Nissan Takes a Step Back on Full-size Pickup Strategy

For about two decades now, Nissan has hinted at releasing a full-size pickup truck that could rival segment leaders Ford, Ram, and Chevrolet.

But it looks like the brand still needs a few more years to realize this plan as it recently announced it will be taking a step back on the proposed pickup truck.

The Japanese automaker apparently told United States dealers that it will halt sales of the Cummins diesel engine Titan XD, as well as other configurations of the model such as its single-cab variants.

Although it appears as a minor change in Nissan’s overall strategy, it proves to be a significant decision considering America’s growing preference for pickup trucks. It also contradicts Nissan’s efforts when it first introduced the Cummins V-8 diesel Titan in 2015, using it to announce its second attempt to make a mark in the full-size pickup truck segment.

When Nissan debuted the Titan in 2003, executives and planners claimed the first-generation lacked important variations that would make the model a strong competitor in the market. Thus, it worked on equipping the Titan with a V-8 diesel engine. But when it released the truck with the said engine, Nissan still failed to generate traction for it to be considered a main player in the truck segment.

The Titan’s less-than-mediocre performance in the U.S. market comes as a huge blow as the demand for pickup trucks has only continued to increase and the Big 3 of the truck industry remain unbothered. The losses also kept piling up for the company as the Titan only managed to sell 18,026 units in the first half of 2019, a measly 1.5 percent share of the full-size pickup segment.

Nissan’s discontinuation of the Titan may be a smart choice for the struggling brand. But if it wants to make a presence in the competitive truck segment, Nissan would do better in rethinking its strategy given that consumers notably prefer American truck brands.