2021 Nissan Titan PRO-4X Review: Beautiful Truck With Intelligent Interior
The Nissan Titan truck was completely redesigned for the 2020 model year, but was left almost unchanged for 2021. This truck looks terrific. I got many complements about how beautiful the PRO-4X package is while driving in our neighborhood and picking up my children from school.
You know, the 2020 changes of the Titan truck make it look less like the Ford F150. Starting the 2020 redesign Titan will no longer have a diesel engine. This clearly goes against the trend of General motors, Fiat-Chrysler and Ford as some of them rely on huge 6.7-liter power stroke engines (F-250/350/450) to be able to pull enormous trailer loads.
The Engine
So why is Nissan throwing out the 5-liter turbodiese V8? It was powerful, but not modern. The world is moving away from diesel and transitioning toward electrification. In fact, in November 2020 Bloomberg reported that Nissan is in talks with Detroit-based startup Hercules Electric Vehicles to develop an electric pickup truck. But for now Nissan is transitioning from diesel to petrol and directing a 5.6-liter Endurance V8 engine, which puts out 400 HP and 413 pound-feet of torque. Nissan says these ratings are best-in-class for standard powertrains. The engine is mated with a 9-speed automatic transmission. It really provides optimal power for both standing starts and smooth highway passing.
Nissan says the PRO-4X models feature Bilstein mono-tube off-road shocks. Hydraulic cab-mounts help isolate occupants from the chassis.
The PRO-4X package, which Torque News was reviewing, features nice looking 18-inch alloy wheels and think all-terrain tries. You will notice red badging or accent through the truck, which is unique to the PRO-4X trim.
2021 Nissan Titan Grades and Trims
Speaking of the trims. Here you need to make distinctions between grades and trims. The 2021 TITAN is offered in three King Cab grades and five Crew Cab grades. These grades come in both 4x2 and 4x4 drive. PRO-4X is 4x4 only. This is one of the distinctions that set aside the off-road PRO-4X trim. The 2021 TITAN XD is offered in Crew Cab 4x4 models and in a choice of five trim levels. Those are the S, SV, Pro-4X, SL, and Platinum Reserve trim levels.
Exterior
When you look at the exterior of the 2021 Nissan Titan one thing that immediately stands out is the red badging throughout, which is characteristic to the PRO-4X package. The vehicle has LED headlamps and daytime running lights. Then you have the 18-inch off-road aluminum wheels.
The bed of the 2021 Titan PRO-4X has full surround lighting with 4 LED sources. This makes it easier to use at night or early in the morning. In the bed of the truck you also have the spray-on bad liner. Just like the grille, the Titan PRO-4X also features a black finisher. It kind of has its own personality.
The grille design is very unique on the 2021 Titan. While the Platinum Reserve is more restrained with a satin chrome finish on the grill, the Titan PRO-4X is the most dramatic with a black grille centered around the first-ever Nissan badge scripted in lava red. As I mentioned this lava red color accents are all over the truck continuing on the tow hooks of the PRO-4X
The Interior
The interior of the 2021 Titan is very nice. It has greatly improved after the truck was redone in 2020. The seats are very comfortable and if you have the PRO-4X trim you will see the PRO-4X logo embroidered on them as well as on the floor mats.
As you open the door you have your power door locks, power windows, power mirrors, which you can fold as well. Inside you have memory seating for two, power driver seat with a power lumbar support. In the passenger seating area you have the fender sound system and you have got speakers everywhere. Like I said, the interior is very comfortable. you have really good leg room and the backseat is actually pretty comfortable. The upholstery is just super nice.
In the second row you have two AC vents as well as heated rear seats, which you can toggle. For the rear passenger area you also have two USB chargers and a three prong household plug-in.
While nothing has changed in the 2021 Titan from the 2020 model it seems to me that the technology has improved. The available high -resolution 9.0-inch touchscreen is a really nice addition to the first class accommodations and premium finishes.
In the 2021 Titan's press kit Nissan says the 2021 Titan's 8-inch center area display is the largest standard screen in the class, while the touchscreen features a resolution higher than HD. It's called WXGA. The technology is equipped with apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity and the internal Wi-Fi router allows passengers to stream their favorite content. Wi-Fi subscription is required and passengers can connect up to seven devices.
Nissan also says the 7.0-inch programmable driver information display is nearly three inches larger than most competitors’ displays.
Specific Features of PRO-4X 2021 Titan
PRO-4X is the off-road oriented trim package. The Titan PRO-4X King Cab and Crew Cab models come with 275/65/R18 BSW all-terrain off-road tires, 18x8-inch aluminum-alloy wheels with painted dark finish, Bilstein off-road shock absorbers, electronic locking rear differential, lower radiator skid plate with Satin Chrome finish and PRO-4X logo, and Hill Descent Control. Nissan says the PRO-4X exterior features include LED front fog lamps, Intelligent Auto Headlights, LED headlamps with LED Daytime Running Lights, Nissan Intelligent Key with door handle request switch, semi-gloss dark painted overfenders, semi-gloss dark grey lower front fascia and rear bumpers, spray-on bedliner, black tailgate finisher with PRO-4X logo and bedside decals.
In the interior these the specific features to PRO-4X Titan. The PRO-4X interior features include front driver and passenger captain’s seats, driver 8-way power seat, driver power lumbar support, stain-resistant seat covering with a vinyl bolster and “PRO-4X” embroidery, leather-wrapped steering wheel with unique contrast stitching, metallic instrument panel finishers, PRO-4X-branded floor mats, contrast stitching on the center console lid, arm rest and instrument panel, dual zone auto air conditioner plus a digital display in the HVAC control, rear A/C vents, large center console box with soft-touch topped armrest, side pockets and rear cupholders. PRO-4X also includes standard NissanConnect with Navigation, Integrated Command Center with 9.0-inch high-resolution touchscreen display, SiriusXM® Traffic and Travel Link (SiriusXM® subscription required, sold separately), Traffic Sign Recognition and rain-sensing wipers, informs the 2021 Nissan Titan's press kit.
Hauling and Towing
If you are thinking about hauling and towing, Nissan says you should look at the Titan XD, which is the heavy hauler in the Titan family. This trim has an ample towing power and the integrated gooseneck hitch includes a plug inside the bed for even greater ease of towing.
The truck has lots of assisting tools to hook-up a trailer and the Tow/Haul mode with Downhill Speed Control and Trailer light check system allow one-person hook-up operation with ease.
The Drive
You will be surprised how quiet is Titan when driving. The PRO-4X trim is AWD and this 4-wheel drive handles the rides really well.
On the road the 2021 Titan behaves very well; it is easily handled and despite its size, the 400 horsepower engine does not struggle. When it comes to stopping, you can count on four ventilated disc brakes with hydraulic assistance, which gives a feeling of control and security. The Titan has a slight tendency to dive, but it is not more pronounced than average for this size of vehicle.
Finally, in terms of safety, the Titan 2020 is full of all the systems that exist on the market such as collision warning, lane keeping, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition and more. Note also the presence, as standard, of the Nissan Safety Shield 360 safety suite, which includes six advanced driver assistance systems; Intelligent Emergency Braking System with Pedestrian Detection, Blind Spot Warning System, Cross Traffic Alert System, High Beam Assist Headlights and Intelligent Emergency Braking System On Back.
Overall, we had a very positive experience reviewing the 2021 Nissan Titan PRO-4X trim.
Armen Hareyan is the founder and the Editor in Chief of Torque News. He founded TorqueNews.com in 2010, which since then has been publishing expert news and analysis about the automotive industry. He can be reached at Torque News Twitter, Facebok, Linkedin and Youtube.