2004 Nissan Titan King Cab Press Kit

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The all-new 2004 Nissan Titan King Cab brings to the full-size pickup market bold styling and a new level of innovation ¬– including rear King Cab doors that open nearly 180 degrees for nearly unlimited interior access and a high-utility bed that includes an industry-first factory-applied spray-in bed liner, a new Utili-track™ tie-down system that provides ultimate cargo hauling flexibility and an integrated, lockable bedside storage compartment.

The Titan, Nissan's first entry into the full-size truck category, is built on an all-new pickup platform, featuring a newly designed 305-horsepower Nissan Endurance 5.6-liter DOHC V8 with a torque rating of 379 lb-ft. The new Titan also offers a standard 5-speed automatic transmission and a towing capacity of up to 9,500 pounds. Titan King Cab is available with a choice of 2-wheel and 4-wheel drive.

The new Titan, which was conceived, developed, styled and engineered primarily in North America, will be assembled at Nissan's new $1.43 billion manufacturing facility in Canton, Miss., with its Nissan Endurance V8 assembled on an all-new line at Nissan's advanced engine production facility in Decherd, Tenn. The Titan King Cab is scheduled to go on sale at more than 1,100 Nissan dealers nationwide in late 2003.

“The launch of the 2004 Titan is a huge project for Nissan, literally and figuratively,” said Mark McNabb, vice president and general manager, Nissan Division. “Our challenge in entering this well-defined, brand loyal and product knowledge truck market is to first get the basics done right and then build on those core attributes with a new level of style and innovation. With Titan, we’ve done just that.”

The Titan Concept: Big, Bold and Better
The Titan name was chosen to reflect the importance Nissan placed on the all-new pickup’s massive size and power. Though the pickup has replaced the sedan in many households as the second family vehicle, the prerequisites for success continue to be horsepower, torque, towing capacity, a large cab and a large bed.

“One of our first targets in developing the new Titan was to fit in before we could stand out,” said McNabb. “Trucks have become a necessity rather than an accessory for active lifestyles, so we had two goals: to meet or exceed the capacities and capabilities of the gold standards in class – and then bring to the table fresh ideas, items that have never been done before.”

As Nissan began an extensive research program into truck usage and owner desires, innovation emerged as the primary need beyond size and power. “We let owners tell us and show us what they felt was missing in the current offerings – more storage, more cargo carrying flexibility and more assertive styling. Then we added some ideas and targets of our own, like building on the best power in class and longest driving range,” said McNabb.

While the engineers began work on Titan’s hardware, a team of designers set up shop at Nissan Design America, Inc. (NDA) in La Jolla, Calif. Like every other area of the new Titan, the exterior styling grew out of extensive pickup user research.

“There hasn’t been much pickup design innovation for a number of years and for many owners there hasn’t been much need,” said Tom Semple, president, NDA. “Yet we heard from buyers, especially those somewhat younger than the truck segment average, that they wanted a bolder, more expressive exterior, something more adventurous. We also wanted the design to be clearly identified as a Nissan.”

The Titan exterior design is marked by both its refinement and large sense of scale, with a large, impressive hood, powerful yet highly detailed headlights and a unique silhouette.

“We really wanted to give Titan a new quality, a really modern feel without compromising its utilitarian roots,” said Semple. “It’s stylish but still a truck, with the form projecting the vehicle’s power and dimensions.”

A True Truck Platform
Once the basic form took shape, the engineers turned to matching bold styling with equally bold ideas of their own. First was the idea of class-leading performance. Building on Nissan's reputation for advanced engine design, they targeted class-leading towing power, acceleration and fuel economy/driving range with the development of the Titan's standard 5.6-liter DOHC V8. Rated at 305 horsepower and, equally important, 379 lb-ft of torque, the engine is matched with a specially engineered 5-speed automatic transmission with available gated shifter.

The use of advanced engine technology such as aluminum block with cast iron cylinder liners, forged steel crankshaft, microfinished crankshaft and camshaft, graphite-coated pistons, 6-bolt main bearing caps, and Super Silent single-stage timing chain result in excellent fuel economy with no sacrifice of performance.

For 4x4 models, Titan adapts an advanced shift-on-the-fly 4-wheel drive system with 2WD/4H/4LO modes with electronic control part-time transfer case.

An off-road package will also be available with a unique lower ratio Dana axle, class-exclusive switch-on-demand electronically activated locking rear differential, off-road-style Rancho® performance gas shock absorbers, large all-terrain tires, fog lights and lower radiator, oil pan and transfer case skid plates.

