First-Ever Nissan Titan XD Single Cab Arrives at Nissan's Habitat for Humanity Build

Nissan North America has been partnering with Habitat for Humanity for a number of years now to build homes, communities and hope. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the partnership; and to start the 11th year, Nissan is providing another $1 million for a sum total of $14 million provided. Because of Nissan Corporation's willingness to set a servant leadership example, a number of Nissan employees are also giving their time to support construction projects at 12 Habitat communities across the country this year.

For the ten-year anniversary celebration, media partners were asked to join a few of the builds across the country and work shoulder to shoulder with Nissan team members as well as Habitat-based volunteers. I was afforded the privilege to join a build already in progress in the South Dallas area. One of the perks to saying yes was getting to drive the new 2017 Titan XD SV 2-door single cab for the week.

This truck is so new that it wasn't even on dealer lots yet; so when I pulled up to my hotel where Nissan had provided a room for me, there happened to be a few Nissan employees waiting outside. They were very excited to see this truck in the real world, so I was peppered with all kinds of questions concerning my thoughts about it.

2016 Best Commercial Truck of Texas

The XD single cab is the first in the history of the Nissan TITAN truck line. It has been designed specifically for those that drive to jobsites everyday; and because it is designed with the commercial sector in mind, it is very affordable for the fleet/work truck buyer. The single cab hasn't even been released to dealer lots yet, but was just named Best Commercial Truck of Texas by the Texas Auto Writers Association at their annual Truck Rodeo held at a ranch in Dripping Springs Texas. According to Rich Miller, chief product specialist for TITAN and TITAN XD, The new single cab takes TITAN into new territory, bringing the innovative design and bed utility that TITAN has been known for to a wider base of commercial use buyers.

The engine in the single cab is the same engine that was specifically designed for the TITAN XD which was the 2015 Truck of Texas winner. It is the Cummins® 5.0L V8 2 stage turbo diesel which produces 310 horsepower and 555 lb-ft of torque. All of the TITAN 5.0-liter diesel engines are assembled by the great Cummins team members at the Columbus, Indiana plant. If you are someone who prefers regular petro, you can also get the single cab with the new 5.6-liter Endurance® V8 gasoline engine.

Transmission for Two-Stage Turbocharger

Because of the Cummins two-stage turbocharger in the single cab, the Nissan engineers decided to use the Aisin 6-speed automatic transmission with the bandless design and upgraded filtration system. This transmission is quicker and shifts more efficiently, which is something the massive two-Stage turbo Cummins engine needs throughout the power band. They also went with the Aisin because it has the upgraded filtration system, so the maintenance intervals can be extended which reduces service costs and saves buyers money in the long run.

Towing and Payload

I had the 4x4 turbo diesel for the week, and it did really well in and around the Dallas traffic scene. I didn't get to put it to any hauling tests; but with the Cummins two-stage turbo six-speed transmission and the commercial-grade chassis, I could easily see how versatile it could be no matter what the job is.

The diesel single cab has an impressive 12,640 pounds of towing capacity and a payload capacity right at 2,420 pounds. I would imagine you could load this truck up with tools and wielding equipment, as an example, and still pull a trailer full of equipment without any worry of the strain you might be putting on this engine. The single cab will be available in 4x2 or 4x4 depending on your needs.

Larger Truck Bed

Because the TITAN has the commercial-grade chassis like the larger siblings, Nissan will also offer the TITAN XD's integrated gooseneck hitch so you will have more ways to tow in addition to the standard class IV tow hitch. The bed of the single cab will be a full 8 feet compared to the 5.5 feet and 6.5 feet length of the four-door TITAN and TITAN XD. The single cab will also have the traditional XD tailgate system, which allows you to easily and smoothly control the opening and closing of the tailgate with one hand.

Next to You Next to Me

The single cab is not just a work truck, even though it does have 17"x 7.5" wheels made out of solid steel along with chrome grille and bumpers to reduce nicks and scratches. However, it can also be a great daily driver with its comfy bucket seat configuration; and if you wanted to take your special gal out on the town or to the drive-in, all you need to do is flip that center console up and your single-cab bucket seat converts to an old-school bench seat which allows your favorite gal to sit next to you while sharing your popcorn. For safety, the center passenger will also have a harness seat belt instead of just a lap belt of the 70's.

One big issue with single cabs, when comparing to them to crew and king cabs, is storage space in the truck; but the engineers at Nissan have worked hard to get you as much storage space as possible. There is a large center console to store all of your paperwork neatly, and the center seat pops up for under seat storage. There is also a decent amount of space behind driver and passenger seats to store tool belts, coveralls, and jackets. There are also six drink holders for three passengers, so everyone gets two slots.

The truck also comes with commercial-grade rubber mats which were great for when we left the Habitat jobsite with all the dust, dirt and sticky burrs stuck to the legs of our pants. There is also a chrome step rail which made changing out of my work boots a snap while sitting in the driver's seat.

TITAN Future

In the not-so-distant future, when the full line of TITAN trucks are finally released, Nissan expects the TITAN line to cover about 85 percent of buyers' needs in the light pickup marketplace with the new single cab accounting for 15 percent of sales. The complete line of TITAN trucks will have three different cab levels, three different bed lengths, three separate engines to choose from. You will also be able to choose between a 4x4 or 4x2 as well as five different trim levels (S, SV, SL, PRO-4X and Platinum Reserve), so when you go looking for a truck, there should never be a problem finding a TITAN to meet your most brutal conditions of the day or night shift.

Nissan Truck
XD Single Cab SV
Cummins® 5.0L V8 2 stage Turbo Diesel
310 horsepower
Aisin 6-speed automatic transmission
555 lb-ft of torque

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