We examined the most recent Frontier Professional-4X off-road within the mountains of Utah — and sure, we dented it. Rain fell, vans slid, and rocks flew.
The Nissan Frontier Professional-4X isn’t an all-conquering off-roader. As an alternative, Nissan pitches it as a truck that’ll get you there on the weekend however be pretty much as good to stay with if you’re on a suburban journey.
A few quarter of the way in which into our Nissan Frontier off-road trek, it began to rain. That’s when issues acquired fascinating. As an alternative of the water soaking into the bottom, it immediately become mud with about the identical friction ranges as a mixture of snow and ice. Searching the driving force’s window at a slender path and a few steep drops, I’ve by no means been happier to have a low-range switch case in a truck.
Helpful Functionality, Not Excessive All-Terrain
Nissan’s Frontier Professional-4X isn’t a competitor to the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 or the Toyota Tacoma TRD Professional. It’s not meant to be.
Nissan needed to make a truck that provided a helpful quantity of additional functionality if you needed to move away from the pavement however that wasn’t compromised for the Monday-to-Friday grind.
That’s the hazard of a lifted truck with 33-inch tires, rock rails, and all the remaining. Positive, it could possibly traverse the Rubicon path or drive up the facet of a constructing. However it could possibly additionally make migraine-inducing ranges of noise on the freeway and suck down gas in a method that even NASCAR groups would possibly discover extreme.
Working from the primary all-new Frontier in 17 years, the product staff tried to determine what would enable you to on these weekend adventures. Then Nissan despatched us to Park Metropolis, Utah, to check it out. On the interstate, on the town, after which on an impressively difficult path experience — one which rapidly become a critical problem because of some sudden rain.
The Fundamentals of Off-Street Upgrades
The Nissan Frontier Professional-4X package deal’s mechanical upgrades begin with Bilstein shocks tuned for rough-road consolation. The truck has three metal skid plates to guard the gentle bits beneath and an aluminum one up entrance that appears cool. Lastly, it has an digital locking rear differential that may be switched on if you’re in low vary.
Many of the remainder of the modifications are beauty, like badges and the crimson tow hooks. Inside there are Lava Pink accents and Nissan has taken a notice from consumers right here. For 2022, the Premium Package deal dropped the crimson accents. For 2023, it’s all Lava Pink on a regular basis, as a result of that’s what prospects requested for.
Final up, the Frontier Professional-4X has an off-road mode for the {surround} view cameras, and all 4×4 Frontiers have hill descent management.
Excessive-Altitude Testing
Park Metropolis is greatest generally known as a ski vacation spot. Residence to Olympic occasions in 2002 and boasting the biggest ski space within the nation, it has lifts operating proper into city.
In terms of off-roading, it’s the altitude of Park Metropolis that issues. We’re at properly over 7,000 toes, and that makes a distinction to the truck and the driving force. The Frontier’s 3.8L V6 that makes 310 horsepower at sea degree might be off by round 20% up right here.
I’m most likely off by no less than that a lot energy, too, which turns into instantly apparent the primary time I hop out of the truck for a photograph. Positive, for those who stay right here you get used to it, however I stay close to the ocean. Phew. Move the oxygen.
Patrons Need Their Vehicles to Be Vehicles
Frontier has a easy experience by truck requirements and is impressively quiet, however it nonetheless looks like an old-school pickup. Each management you contact, each motion of the steering wheel, each response of the chassis and physique. It’s all classic truck. As a result of old-school is what consumers need from their Nissan.
In fact, that’s what the corporate’s communications staff would say, however have a look at the gross sales charts. The earlier Frontier’s greatest gross sales 12 months was 2018, with 2017 and 2019 not far off. When that model of the Frontier was already 14 years outdated, it nonetheless was an old-school truck in opposition to a lot newer rivals.
There’s one thing to that notion. A extra mechanical-feeling pickup provides you a way of reliability — of sturdiness and timelessness. Take a look at the resurgence of classic clothes and classic furnishings, and the return to handmade items and DIY. These are direct responses to the disposable really feel of recent client items.
That little shimmy if you hit a pothole and really feel it shifting by way of the bushings and bones of the truck? That’s you, linked to the highway. Doing actual work, by way of an actual hydraulic energy steering system, not some fancy disconnected digital pump.
Path Views Good Concept, Lack Execution
Not all trendy options are dangerous, after all. Just like the surround-view cameras that allow you to decide the precise path on a very slender stretch of path. Sadly, Nissan hasn’t fairly gone trendy sufficient with this one.
Low-resolution cameras make the path view a blur for those who’re shifting. A sore spot between the product folks and the legal professionals, the cameras gained’t work above 6 mph, both. It’s positive for crawling round timber within the daylight, however the cameras weren’t there for me to see the rock that flipped up and put a head-sized dent within the passenger door.
No less than that’s my excuse. I’m unsure how else I may have ended up punching such a ding right into a spot that top up on the truck. Even a elevate or rock rails wouldn’t have helped me out on this one.
It’s a reminder of two issues. First, for those who’re going to go off-road, then you definately’re going to finish up banging up your truck. It’s inevitable, irrespective of how cautious you’re. The second is that you simply shouldn’t fear an excessive amount of about it. Does it minimize into resale? A bit. Does it add a great deal of character? Completely. A truck like this loves slightly further character.