Titan's responsive handling is a product of its all-steel double wishbone front suspension design and rigid leaf (dual rate) rear suspension with shackles mounted along the frame sides to eliminate below-frame obstacles. The new Titan is available with 7.5x17 painted steel wheels and 245/75R17 tires or 8.0x18 aluminum-alloy wheels and 265/70R18 tires. Also available are 7.5x17 brushed aluminum-alloy wheels and 285/70R17 tires as part of the off-road package.

Power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering is standard, along with 4-wheel disc brakes with Continental Teves Anti-lock Braking System (ABS).

The Titan’s towing capacity is rated at up to 9,500 pounds – as much as some 3/4-ton pickups.

A Contemporary Interior, an Innovative Entrance
The interior is designed to be spacious and accommodating, while also highly usable. “We wanted the Titan's interior to feel big, assertive and organized, combining big, open spaces with smaller, private places for the owners’ everyday stuff,” said Semple. "Even the door handles, knobs and assist grips are unique, full-size truck scale parts, designed to be used with work gloves on – rather than just pulling sedan knobs and handles out of the parts inventory."

Among the Titan King Cab’s many standard and available features are power-adjustable front seats with available driver's seat memory system, heated front seats and flip-up 60/40 rear seat cushions for added cargo space and flexibility, with grocery hooks on the bottom of the seat cushions. The rear floor was designed to nearly flat for maximum cargo utility.

The King Cab’s rear compartment offers ample rear storage, including door storage bins and rear door bottle holders in the armrests and power front windows with one-touch up and down function.

Along with the “everyday innovations” found in Titan’s storage and comfort details, the King Cab features a true breakthrough design innovation - a first-in-class Wide-Open rear door that swings open nearly 180 degrees, providing unprecedented access to the rear seats. Key to the door’s design is a hefty, two-stage hinge with four axis of rotation. The door opens first to a conventional 85 degrees, then can be swung to nearly 180 degrees.

Along with providing a new level of ease for entering and exiting the rear seat, the Wide-Open door allows owners to load packages or cargo in crowded parking lots without having to maneuver between the traditional “trap” of partially opened front and rear doors.

The Wide-Open door will be standard on all 2004 Nissan Titan King Cab models.

“The Wide-Open door design is amazing both in its simplicity and in how far it advances the basic utility of an extended cab truck,” said Larry Dominque, Chief Product Specialist, Nissan Titan. “It is really going to make Titan stand out from every other extended cab pickup on the market today.”

A High-Utility Bed
The Titan King Cab’s other really big idea is actually a series of innovations, all addressing truck owners’ desire for more utility and flexibility in how they use their trucks’ beds.

Nissan research showed that a vast majority of full-size pickup owners perform some sort of modifications, usually bed liners or tie-down systems, to their trucks after purchase. After studying available aftermarket bed utility systems and bed liners, the Titan team created a unique, two-part solution.

“For years, truck owners have had to make do with a simple steel box with just four tie-down hooks in the corners,” said Dominique. “No more.”

First, to overcome the tendency of aftermarket drop-in bedliners to warp or trap rust-inducing moisture underneath, or the relatively high cost and thickness of typical aftermarket spray-in bedliners, a special factory-applied spray-in bedliner was developed. Using a special high durability hard surface resin application, which can be sprayed on complex surfaces, the bedliner helps prevent scratch damage and corrosion to the bed and inner tailgate surface. Thinner than drop-in bedliners or typical aftermarket spray-in applications, the Titan bedliner also maximizes bed volume. It is the first offered by any original equipment manufacturer and is covered by the Nissan warranty.

"Because Titan is being produced at an all-new manufacturing facility, we designed the spray-in bedliner as part of the truck line at added investment of nearly $20 million dollars," said Dominique. "The spray-in bedliner gives Titan a tremendous advantage in the convenience and warranty piece of mind for owners."

The second part of the bed utility solution was the development of the Utili-track System tie-down channel system. With this system, five special "C" cross-section rails are mounted in the bed (two channels in the bed floor, and one each on the bed side rails and the bed header panel).

Removable utility cleats slide into the channels, providing a wide range of attaching points for cargo tie-down. The channels are open at the rear of the bed, allowing the cleats to be completely removed when not in use for easy cleaning of the channels with a spray washer or garden hose.

The cleats are rated at 500 pounds (twice the industry standard) and the Utili-track System also includes 22 additional structural reinforcements to strengthen the bed, helping to accommodate the loads associated with the channel system. In addition, slide-in channel caps help prevent debris from collecting in the floor channels when not in use.

Nissan is developing its own extensive line of bed dividers, sliding cargo trays and modular storage units, along with bike and kayak racks and other accessories.

The Titan King Cab bed also includes four standard stake pockets and, as required, Titan carries 4x8-foot plywood sheets easily between the wheel housings.

