), and both are served with just a single engine size, and that's a V8. Yes, you can have a petrol or a diesel version in the USA, but its eight cylinders or nothing for Titan shoppers.

But that’s no bad thing. And besides, if you’re looking for a full-size truck because of its fuel efficiency, then you’re likely shopping at the wrong end of the market… And we do mean full-size; the regular Titan stretches a whopping 5.79m in length, 2.01m in width and up to 1.93m in height. But stepping up to the XV version adds even more meta, with the biggest Titan stretching 6.16m in length, 2.04m in width and 1.98m in height. Both are available in Single, King and Crew Cab configurations.

Helping shift that bulk is a monstrous 5.6-litre V8 petrol engine, good for 290kW and 534Nm. But Australia is expected to opt exclusively for a gigantic 5.0-litre diesel V8 that produces 231kW and a staggering 752Nm, paired with a seven-speed automatic transmission.

While the numbers change slightly depending on your chosen configuration, the Titan boasts a maximum 5.5-tonne towing capacity and a maximum 1.3-tonne payload capacity, which is lots - though those numbers could change by the time the Titan arrives in Australia.

Available in 4x2 or 4x4 guise (the all-wheel models get a two-speed transfer case), you also get a three-seat front bench as standard in the States, meaning versions with a backseat (King and Crew) actually house six people. Or you can opt for front captain's chairs that revert the Titan to a five-seater.

The only question left to answer is what the Titan will cost in Australia. And that will likely remain a tightly guarded secret. Private importers are converting cars from left- to right-hand drive locally, and 2018 models (Platinum Crew Cab) are commanding $145,000.

Happily, we would expect Nissan to be able to beat that number. By just how much? Watch this space.

Are you in the queue for Nissan Titan? Tell us in the comments below.