Then Got here the Rain
This brings me again to the path. Nissan’s chosen path was meant to characterize the type of path common Professional-4X consumers would really take. Not overly technical, not only a filth highway — it was affected by downed branches, rocks that wouldn’t destroy a truck however would make you glad for the skid plates, some slender turns, and a few steep up and downhill sections.
It was the sudden rain that made it an actual take a look at. However hey, rain occurs. We gained’t try to faux it doesn’t.
Each element of a automobile is a compromise of some type. It’s normally value versus sturdiness, however generally sturdiness versus look. The compromise entrance and heart when the rain fell was the rubber.
No tire can do every part. It’s not honest to count on it to. The Hankook Dynapro AT2 tires Nissan picked are a great stability for pavement and filth and gravel roads. The tires even put on a three-peak mountain snowflake badge that proves they’re wonderful within the snow.
You’ll be able to study every part you could know in regards to the distinction between all-terrain and mud-terrain tires, however for now, the vital bit is that this: Mud tires throw out the mud, letting the tread chew into the bottom. All-terrain and snow tires entice snow, as a result of snow sticks to snow amazingly properly.
Trapping snow means all-terrain tires entice mud, and dirt doesn’t persist with mud. Fairly the other.
Frontier Dealt with Off-Street Surprises
Because of this, as I began to move down a 20% grade on this shiny new Frontier, I used to be glad to have hill descent management and low-range gearing.
The second I tapped the brakes, the rear finish of the truck began to slip like I used to be on a sheet of ice. I’ve greater than sufficient expertise on snow and ice to know that the truck wasn’t sliding as a lot as my butt was making an attempt to inform me, however I did know that I couldn’t ignore it.
In 4Lo and locked into first gear, the two.717:1 switch case provides you a really excessive crawl ratio. We usually discuss low vary for its torque multiplication — a giant assist at these heights — and the way that may get you up hills and over boulders. The identical gearing which means extra torque on the tires means the engine braking impact is multiplied if you’re going downhill.
You go very slowly with out touching the brakes, and the again finish of the truck stays in line. In concept, that provides you extra time to spend watching the path and steering as a substitute of braking. If, you realize, you’re remembering to observe the path and never staring over into the abyss till you hit a boulder.
Climbing again up the opposite facet of the outdated river valley, I left the rear differential unlocked. Sure, guaranteeing energy at each rear tires is nice, however the path had sharp bends, and I didn’t need the bigger turning circle that comes with staying locked up.
The Frontier bounced and danced up the hill, however because of its rugged old-truck really feel, nothing was binding up. Nothing felt prefer it was about to say no to the goings-on beneath and fail to proceed.
It’s the Little Cabin Particulars That Make a Truck
After all of the mud, I’d like to offer my compliments to a part of Nissan’s inside design staff. Particularly, the individuals who gave the go-ahead to a tough plastic carpet protector the place the facet of your boot or shoe touches the transmission tunnel and who put a flooring vent immediately above it. Thanks to those heroes, my carpet was unmuddied and my moist toes properly warmed. It’s the small print that matter.
As soon as the rain dried, I went in search of some extra roads that may take a look at out the truck. What did I discover? Filling-loosening, closely washboarded filth on steep hills. Good for locating out simply how stable the Frontier’s body was and the way properly the suspension was sorted.
The reply was very properly. No twerking truck mattress in my rearview mirror right here. The stiffness of the totally boxed body is a giant assistance on all surfaces, letting the suspension do its job as a substitute of preventing motion on either side.
The decision: As Nissan stated, it’s no ZR2 or TRD Professional, however it dealt with the surfaces simply positive whereas being far more nice to drive residence.
Larger Cargo Area, however Totally on Paper
In the event you’re headed open air, you’re bringing extra than simply you and your truck. To assist, Nissan says it made the mattress 7% bigger. The rise comes from a 1.4-inch taller top, although, so it’s not precisely a helpful enhance.
Put all your cargo beneath a tough tonneau in completely chosen bins, and also you would possibly discover the additional. Load it like a pickup, the place the sky (or native DOT regs) are the restrict, and also you gained’t.
The slider tracks and 4 movable cargo cleats are very useful to maintain every part in place on the path. So is the under-rail LED mattress lighting.
Nissan Frontier’s max towing and payload are each about common for the section at 6,720 kilos and 1,610 kilos, respectively. Transfer to the Professional-4X, provided in Crew Cab short-box-only, and the capacities endure from the additional weight of the truck’s personal tools.
Towing drops to six,270 kilos and max payload to 1,230. For comparability, the Colorado Z71 and Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport supply payload and towing of 1,474/7,000 kilos and 1,155/6,400 kilos, respectively. So, the Nissan fares fairly properly for those who’re not shopping for the flyweight base-spec vans.
2023 Frontier Professional-4X Overview
Nissan doesn’t do a brand new truck usually. And when it does, at first look, it won’t appear all that new. However Nissan has listened to its prospects, delivering a truck that feels worthy of its Hardbody ancestors.
Completely able to dealing with most of what you’ll throw at it on the weekends whereas being a stable option to get round in the course of the week. The 2023 Nissan Frontier Professional-4X begins from $38,270 plus vacation spot.