The new Titan also features an innovative bedside storage compartment located behind the rear driver’s side wheel. The bedside storage bin is designed to hold common truck items such as work gloves, chains, rope, road flares, first aid kit or a hitch ball. The compartment is double-sealed to help prevent the intrusion of water and dust (though the compartment is not designed to be waterproof in case of submersion) and uses the Titan ignition key for locking and unlocking.

Safety and Security
The 2004 Titan includes a long list of safety equipment, including available front seat side-impact and curtain supplemental air bags that help provide side-impact and rollover protection for outboard passengers (the first available among full-size pickups).

Standard safety features on the 2004 Titan include Nissan’s Advanced Air Bag System (AABS) with dual stage front supplemental air bags with seat belt sensors and a front passenger occupant classification sensor, front seat belts with adjustable upper anchors, pretensioners and load limiters, three-point rear outboard passenger seat belts and LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tether for CHildren) child seat anchor system.

Driver and passenger confidence is accentuated with an extensive list of vehicle-incorporated safety features including a Zone Body construction with front and rear structure crumple zones, an energy absorbing steering column, hood buckling creases with safety stops, knee bolsters and special body side reinforcements and a shift interlock system.

Models and Manufacturing
The 2004 Nissan Titan King Cab is offered in three models – XE, SE and LE, each with a choice of 4x2 and 4x4 – and with a long list of standard equipment including the powerful Nissan Endurance 5.6-liter V8, 5-speed automatic transmission with Tow/Haul mode, power rack-and-pinion steering and 17-inch wheels and tires.

Titan King Cab XE models are equipped with a standard split front bench seat (40/20/40 split) with a center seat fold-down armrest storage bin and split pop-up rear seat (60/40 split) with three-point seat belts for all positions.

Titan King Cab SE models include optional front captains chairs, 5-spoke 18-inch alloy wheels and P265/70R18 tires and chrome steel center bumper, while King Cab LE models add 6-spoke 18-inch alloy wheels, standard high-utility, tubular-style running boards, leather-appointed seating, Rockford Fosgate®-powered audio system with 10 speakers and more.

Option King Cab equipment packages include the XE Preferred Package with sliding rear window and overhead console; and XE Off-Road Package (4x4), which includes Rancho® performance gas shocks, lower final gear ratio (3.357), P285/70R17 BF Goodrich raised white letter all-terrain tires, 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, skid plates (oil pan, fuel tank and transfer case), fog lamps and tow hooks.

Optional King Cab SE equipment packages include a SE Popular Package (equipped with split bench seat or bucket seats) including upgraded audio system with steering wheel audio controls, rearview mirror with temperature and UGDO, and adjustable pedals; and Popular Rockford Fosgate Package, which includes Popular Package contents plus premium sound Rockford Fosgate®-powered audio system.

The well-equipped King Cab LE model includes a Proximity/Navigation Package with proximity sensors and DVD-based navigations system.

Both the SE and LE offer two functional truck packages. The Off-Road Package, which includes Rancho® performance gas shocks, lower final gear ratio (3.357), P285/70R17 BF Goodrich Rugged Trail tires, 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, skid plates (oil pan, fuel tank and transfer case), fog lamps and tow hooks; Utility Bed Package with C-channel tie down system, bed side storage, rear bed lighting and power point and spray-in bed liner; and Tow Package including receiver hitch, lower final gear ratio, additional 7-pin wiring harness plug, trailer brake prewiring, transmission temperature gauge, extending mirrors, heavy-duty battery and VDC.

Titan will be one of four vehicles assembled in the Canton, Miss. facility, along with the new Nissan Quest, Nissan full-size SUV and full-size Infiniti SUV. Nissan has a longstanding reputation for building quality products in North America.

The original Smyrna, Tenn. facility, which started production in 1983, has been recognized as one of the most productive vehicle assembly plants in the U.S., winning top honors in the Harbour Reports independent rankings from 1994 - 2002. The new 3.5-million square foot Canton facility began production in May 2003. The Decherd, Tenn. plant, which will produce Titan's Nissan Endurance 5.6-liter V8, began production in 1997.

"The new Titan is Nissan's biggest vehicle and biggest statement yet," said McNabb. "There's much on the line – a major financial investment, an extension of our growing brand and reputation, and our longstanding heritage of innovation and performance. Titan delivers on all accounts."

The all-new 2004 Nissan Titan King Cab brings an exceptional combination of powerful performance, bold styling and a new level of innovation ¬to the full-size pickup market. Among the Titan King Cab's unique design features are its Wide-Open rear doors that open nearly 180 degrees for almost unlimited interior access, an industry-first factory-applied spray-in bedliner, a lockable climate-resistant bedside storage compartment and Nissan’s exclusive Utili-track™ bed channel tie-down system that provides ultimate cargo hauling flexibility.

