2020 Frontier Reveals 'Best in Class' Engine for 2021
4WDrive Magazine
Fans of mid-size trucks have patiently been waiting for a new Frontier. Has Nissan made great strides forward, or fallen short of the intense competition?
In North America in 2012, mid-size pick-ups were following the storyline of the movie Highlander – ‘And then there were two’ – the Tacoma and Frontier were the last mid-size body-on-frame trucks standing. Fast forward to 2020 and the playing field has changed. Ranger, Colorado and Canyon are back. Jeep has re-introduced a pick-up in the form of the Gladiator and the Tacoma is still the reigning sales champion. Things weren’t looking good for the Frontier, which hadn’t changed much since 2004. The only thing it still had going for it was price, plenty of trim choices and reliability.
Leading up to the big reveal, Nissan highlighted the one-million mile Frontier owned by Brian Murphy, a Chicago delivery driver. The 2007 King Cab 4x2 with a four cylinder engine and 5-speed manual, went past the milestone with the original engine and transmission without a major overhaul. Check out the video in the link below.
For the 2020 Frontier we finally got a brand new 3.8L V6, which churns out a best-in-class 310 horsepower, 49 ponies more than the outgoing 4.0L V6. 310 hp is 40 more than Ranger, 32 better than Tacoma, and 25 more than Gladiator. It’s just 2 horsepower more than GM’s 3.6L gas engine but if the new Frontier hits its peak horsepower at 5600 rpm like the Frontier’s previous V6, that’s a far cry better than GM’s 308 hp at 6800 rpm. The new engine also generates 281 lb-ft of torque. Not quite best in class but a close second behind Rangers I-4 turbo at 310.
Nissan says the engine is 93% new, so it’s not the 3.8L from the GTR, which is too bad in a way because that twin turbo would certainly blow your hair back in the Frontier.
The new engine is connected to an all-new 9-speed automatic transmission. A welcome replacement for the reliable but outdated five-speed. The new powertrain should reduce cabin noise, improve acceleration, fuel efficiency and the driving manners while towing. What is also exciting is that the Frontier is being built next to the Titan, which also has a nine-speed transmission. We expect the two trannies to share many parts which is fantastic for Frontier buyers.
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Up to last year there were quite a few trim levels and options some of which will no longer be available. No more standard transmission, the 4.0L V6 is gone, and features like manual door locks and window cranks are no longer available. This makes sense since it will save Nissan money with a more standardized production line, especially when this is the last year for this generation of truck.
We will still get the King cab in both 4x2 and 4x4, and the crew cab only in 4x4 but will still be available in both a short box and long box, which is great since not all mid-size trucks offer the crew cab and long box.
While we didn’t get the all ‘new’ truck we’ve been waiting for, the new powertrain is a great start. We did get some small interior upgrades including a leather wrapped stick shift and engine start button.
A few key metrics were noticeably absent from the announcement. No news on max towing and payload, and no fuel efficiency numbers. Although Nissan did suggest that fuel efficiency would be up 10% from the previous Frontier. Not earthshattering economy, but in the ballpark with its competitors.
The next generation 2021 Frontier has been promised to arrive ‘soon’. Ivan Espinosa, corporate vice president of global and Japan product planning promised us a home run with the new 2021 model, and Alfonso Albaisa, Nissan’s global vice president of design described the 2021 truck’s strong appearance a result of a revolutionary design approach compared to the current model. We’ll have to wait to see if that means it looks good.
If you’re considering a Frontier you have three choices. Take a discount on the 2019 with the old powertrain, buy the 2020 Frontier with the new powertrain and old body style, or you can wait for the all-new 2021 Frontier to get the new powertrain and new body style, which will no doubt be tricked out with all the latest electronic tech.
We would really like to know what you think so please leave a comment below.
Watch the full video.
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