“It looks like a…”

As the sheets came off the three Titans sitting atop the Nissan stand in Detroit, the inevitable comparisons started before the first round of camera clicks.

“Nissan built a last-generation F-150,” said the man sitting beside me, a knowledgable figure when it comes to pickups.

“There’s a lot of Ram in that truck,” said another, an obvious nod to Fred Dias’ leadership in creating the new truck for Nissan.

The Japanese automaker has built a truck that looks like the rest. It fits in. Instead of clumsily affixing the Nissan corporate V-motion grille to the fascia of the Titan, they’ve played to what the market desires: a strong looking pickup with lots of chrome and gargantuan headlights.

While it’s certainly derivative, right down to the sloped kinks in the front windows to improve mirror visibility a la F-150, the Titan isn’t a straight up Xerox copy. They’ve taken the safe route by looking at what works in the segment and making it their own.

2016 Nissan Titan XD

XD is no longer just an emoticon

Exactly as the German automakers have been finding niches in the typical American stronghold that is the SUV/crossover segment, Nissan looks to carve its own space between light-duty and heavy-duty pickups.

Called Titan XD, the new segment-splitting truck will be powered by the much talked about Cummins 5.0L turbodiesel V8 with 310 hp (at 3,200 rpm) and 555 lb-ft of torque (at 1,600 rpm). With power being sent through a six-speed automatic transmission supplied by Aisin, Titan XD will also be equipped with an integrated trailer brake controller, integrated gooseneck hitch, RearView Monitor with trailer guides, trailer sway control, and an assortment of other goodies to make your towing trip as drama-free as possible.

With all this equipment, Titan XD touts a towing capability of over 5,400 kg (12,000 lb, followed by the words “when properly equipped,” a favourite of automotive industry marketers). Five-figure (imperial) towing capability does sound wonderful, especially when it’s north of 12,000 lb, but the additional expense of a diesel V8 along with the availability of competitors in the light-duty segment with the same towing capability puts the new Titan in a tough spot.

For example, the new 2015 Ford F-150 regular cab with a 3.5L EcoBoost and a 3.55 rear axle ratio can haul 5,500 kg (12,200 lb). As the cab size goes up (along with additional curb weight), the towing capability goes down in proportion. But, if you’re looking for a straight-up towing machine and don’t want to pay the diesel premium, there is at least one light-duty option to match Nissan’s new full-size oil burner.

Remember, this is now an apples-to-apples comparison. With all the automakers now adopting the SAE J2807 towing standard, there’s no “our test vs. their test” debate anymore. And, barring clever lightweighting (like removing bumpers or other equipment for towing tests), the numbers make the XD designation seem like a bit of a misnomer on paper.

Hopefully, when official numbers come out, Nissan can put some distance between their new diesel-powered hauler and the light-duty competition.

Payload capability is quoted at over 900 kg (2,000 lb, again with the “when properly equipped” suffix).

Choice is (now) part of the program

Nissan is bringing more choice to the game to take on the domestic competition and obliterate the Toyota Tundra, Titan’s chief rival.

The second-generation Titan will now be available with three different engines: the aforementioned V8 turbodiesel, a gasoline-fed V8, and a smaller gasoline V6. Details on the latter two engine options will be released at a later date.

Also, to address the lack of body styles – arguably a primary failing of the first-generation truck – the new Titan will be available in three cabin configurations: Crew Cab (shown in Detroit), King Cab, and Single Cab. In addition to the new cabs will be two wheelbase lengths. The Titan XD will sit atop a longer 3,850 mm (151.6 inch) wheelbase frame, hinting at the likelihood turbodiesel models will only be available with the two larger cabs or the full-size Crew Cab. Shorter wheelbase versions of the Titan measure in some 20 inches less in length.

Adding to the new levels of choice will be a selection of five different trim levels to satisfy the needs of budget and luxury buyers alike, including the top Platinum Reserve grade. If that’s not straight out of the Ford/Lincoln playbook, we don’t know what is.

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