Did Someone on Facebook Just Capture the 2016 Nissan Titan Diesel Testing?
We ran across some spy shots proporting to be the new 2016 Nissan Titan Diesel with the Cummins 550 lb-ft engine under the hood. The shots were said to be from Indiana and picture a full-sized pickup truck decked out in striped camouflage driving through a town in the late fall.
The photos were posted to Facebook by Clean Diesel Performance, a group that talks about diesel cars, trucks and engine makers. You can find the photos on Facebook. I commented on that post and will elaborate below.
To begin, the truck shown appears larger than the current-generation Titan, which will likely be the case. The front grille is masked heavily, so it's difficult to get any detail, but the headlights are unlike the current-generation Titan and are much more akin to what's seen on the new Chevrolet and Ford trucks. The trailering mirrors seen are also very different from the current Nissan design, having a more rounded post. We do know that this is a diesel truck, however, given the diameter of the exhaust.
On the other hand, the rear glass, high belt line, and specific masking of the grille could indicate that this is a Nissan truck. Its ride height and gaps in the wheel wells, though, might not be conducive to a half-ton pickup, as the 2016 Titan Diesel will be, and could be more in the three-quarter ton range, though that's difficult to assess. With a heavier engine and the bigger towing capacity it brings, Nissan could have chosen to beef up the rear end - indeed, they'd have to.
All in all, it's very hard to say whether or not this is the new 2016 Nissan Titan Diesel, so the camouflage maskers did their job well. I'm inclined to believe it's a Ford rather than a Nissan, given the location and front-end styling of the truck. I also know, first hand from Ford, that the Super Duty F-series, including diesel and will be showcasing that soon (probably in Detroit). I'm told it's going to look a lot like the Atlas concept showcased last year, which would also match what we're seeing in these photos from Indiana.
What are your thoughts?