Nissan Navara/Frontier with Cummins diesel

Thanks to a few new players in the market, the midsized truck battle looks be reviving. News about GM’s new mid-size trucks getting diesels have also stirred up a frenzy, starting with Nissan .

What you see here is the Frontier Diesel Runner, a “concept” truck built to gauge consumer interest in diesel powered, midsized trucks. The truck itself is barely changed from the production line, but features a 2.8 L, inline 4 cylinder turbodiesel built by renowned engine builder Cummins. The Cummins/Nissan partnership isn’t new, however, as the pair have plans to power the next generation Nissan Titan with a 5.0 L V8 turbodiesel in 2015.

The Navara/Frontier ’s diesel engine is expected to produce around 200 HP and more than 474 NM (350 lb-ft) of torque — all while increasing fuel efficiency by 35 percent over the standard 4.0 L, gasoline V6 engine. It’s backed by a ZF-sourced 8HP70 8 speed automatic transmission. The new engine-transmission combo is expected to tow and haul roughly the same as the conventional gasoline Navara/Frontier.

Nissan and Cummins did have to modify the truck slightly to get the powertrain nestled within the engine bay and transmission tunnel. Saving room and further development, this frontier lacks the optional four wheel drive and added complexities the system brings to a driveline.

It’s very unlikely the Frontier will be sold with a diesel option in its current generation. Nissan is hard at work developing the second generation Titan pickup, and will likely turn its attention it the Navara/Frontier once development is competed there. We expect a new Navara/Frontier won’t be far behind the new 2015 Titan. If Nissan chooses to include a diesel as a powertrain option, it’s likely to happen then.