There’s nothing new to see right here, people. Move alongside please, transfer alongside.
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Do you consider in time journey? If not, a fast drive of the 2020 Nissan Frontier will persuade you this theoretical phenomenon is actual. For higher or, nicely, principally worse, this midsize pickup is a blast from the early-2000s previous, an unbelievable relic the Japanese automaker has left principally untouched for a decade and a half. 

LikeRobust, refined engineA strong, confirmed truckAstute transmission

Don’t LikeGives principally zero driver aidsCould be extra efficientOlder than the hillsNot nice to drive

During this-generation Frontier’s time on earth, the Dodge Dakota drove off into the sundown, Chevrolet overhauled its Colorado, two generations of the Honda Ridgeline hit the market, plus Ford’s compact Ranger pickup was killed off after which subsequently resurrected. Yeah, quite a bit has occurred since 2005.Nissan is keenly conscious of this rig’s age and the way uncompetitive it is turn into. Remedying the scenario, a completely redesigned Frontier is on the way in which, set to reach for the 2021 mannequin yr. That pickup ought to tackle the present truck’s shortcomings, providing clients extra expertise, better refinement and enhanced efficiency courtesy of a completely new powertrain. 

The future is now!Nissan is giving us a possibility to expertise that next-generation Frontier earlier than it is even been unveiled. Curiously, Nissan launched the 2021 mannequin’s upgraded powertrain within the outgoing truck. Basically, the engine and transmission had been able to go, so why not ship them early? Usually, automakers introduce new powertrains in completely redesigned autos, however sometimes these sine waves are out of sync. And that is what occurred right here. Nestled beneath my crew-cab Pro-4X check truck’s unusually heavy hood is a 3.8-liter V6 bolted to a nine-speed computerized transmission. This engine pulls double obligation, changing the 4.0-liter V6 in addition to the bottom 2.5-liter four-pot engine that is supplied within the current-generation Frontier. About 93% new in comparison with the outgoing six-shooter, this engine delivers a more-than-respectable 310 horsepower at 6,400 rpm and 281 pound-feet of torque at 4,400 rpm. These figures examine favorably to what the Chevy Colorado’s V6 offers, but it surely’s acquired 40 extra horses than the Ranger’s turbo-four, although that Ford does have 29 further lb-ft of twist, an essential benefit for a truck.

The Frontier’s future is proudly displayed beneath its hood.
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The Frontier’s new engine is superb — the truth is, it could be my favourite powertrain within the midsize-pickup section. It appears smoother and extra responsive than the Colorado’s V6 and it sounds means higher than the Ranger’s boosted 4. At idle, it does really feel barely uneven, however issues easy proper out when you crack the throttle. Typical of naturally aspirated V6s of this displacement, it comes alive greater within the rev vary, actually placing its shoulder to the load from about 4,000 rpm on up, although this isn’t to say the engine is peaky. It pulls fairly nicely decrease down the tachometer, aided by that prudent gearbox. 

