I actually like the looks of the Titan compared to the F-150 or the Tundra for that matter it was the inside that really disappointed me and it seems they've addressed those issues. I'm gonna go down to the State Fair this weekend and check them out along with what FCA has coming along.....I'm hoping that maybe something else might show its face at the Fair !!!
There’s been a new Frontier outside the US for years. And yes, it looks like a Ford Ranger/Toyota Hilux. It adopts the jellybean look so popular with CUVs.
According to AutoNews, partly out of desperation to increase sales, Nissan plans to reposition Titan as an “everyday vehicle.” Nissan tweaks Titan, pitch
“Nissan has used the backdrop of the State Fair of Texas to unveil a freshened 2020 Nissan Titan pitched less as a workhorse and more as a utility vehicle for weekend warriors.
The update, unveiled Thursday, gives the full-size pickup crossover-quality safety features and technology along with a utility-grade powertrain.”
Nissan is going about it wrong, IMO. From Mitsubishi Raider to Chevrolet SSR to Honda Ridgeline, the “lifestyle truck” approach has never worked. Consumer data shows consistently that tough durability and capability to get the work done are the key demand drivers in the category. Even Gladiator, arguably the ultimate “lifestyle truck”, has had to beef up its frame and rear axle to be able to claim the towing numbers that give it the respectability category buyers expect.
While it is true that sales of Ram and F-Series have grown in great part because they can now boast the comfort features to double as family vehicles, people want them precisely because they are not everyday vehicles.
The success of the domestic full-size pickup has been in remaining focused on those things that drive segment demand: tough durability, and the capability to do serious towing and hauling. Even if they end up as garage queens.
I think "everyday" vehicle means more of a plain old regular pickup than 'lifestyle'. Remember that they tried positioning the Titan as a 3/4 ton in 1/2 ton clothing. If they go more 1/2 ton that is an everyday vehicle.
AutoNews uses both “everyday” and “lifestyle” in its article.
But my point remains: trying to sell Titan on its safety electronics and convenience features is not going to get Nissan anywhere.
Building demand is an additive process: first the automaker has to establish a solid reputation in those areas that generate the greatest interest in the category. We call these foundational elements because they provide the foundation on which to build sustainable demand. For pickups, these foundational elements are toughness, durability and capability. After that, the automaker can continue growing demand by adding other things, like comfort, safety, efficiency and convenience. We normally call these secondary elements aspirational, because they serve primarily to justify the price premium but not to establish sustainable demand.
Ram got where it is by focusing on the foundational elements (toughness, durability and capability) very gradually but deliberately for the first 25 years of its existence, and then adding the aspirational elements (styling, comfort, convenience and efficiency). DT represents a leap forward in terms of adding aspiration, but the foundation had to be there first for it all to work.
I had Nissan as a client for many years: it does not have the patience to stick to a plan and is constantly looking for a shortcut.
The issue is that Titan hasn’t even established a solid reputation in the foundational dimensions. Now, smelling a white space, Nissan is swapping tactics by going after the aspirational elements. Nissan will find in a year‘s time that its new tactic isn’t working either.
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