While the new body will be more aerodynamic and have some old bones, it will still be aerodynamic.
The rollout of the 2020 Frontier by Nissan was bittersweet for truck enthusiasts. Despite the updated engine and gearbox, the truck was still the same one that was launched back in 2005. The 2020MY’s 3.8-liter engine and nine-speed auto transmission will be carried over to the next-generation model. It will also feature a new, more efficient package.
The Autoblog team was able to learn some details about the truck through a roundtable discussion with a Nissan powertrain expert. We previously reported that the truck’s outgoing version (two-wheel drive model) averages 18 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway. However, the 2021MY truck will improve these numbers with a more aerodynamic body.
Nissan also promises that the 2021 Frontier truck will be lighter than the current model, without going into detail about how much weight engineers managed to reduce. The vehicle’s efficiency will be improved by the new diet, which will increase those mpg numbers.
The next generation will not be a complete new development, as parts and pieces from the previous model will be used. Although Nissan did not specify what would be taken from the current truck model, Autoblog believes that the 2021 Frontier will be a modified Nissan Navara/NP300 and is designed for the U.S. market.
The 2020MY’s smaller four-cylinder engine will be back, as well as the manual gearbox. However, Nissan claims that the manual has a five percent take rate. Motor Trend reported that the next-gen model will get an updated 6-speed manual. So maybe the clutch pedal isn’t dead yet.
MT reported on Nissan’s plans to keep the “same platform” but update its chassis and electrical architecture. According to some, the revised styling will evoke the “spirituality and adventure” . The truck will feature a strong design with a significantly different look than the Frontier. According to Automotive News, an insider said that the new model looked “like something a truck man would want.”
Despite the extraordinary automotive crisis created by the coronavirus epidemic, Nissan still plans to reveal the next-generation Frontier later in the year. The new Rogue / XTrail will also be revealed.