Diesel Nissan Titan by 2009, Maxima by 2010
06-15-07, 08:04 AM
#1
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Diesel Nissan Titan by 2009, Maxima by 2010
TOKYO: Nissan Motor Co is preparing a diesel-powered version of its Titan full-sized pickup truck by 2009 for the United States, with engines built by local truck and engine maker Navistar International Corp, industrial daily Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun reported on Friday.
Japan's third-biggest automaker, held 44 per cent by Renault SA, offers no diesel vehicle now in the United States, where the fuel-efficient powertrain is used mostly on commercial vehicles including large pickup trucks.
A spokeswoman at Nissan said the company could not comment on future product plans.
Nissan launched the Titan, its first and only full-sized pickup, in 2004 hoping to carve a place in the lucrative, US-dominated segment, but sales have failed to live up to expectations.
In May, Nissan sold 4,899 Titans, down 18 percent from the year before. So far this year, sales are down 15 per cent at 28,668 units.
A 2008 model year Titan went on sale in April in a segment facing stiffer competition from Toyota Motor Corp's remodelled Tundra, which Japan's top carmaker has called its most important product launch to date.
Toyota has hinted that it would eventually offer a gasoline-electric hybrid version of the Tundra.
The US pickup market is dominated by Ford Motor Co's F-Series and General Motors Corp's Chevy Silverado, the two best-selling vehicles in the world's biggest auto market.
International Truck and Engine Corp, Navistar's principal operating company and the exclusive supplier of diesel engines to Ford's Super Duty pickups, will supply Nissan with the V8 diesel engines, the Nikkan Kogyo said.
The Titan is now powered by a 5.6-litre V8 gasoline engine.
Nissan is due to launch a diesel version of its Maxima sedan in the United States in 2010 with engines produced by Renault.
Japan's third-biggest automaker, held 44 per cent by Renault SA, offers no diesel vehicle now in the United States, where the fuel-efficient powertrain is used mostly on commercial vehicles including large pickup trucks.
A spokeswoman at Nissan said the company could not comment on future product plans.
Nissan launched the Titan, its first and only full-sized pickup, in 2004 hoping to carve a place in the lucrative, US-dominated segment, but sales have failed to live up to expectations.
In May, Nissan sold 4,899 Titans, down 18 percent from the year before. So far this year, sales are down 15 per cent at 28,668 units.
A 2008 model year Titan went on sale in April in a segment facing stiffer competition from Toyota Motor Corp's remodelled Tundra, which Japan's top carmaker has called its most important product launch to date.
Toyota has hinted that it would eventually offer a gasoline-electric hybrid version of the Tundra.
The US pickup market is dominated by Ford Motor Co's F-Series and General Motors Corp's Chevy Silverado, the two best-selling vehicles in the world's biggest auto market.
International Truck and Engine Corp, Navistar's principal operating company and the exclusive supplier of diesel engines to Ford's Super Duty pickups, will supply Nissan with the V8 diesel engines, the Nikkan Kogyo said.
The Titan is now powered by a 5.6-litre V8 gasoline engine.
Nissan is due to launch a diesel version of its Maxima sedan in the United States in 2010 with engines produced by Renault.
06-15-07, 01:10 PM
#7
Speaks French in Russian
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I'd actually consider upgrading my old Max to a diesel version only if it comes with AWD, doesnt look anything like the current one, loses some weight, a better interior, and offers a 6-speed manual again. Am I asking for to much??lol
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06-15-07, 03:05 PM
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06-15-07, 03:12 PM
#9
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Nissan Maxima's will always have a special place in my heart, so I'm interested in hearing more about this diesel version.
05-19-11, 01:08 PM
#10
Update
In the 1st version of this post, we said the Cummins I-4 diesel would meet Tier 2 Bin 5 emissions standards. Cummins says it expects to meet Tier 2 Bin 2 emissions standards with the 2.8-liter engine.
Tier 2 Bin 2 is a stricter standard than the current Tier 2 Bin 5 rules required to qualify as a "clean diesel." Tier 2 Bin 2 standards are the same for internal combustion engines regardless of fuel type (gasoline or diesel).
We've also confirmed with Cummins that the 2.8-liter diesel is a derivative of the 2.8 that Cummins builds overseas.
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Cummins is developing a high-efficiency inline-4-cylinder diesel engine with money from the U.S. Department of Energy and in partnership with Nissan for demonstration in the Titan light-duty pickup truck. The project was announced at the DOE’s 2011 Merit Review in Washington, D.C..
Most half-ton truck makers are betting on small-displacement direct-injection gasoline engines to meet future fuel economy regulations, but Cummins expects its small displacement oil burner to get 40% better fuel economy over current light-duty V-8 truck engines. The Cummins average fuel economy target for this new diesel engine is 28 mpg while meeting tough U.S. Tier 2 Bin 2 emissions limits, according to the presentation.
Getting 28 mpg combined mileage could mean more than 30 mpg highway, by our estimate, which could help Nissan meet strong new EPA regulations that will raise fleet fuel efficiency standards for light trucks and SUVs to 30 mpg by 2016. The standard for passenger cars is set at 39 mpg by 2016.
Prototype Cummins four-cylinder inline diesel in a current Nissan Titan's engine bay.
Though the project started in September, Nissan and Cummins have already built a prototype version of the 4-cylinder diesel and installed it in a current-generation Titan mule for drive testing. Pictures of the engine show 4 high-pressure fuel rails feeding the engine’s cylinders.
4 cylinders might not seem like enough to power a full-size pickup but that architecture would be ideal to meet fuel economy goals while delivering almost as much torque as some small displacement gasoline V-8s.
Cummins refers to the engine by the codename “LA-4” with a 2.8-liter displacement (170 cubic inches). Initial power figures on the engine dyno have the mule test engine producing 350 pounds-feet of torque at around 1,800 rpm. A chart in the presentation shows targeted power levels to be approximately 220 horsepower and 380 pounds-feet.
The engine is likely a derivative of the 4-cylinder ISF architecture that Cummins builds overseas, with 2.8-liter and 3.8-liter displacements. The overseas 3.8-liter is rated at 168 horsepower and 443 pounds-feet of torque.
Side profile CAD rendering of the prototype I-4. Note the EGR cooler (purple) and turbo just below it. The front of the engine is to the right.
Innovations highlighted by Cummins in their presentation include the use of high-strength steel pistons instead of conventional aluminum pistons. Steel pistons can handle high power loads with a shorter stroke, which also helps reduce the overall height of the engine for improved underhood packaging. Cummins is also studying the use of variable valve technology, according to the presentation.
To meet U.S. clean-diesel standards, the 2.8 would use diesel exhaust fluid to scrub nitrogen oxide emissions, like Ford and GM use today in their heavy-duty diesel pickups. It would also feature a so-called passive NOx storage system that would capture and hold NOx during cold starts, releasing the gas when temperatures rise to levels of max efficiency for DEF. The passive system would save fuel used today to jumpstart NOx scrubbing when the system is cold.
The total size of the Cummins light-duty clean diesel project is a $30 million effort, with the DOE contributing $15 million. The program is scheduled to run through September 2014, the year in which we expect the next-generation Titan to debut.
Nissan has been working with Cummins for several years studying the potential for a light-duty diesel in the Titan.
The current Nissan Titan is only available with a 5.6-liter V-8 gas engine that's rated at 13/18 mpg city/highway and 15 mpg combined fuel economy.
Phone messages left for both Cummins and Nissan were not returned as of publication. Stay tuned.
05-20-11, 01:17 AM
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