The US will finally get a new Nissan Frontier
Despite the current one being as old as dust, it's still selling in droves.
The current generation of US-spec Nissan Frontier is nearly old enough to get its learner's permit, but it's still going strong. Nevertheless, facing a growing crowd of fresh midsize trucks , Nissan is preparing to give its tried-and-true truck an update.
The next-generation Nissan Frontier is "almost finished," Autoblog reports, citing an interview with Alfonso Albaisa, Nissan's SVP for global design. The VP of product planning also told Autoblog that it's something the company is "actively working on, and [it] will soon be coming to market." No further timeline was offered.
The current Frontier, which started life in the 2005 model year, has soldiered on with a few changes here and there. Yet, it's selling like relative hotcakes. According to data from GoodCarBadCar, 2018 was the Frontier's second-best year ever, pushing nearly 80,000 units out the door. Its best year was 2016, when annual sales were just shy of 87,000 units.
While sales are good, the Frontier lags in its segment in some important ways. It still lacks Android Auto and Apple CarPlay , and its towing and payload figures are well under the competition. Addressing tech and capability alone would go a long way in making the Frontier competitive against new trucks like the Ford Ranger and Jeep Gladiator.
There's a chance Nissan could base its next Frontier on the Navara, but as Autoblog notes, even that truck is getting a little long in the tooth, having been updated last in 2014. And, according to the Navara's Wikipedia page, a Nissan spokesperson has already said that the latest Navara is not indicative of a Frontier replacement. Then again, Nissan brought a years-old Patrol to the US as the "new" Armada , so anything's possible, really.