If the Frontier’s new transmission sounds acquainted, it ought to. Basically, it is the identical one utilized in its bigger brother, the full-size, V8-powered Nissan Titan. Tuning tweaks are the one actual variations: It’s been tailor-made to a V6 engine and a lighter automobile.That nine-speed transmission is a dramatic enchancment over the outgoing five-speed computerized. Not solely does it enhance drivability — shifts are easy and well timed each up and down — but it surely makes the Frontier extra environment friendly and fleeter than earlier than. In the 0-to-60-mph sprint, it is round 7% faster, a welcome enchancment, plus, when equally outfitted, gasoline economic system is healthier than what the outgoing four-cylinder offers. Fitted with four-wheel-drive, anticipate 17 miles per gallon metropolis and 23 mpg freeway. Combined, the 4WD Frontier is rated at 19 mpg, although I’ve been averaging round 21 in combined use, which incorporates a variety of two-lane driving.The Frontier’s improved effectivity is welcome, but it surely’s nonetheless not nice. For occasion, a four-wheel-drive F-150 with the out there 2.7-liter twin-turbo V6 has extra energy and far more torque, but it surely nonetheless manages to common a claimed 20 mpg, a minimum of in accordance with the EPA. Hopefully the brand new 2021 Frontier is much more economical, however a minimum of this one fortunately runs on regular-grade gasoline.This is the truck’s enterprise finish, and the Frontier’s mattress is kind of versatile.
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The unhealthy outdated daysAs for the remainder of this truck, it might have been ripped from the pages of H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine. Like the eponymous system in that brief story, it could transport you thru the ages — nicely, actually simply again to the times earlier than superior driver-assistance expertise was even a factor and smartphones had been on everybody’s individual, however you get my level.The Frontier’s undamped tailgate is unexpectedly weighty, however heavy by as we speak’s requirements the place you may get energy lifting and folding tailgates that carry out extra methods than a skilled border collie. It drops with a thud and takes precise effort to shut. This truck’s inside appears and feels outdated, with onerous plastic all over the place and loads of options which can be apparent afterthoughts, like the position of the starter button. It’s relegated to the console forward of the shifter, a most peculiar spot. The aux jack and USB port reside in a small pod on the passenger’s facet of the middle stack, one other bizarre placement. And then there’s the infotainment system.My off-road-focused Pro-4X tester comes customary with a Nissan Connect multimedia answer, one with a laughably small, 5.8-inch touchscreen. A navigation system is included however the interface so torturous you will not even wish to use it. A 10-speaker Rockford Fosgate sound system is prepared and keen, although not essentially in a position to drown out this truck’s elevated inside noise at freeway speeds. Built for severe trail-bashing, Pro-4X fashions are fitted with goodies like skid plates, Bilstein shock absorbers and a locking rear differential. Hankook all-terrain tires wrapped round trendy 16-inch alloy wheels present the grip, each on-road and off. With all that {hardware} plus a cumbersome roof rack on prime, this truck’s considerably noisy cabin is comprehensible.If you want onerous plastic and a dearth of contemporary conveniences, you may love the Nissan Frontier.
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The lack of specific up-and-down home windows throughout is one other reminder of the Frontier’s age. So is the truth that virtually no fashionable options are supplied. Does it have adaptive cruise management? Nope. How about blind-spot monitoring? Sorry, Charlie. Lane-keeping help? What’s that?”Whoa, this is heavy,” mentioned most important character Marty McFly in Back to the Future when reacting to what Doc Brown mentioned about his mom’s amorous infatuation, although he might have simply as simply been describing the Frontier’s steering. It’s heavy at parking-lot speeds, heavy on the freeway and heavy all over the place in between, which supplies the truck a ponderous really feel, uncommon for one thing within the midsize section. Rival vehicles really feel a lot nimbler. The Frontier’s experience high quality is one thing of a thriller. On street, it by some means manages to be each stiff-legged and jiggly, prefer it’s concurrently too agency and too comfortable. There’s no scarcity of physique roll, both, when tackling corners. 

Time will informThe Nissan Frontier is straightforward to dump on. It’s outdated, lacks generally out there options and its driving dynamics are crude at greatest. Still, in a bizarre means, I discover the dearth of expertise form of refreshing. There’s no studying curve right here, no want to consider how stuff works. Driving it solely requires muscle reminiscence.Strangely, pricing for the 2020 Frontier has not been launched but; it is scheduled to be introduced later within the spring. But primarily based on the 2019 mannequin, I estimate my crew cab Pro-4X tester most likely checks out for round $35,000 give or take a pair grand. If you are critically contemplating a brand new Frontier, you most likely do not care about how historical it’s. Still, in case your coronary heart is ready on a Nissan, you would be prudent holding off till the 2021 mannequin arrives. Its new powertrain is totally dynamite, which bodes nicely for the remainder of the truck, although solely time will inform how good it truly is.