2020 Nissan Titan XD breaks cover with more tech, new styling, fewer configurations

The 2020 Nissan Titan XD is here, and just as we expected, it’s down a powertrain option for its mid-cycle refresh. Cummins quit producing the diesel engine that was available in the XD, so now all XDs will come with an updated version of the 5.6-liter gas V8. This motor makes a smidge more horsepower and torque than before, coming in at 400 horses and 413 pound-feet. That’s 10 horsepower and 19 pound-feet of torque up from the 2019 Titan XD. Strangely, this means both the regular 2020 Titan and Titan XD (the heavier duty version of the Titan) won’t feature any engine differentiation.

As a reminder, the Titan XD is essentially a slightly heavier-duty Titan. It’s not as capable as the heavy-duty trucks from other manufacturers out there, instead, it attempts to split the difference between something like an Silverado 1500 and Silverado HD. Nissan builds the XD on a stronger frame and chassis, which enables the increased capability over the regular Titan. However, towing and payload numbers are not yet available for 2020.

Another notable powertrain change for the 2020 truck is a new transmission. The V8 is now exclusively matched to a nine-speed automatic (just like the regular Titan), replacing the seven-speed auto before it. Your cab choices are further limited for 2020, as Nissan has eliminated every configuration except for the Crew Cab with a 6.5-foot bed. We hope you wanted four-wheel drive, because that’s also the only drivetrain available. It’s a fine spec to sell, but it may not be what you were looking for. The ability to get a single cab with an eight-foot bed most likely made some truck traditionalists happy, even if a medium-duty Nissan truck isn’t exactly traditional.

The design changes follow a similar path as those seen on the redesign for the non-XD 2020 Titan. Nissan’s main theme here is to add toughness, and the varying trim levels get appearances to differentiate themselves, too. If you remember the Titan redesign from a month ago, there’s a whole lot of the same here. One notable aspect of the PRO-4X trim is the presence of “lava red” accents found everywhere. Even the Nissan badge has Nissan written in red. It’s somewhat menacing and gives the truck presence in photos.

Updated tech is a major plus that comes with the Titan XD update, as well. Higher trim trucks come with a new 9-inch infotainment system — Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both included here. A panoramic moonroof is available on upper trim levels, as is a Fender premium audio system. LED headlights and foglights are both available as an option. None of this brings the Titan XD into luxury truck territory, but it does close some of the gap between it and the Big Three’s luxury trucks.

Last up is safety tech. Nissan is making a suite of driver assistance systems standard including: automatic emergency braking, blind-spot warning, rear cross trafffic alert, lane departure warning, auto high-beam assist, rear door alert and rear automatic braking. You can pay for options like a 360-degree camera, adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, and traffic sign recognition.

Pricing isn’t available for the 2020 Titan XD, but the truck will be going on sale early next year.