.

.December 18, 2003
.
This Week:

• Saab Announces Its First SUV: The Saab 9-7X

• Two Worldwide Premieres for Mitsubishi Motors at 2004 North American International Auto Show

• DaimlerChrysler and UNESCO Encourage Cross-Cultural Learning and Understanding with the Launch of Mondialogo

• Nissan Officially Enters Full-Size Market With Sale of First Titan

• BMW Introduces X3 SPORTS ACTIVITY VEHICLE With National Ad Campaign

• FORD Elects Kimberly Casiano To Its Board Of Directors

• GM's Powertrain Performance Build Center To Produce Performance Engines

• Volkswagen Experience – Across the Sahara with the Touareg

• Mitsubishi Motors, Chrysler Group Leverage Global Alliance to Bring All-New, Mid-Sized Pickup Trucks to North America

• Shiny Qin Elected President Of GM Chinese Affinity Group

© 1998 - 2003 Copyright & 
Disclaimer
Automotive Intelligence,
www.autointell.com
All Rights Reserved .
For questions please contact
editor@autointell.com  

.
Nissan Officially Enters Full-Size Market With Sale of First Titan

Photo: Nissan

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – As the very first consumer drove his 2004 Nissan Titan off a dealer’s lot last week, Nissan officially entered the jungle of the highly competitive full-size truck market. This first transaction demonstrates that the Titan’s full-size credentials are grabbing the attention of full-size truck owners. The first Titan, sold by Mossy Nissan Kearny Mesa in San Diego, was purchased by Juan Perez, a full-size truck owner for many years. Perez traded-in a 2003 Ford F-150 for his new Nissan Titan. “Years ago, I owned Nissan compact trucks but my last several vehicles were domestic full-size trucks,” said Perez. “I missed Nissan’s reliability. After doing six-months of research, I’m confident that the Titan is the right truck for me.”

“This first sale is a great indication that the Titan will appeal to full-size truck owners with a desire for size, power and innovation as well as reliability,” said Fred Suckow, director of marketing, Nissan North America. “Domestic manufacturers have a lot of history in this segment, so the interest of their buyers reemphasizes Titan’s credibility in a very competitive environment.”

Even before the Titan reached dealers’ lots, it earned widespread recognition through numerous industry awards. Four Wheeler magazine presented the Titan its “Truck of the Year” award; Sport Truck appointed Titan as its “Sport Truck of the Year; Smart Money magazine selected Titan over its competitors for its “Smart Money Award”; Edmunds.com, a premiere Internet resource for consumer automotive information, named the Titan the “Most Significant Vehicle of the Year for 2004” as well as “Editors Most Wanted Large Truck for 2004”; Maxim also voted Titan its “Monster Truck of the Year” award.

The Titan is built on an all-new full-length boxed ladder frame, featuring a newly designed Nissan Endurance 5.6-liter DOHC V8 with 305 horsepower and 379 lb-ft of torque, controlled by a standard 5-speed automatic transmission.

Conceived, developed, styled and engineered primarily in North America, Titan is being assembled at Nissan's new $1.43 billion manufacturing facility in Canton, Mississippi. It went on sale early this month.

(Dec. 15, 2003)