TOKYO (Reuters) - Nissan Motor Co., Japan's third-biggest automaker, said on Thursday its light commercial vehicle (LCV) unit would create a new engineering division to develop diesel engines for light duty trucks.
This could pave the way for Nissan's Titan pickup to eventually get a diesel engine to compete with diesel versions of Detroit 3 pickups, and the expected diesel-powered Toyota Tundra. Nissan Motor Light Trucks Co, held 85 percent by Nissan and the rest by Volvo AB unit Nissan Diesel Motor Co., hopes to speed up product development with the 111 engineers in the new division as it aims to join General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. at the top of the global LCV market.
Nissan's LCV business unit expanded sales by 23 percent to 492,000 vehicles in the business year that ended in March and is one of the key pillars of Nissan's growth strategy.
Toyota is expected to lean on Hino, its truck making unit, for a diesel engine for the Tundra. At the recent Specialty Equipment Market Association show in Las Vegas, Toyota showed a diesel Tundra with an 8.0-liter Hino diesel.
Nissan is currently the only manufacturer of full-sized pickups that has not firmed up its diesel plans.


So what do you know?

Question: What do you think about either a turbo,after cooled 4 cylinder diesel for delivery type vehicles, and a V6 turbodiesel for towing? The mileage and power just might make up for the ridiculous prices they're getting for diesel fuel...............

How about a pnuematic powered Titan. Naw nevermind the government will just figure a way to tax air...

who cares about diesel? diesel 'round here costs more than premium and fuel economy is no better than a gas engine. plus, the switch to biodiesel in the future, you can bet the price of diesel is gonna even be higher than what it is now. plus, a diesel motor can never replace the glorious sound of an 8 cylinder air pump. unless of course you like the sound of a whistling dust buster as you peg the throttle.

__________________
PRGbuilt
born 12/3, purchased 1/4 '04 Smoke SE KC PRG MT kit, CST spindles, PRG Spec'd SAWs 2.5" C/Os w/Eibachs, SAW Airbumps, CST carrier bearing, 37x12.5x17 Pro Comp Extreme All-Terrains, American Racing Mojave Teflons, HID low beams, Magnaflow custom exhaust, Injen CAI Filter, ID FRP prerunner fenders, front windshield tinted, Optima Yellow Top, Pioneer AVH-4100DVD w/ipod adapter connected to 80gb iPod, Sirius, HD radio tuner, Hertz 6.5" Components front, Boston 6.5" rear, Boston G1 10" subs, tech12 sub enclosure, Alpine amps, Eclipse BEC106 backup camera, TrueTrac, regeared from 2.94s to 4.11s, CTW TT prerunner fiberglass bedsides, Giant Motorsports under axle conversion kit w/64" deavers (21" rear travel) with Giant custom built rear bedcage and KING 3.0 bypass shocks...

VIDS!!! http://vimeo.com/groups/h00ligan/videos

Diesel fuel is tied to heating fuel so for 3 or 4 months out of the year depending on how cold the winter is it's expensive but for the other 8 months of the year at least around here it's cheaper then regular so I'm going to buy me a 500 gallon tank and have it filled in September before the prices freak out and I'll be good to go.


I think what everyone is failing to see is if the Titan was going to be killed then why would this engineering group be forming?

I saw that Squid...I really never did or do see them dropping the Titan; at least not for another 5 or 6 years.

Maybe if they keep this truck around a while longer they will advertise it. I got the famous line tonight "man thats big for a jap truck."

What ????es me off about diesel is that it is cheaper for the oil companies to make, not to mention you can get more diesel per barrel of oil than you can gasoline. It just costs more in most areas because "clean" diesel is a bitch to produce.

__________________
05 kc le 4x4 mods: Vk-pro, Injen intake, Dre coilovers, infinity steering wheel and console. needs: this list is way to long

yes, we know, but as more diesels increase in number on the road, the oil companies see a demand for diesel and the popularity of it recently and look to make a profit. here in so cal, diesel is NOW more than premium unleaded... WTF???

__________________
PRGbuilt
born 12/3, purchased 1/4 '04 Smoke SE KC PRG MT kit, CST spindles, PRG Spec'd SAWs 2.5" C/Os w/Eibachs, SAW Airbumps, CST carrier bearing, 37x12.5x17 Pro Comp Extreme All-Terrains, American Racing Mojave Teflons, HID low beams, Magnaflow custom exhaust, Injen CAI Filter, ID FRP prerunner fenders, front windshield tinted, Optima Yellow Top, Pioneer AVH-4100DVD w/ipod adapter connected to 80gb iPod, Sirius, HD radio tuner, Hertz 6.5" Components front, Boston 6.5" rear, Boston G1 10" subs, tech12 sub enclosure, Alpine amps, Eclipse BEC106 backup camera, TrueTrac, regeared from 2.94s to 4.11s, CTW TT prerunner fiberglass bedsides, Giant Motorsports under axle conversion kit w/64" deavers (21" rear travel) with Giant custom built rear bedcage and KING 3.0 bypass shocks...

VIDS!!! http://vimeo.com/groups/h00ligan/videos

Diesel is higher than premium here too. (Michigan) The part I really find strange in the Detroit area is how many diesel trucks are around, and have never seen them tow anything, or haul anything, or even be dirty. Not that I treat mine like a truck all that often, but at least I do not have a 6500 optional engine.

__________________
05 kc le 4x4 mods: Vk-pro, Injen intake, Dre coilovers, infinity steering wheel and console. needs: this list is way to long

It's all about the final price out the door and people have paid more for their Titans and Tundras then I paid for my 2007.5 1 ton Dodge, 4X4 (Solid front Axle), Quad Cab, Long bed with the 6.7L Cummins and the 6 speed Auto.

Not to mention I'm getting just as good if not better MPG then any Titan I've heard of with the Big tow package. Here in a couple of months when the weather warms up the price of diesel will once again drop down to the same price if not cheaper then regular because people won't be buying heating oil.