REPORT: Even without Dodge Ram, Ghosn says Nissan Titan will survive

[ZilviaBot]

11-15-2009 05:51 PM

Filed under: Truck (http://www.autoblog.com/category/trucks/), Nissan (http://www.autoblog.com/category/nissan/)

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/11/08_titan_10_opt.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2008-nissan-titan/)

When Dodge (http://www.autoblog.com/make/dodge/) announced that it wouldn't be sharing its Ram (http://www.autoblog.com/model/ram+1500) platform with Nissan (http://www.autoblog.com/make/nissan/), we just kind of assumed that the Titan (http://www.autoblog.com/tag/Titan/) was going to go the way of the Do Do. Why? Because Titan sales are the suck. Nissan has only sold 15,393 copies of its largest truck through the first 10 months of the year. For perspective, Ford sold more F-150s in the first two weeks of October than Nissan has sold in 43 weeks. Last year wasn't much better either, as only 30,000 customers walked out of a Nissan dealer with a new Titan.

But if a report from Inside Line is to be believed, the Titan will live on. Renault/Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn reportedly told IL that "Titan will have a replacement, we are staying in the large pickup truck market." It makes a bit of sense that there will be another Titan given the fact that Nissan also uses the basic platform for the Infiniti QX56 and the Nissan Armada. But then again those portly SUVs aren't exactly flying off the shelf, either.

Speculation is that Nissan could be looking for an outside partner (or already have one) to collaborate on a new pickup. We're thinking one candidate could be Toyota. The only other Japanese automaker competing directly with the domestics in the U.S. half-ton pickup truck market, Toyota was expecting to produce 200,000 units per year of the Tundra when the it launched, but has sold only 66,000 through October. Teaming up with Nissan would help bring costs down, soak up extra production capacity and mitigate the risk inherent in competing against Ford, GM and Chrysler at what they do best.


Gallery: 2008 Nissan Titan (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2008-nissan-titan/low/)

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/02/08_titan_10_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2008-nissan-titan/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/02/08_titan_15_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2008-nissan-titan/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/02/08_titan_17_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2008-nissan-titan/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/02/08_titan_18_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2008-nissan-titan/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/02/08_titan_02_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2008-nissan-titan/low/)

[Source: Inside Line (http://blogs.insideline.com/straightline/2009/11/ghosn-says-nissan-will-stay-in-the-full-size-truck-market.html)]REPORT: Even without Dodge Ram, Ghosn says Nissan Titan will survive (http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/15/report-even-without-dodge-ram-ghosn-says-nissan-titan-will-sur/) originally appeared on Autoblog (http://www.autoblog.com) on Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds (http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/).



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[kingkilburn]

Nissan badly needs more options for the Titan. It needs a higher payload and towing capacity plus a nice turbo diesel option.

[drift freaq]

I have an idea. Why doesn't Nissan just give up on the Titan, Armada and QX56. We do not need more trucks and Gas Guzzlers in this country as it is. To many people driving that shit. Nissan could save a ton of cash knocking those lines out and actually come up withe cash for Silvia replacement!! Wow what a concept!

P.S. Its not like Toyota is having mad success in the big truck world either. Maybe the Japanese should leave that shit to Ford and GM and Dodge.

[P-Funk alot]

actually the titan has the best towing capacity in its class at 10000lbs and is a great truck

[drift freaq]

actually the titan has the best towing capacity in its class at 10000lbs and is a great truck

I am not saying its not a good truck. Nor am I saying the Toyota is not good. Though the fact is there sales do not reflect how good they are. In other words its an uphill battle for Nissan and Toyota to convince the American public that they are better deal or truck than the American counterparts.

In that sense for an analogy look no further than GM and Chrysler trying to sell passenger cars to people who buy Japanese car.

Oh and I don't include Ford in the analogy solely because they are actually doing a decent job selling their passenger cars already.

[JeremyR]

in america, for the most part, people want american trucks.

and the sales numbers show that.


i love nissans so of course im more inclined to purchase a titan than an f150, but really, import automakers dont need to make trucks and suvs, they just cant compete with the american competition, regardless if they make a better truck.

[Walperstyle]

edited post. Found this for those that don't know.

Nissan North America - U.S. Manufacturing
Nissan has three production plants in the United States - in Smyrna and Decherd, Tennessee, and Canton, Mississippi. Production at Nissan's Smyrna Plant began in June 1983. The vehicle assembly plant has an annual production capacity of 550,000 vehicles and represents a capital investment of $2.5 billion. The plant produces the Nissan Altima, Nissan Maxima, Nissan Xterra, Nissan Frontier and Nissan Pathfinder.

The vehicle assembly plant in Canton, Mississippi, began producing vehicles in May 2003. The $1.4 billion plant now produces the Nissan Altima, Nissan Quest, Nissan Armada, Nissan Titan and Infiniti QX56. The plant has an annual production capacity of 400,000 vehicles.

Nissan's powertrain assembly plant in Decherd, Tennessee, began production in May 1997. Today the plant manufactures all the engines for the complete lineup of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles produced in the U.S. The plant also forges crankshafts, and cylinder block casting operations will begin in the spring of 2008.

Nissan North America - Smyrna
983 Nissan Drive
Smyrna, TN 37167
Phone: (615) 459-1400

Nissan North America - Canton
300 Nissan Drive
Canton, MS 39046
Phone: (601) 855-6010

Nissan North America - Decherd
520 Warren Chapel Road
Decherd, TN 37324
Phone: (931) 962-5000

[Future240]

in america, for the most part, people want american trucks.

and the sales numbers show that.


i love nissans so of course im more inclined to purchase a titan than an f150, but really, import automakers dont need to make trucks and suvs, they just cant compete with the american competition, regardless if they make a better truck.

QFT

This is exactly how I feel. While I fap to their cars all the time, given a choice I would never buy a truck from them. Silverado all the way.

[kingkilburn]

The reason the "American" trucks out sell the imports is the options. There is no heavy duty Titan, no dually, no turbo diesel, no factory goose neck. All they have done is become a late player in the giant passenger truck craze. I think the Titan can be more than that.

[azndummie]

FUCK TOYOTA we dont need runaway titans

[kingkilburn]

That makes no sense at all.

[azndummie]

just search runaway toyota in google.

[veilside180sx]

I'd rock a Titan over a domestic truck any day, and no a lot of construction/outdoors boys that feel the same way.

The main things killing Nissan, is no diesel...and no 3/4 ton. (gas mileage could come up some as well)

[kingkilburn]

What does a runaway Prius have to do with the success of the Titan?

[Team DET]

I <3 my Titan

[Ninjabread]

The first problem is most of the Japanese trucks are overpriced. Sure, you're getting quality etc etc, but its hard to pay 5-10k more for the same product when Chev/Ford/Dodge have been building trucks since the beginning of time, and most of them are OK.

Another problem might be the target market. Usually someone who wants a truck the size of a titan, would be to tow stuff or beat on it (construction type), in which case you can go get a brand new F150 for like 20k with discounts and stuff.

The other problem is that potential customers have probably been buying north american trucks all their life, so if it works for them, they don't see the point in switching to Japanese counterpart. Especially with the price difference.

[Genovese.Jr]

Nissan badly needs more options for the Titan. It needs a higher payload and towing capacity plus a nice turbo diesel option.

they do make a turbo diesel just that it is mainly in south america

[kingkilburn]

Is it a big 450 ft/ibs plus monster or a little fuel sipper?