The Titan King Cab is built on an all-new rugged pickup platform, featuring a newly designed Nissan Endurance 5.6-liter DOHC V8 rating at 305 horsepower and 379 lb-ft of torque, standard 5-speed automatic transmission and a towing capacity of up to 9,500 pounds. The Nissan Titan King Cab is available with a choice of 2-wheel and 4-wheel drive.

The new Titan, which was conceived, developed, styled and engineered primarily in North America, will be assembled at Nissan's new $1.43 billion manufacturing facility in Canton, Mississippi. The Titan King Cab is scheduled to go on sale at more than 1,100 Nissan dealers nationwide in late 2003. Highlights of the 2004 Nissan Titan King Cab full-size pickup include:

Body

• Innovative Wide-Open rear doors that swing open nearly 180 degrees
• 6’ 7” bed with available high-utility bed features:
  - Factory-applied spray-in bedliner
  - Utili-track bed channel system with adjustable aluminum-alloy tie-down cleats and available accessory racks, trays, dividers and modular storage systems
  - Unique lockable, climate-resistant bedside storage compartment located immediately behind the driver's side rear wheelwell, with two-position adjustable tray and removable rubber mat
  - Cargo area light with first-in-segment tailgate illumination and bed-mounted 12-volt utility powerpoint
• Enhanced bed reinforcement design (bed corners and upper portion of header panel, 22 additional structural reinforcements with Utili-track bed channel system)
• Chrome-plated steel front bumper with available body-color side fascias (SE, LE), integrated chrome-plated rear bumper finisher for enhanced scratch protection

Engine and Driveline

• Standard Nissan Endurance 5.6-liter DOHC V8 producing 305 horsepower and 379 lb-ft of torque
  - Up to 9,500 lbs towing capacity
  - Up to 1,692 lbs payload capacity
• Aluminum block with cast iron cylinder liners, forged steel crankshaft, microfinished crankshaft and camshaft, graphite-coated pistons, 6-bolt main bearing caps, Super Silent single-stage timing chain
• Standard 5-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission and tow/haul modes for enhanced fuel economy and towing capacity
• Available Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) with Brake Activated Limited Slip Traction Control (includes deactivation switch)
• Dana supplied front and rear axles (rear based on Dana 44 design)
• Tire Pressure Monitor System

4-Wheel Drive Features

• Available shift-on-the-fly 4-wheel drive system with 2WD/4H/4LO modes, electronic control part-time transfer case
• Class-exclusive* switch-on-demand electronically controlled locking rear differential (switch operated) (late availability) 
• 7.5x17 brushed aluminum-alloy wheels and 285/70R17 tires (off-road package)
• Skid plates for lower radiator, transfer case, oil pan and fuel tank
• Available Rancho® performance gas shocks

Suspension, Steering and Braking

• All-steel double wishbone front suspension
• Rigid leaf (dual rate) rear suspension with shackles mounted along frame sides for maximum ground clearance
• Power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering
• Standard 7.5x17 painted steel wheels and 245/75R17 tires 
• 8.0x18 aluminum-alloy wheels and 265/70R18 tires (SE and LE)
• 4-wheel disc brakes with Continental Teves Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)

Interior Features

• Power-adjustable front seats with available driver's seat memory system, available heated front seats
• Full-size door handles, knobs and steering wheel specifically designed for operation with work gloves
• Flip-up 60/40 rear seat cushions for added cargo space and flexibility, grocery hooks on bottom of seat cushions
• Near-flat rear floor for maximum cargo utility
• Ample rear storage, including door storage bins and rear door bottle holders in armrests 
• Oversize assist grips and coat hanger system
• Power front windows with one-touch up and down function 
• Sporty instrument panel with six gauges (seven gauges with Tow Package)

Safety and Security

• Zone Body construction with front and rear crushable zones and occupant zone
• Nissan Advanced Air Bag System (includes dual-stage front supplemental air bags with seat belt sensors and a front occupant classification sensor), 3-point front seat belts with pretensioners and load limiters
• Supplemental front side-impact air bags with available class-exclusive* supplemental curtain air bags for side-impact and rollover protection (the first time available in a full-size extended cab pickup)
• 3-point seat belts for all rear seat occupants, including center position
• LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren) child seat anchor system

Models and Manufacturing

• Available in 4x4 and 4x2 in three well-equipped models: XE, SE and LE
• Assembled by Nissan North America Manufacturing Canton Mississippi Plant

* Ward’s full-size, half-ton truck class