Nissan Introduces 4-Door Frontier Crew Cab
30 December 1998
Nissan Marks Another Compact Truck Milestone with the Introduction of 4-Door Frontier Crew Cab
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LOS ANGELES, Dec. 30 -- Nissan Motor Corporation U.S.A. today introduced the Frontier Crew Cab compact pickup, the first compact truck with four full-size forward-hinged doors offered for sale in the United States. The truck will be on sale in May of 1999 as a year 2000 model at Nissan dealers nationwide.
The introduction of the Frontier Crew Cab at the Los Angeles Auto Show marked another milestone in Nissan's compact truck history. In 1959, Nissan brought the first Datsun compact truck into the U.S., in 1969 Nissan introduced the first Datsun half-ton compact truck, in 1975 the first long bed became available and in 1977 Nissan introduced the Datsun King Cab, the first extended cab compact pickup.
"Nissan trucks have always been in the forefront of style and innovation," says Michael Seergy, vice president and general manager, Nissan Division. "It was proven in the past from our first compact pickup and the King Cab, which every compact truck manufacturer has imitated. With the Frontier Crew Cab, we're raising the bar for compact pickups again in the U.S."
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The Frontier Crew Cab is the flagship of the already extensive Nissan Frontier product lineup, including the Frontier 2-wheel drives, 4-wheel drives, four- and six-cylinder, regular and King Cabs. The Frontier is the third-generation of truck produced at the award-winning Nissan Motor Manufacturing Corporation U.S.A. (NMMC) in Smyrna, Tennessee manufacturing facility.
Exterior
Frontier Crew Cab's exterior was designed to be user friendly, as well as reinforce the inherent toughness and dependability of the Frontier model. Four full-size doors, combined with the rugged look of the Frontier, offers a stylish statement currently unseen in the U.S. market, effectively combining the practicality of an SUV with the utility of a pickup truck.
All Frontier Crew Cabs are built on the heavy-duty 4-wheel drive Frontier chassis, giving the 2-wheel drive the same rigidity, ride height and ground clearance as the 4-wheel drive pickup. This includes a full ladder frame with a number of measures taken to enhance torsional strength and resist twisting. Among those enhancements are a plate welded to the rear cross section of the frame and an integrated second cross member to reduce floor vibration.
This chassis features a double wishbone front suspension with stabilizer bar and rear rigid axle with multi-leaf springs and stabilizer bar to provide a car-like ride.
Four full-size doors allow up to five passengers to enter the vehicle with ease. The bed is about 18 inches smaller than the standard Frontier, but only 9% smaller in volume than many competitive extended cab model beds. The double-wall bed features inner bed rope hooks, single handle rear gate operation, partition loading and a removable tail gate.
Interior
The interior of the Frontier Crew Cab combines the comfort and convenience of the current Frontier pickup, with many qualities of a sedan. It offers more rear passenger room than any extra-cab compact truck, with room for five passengers.
Frontier Crew Cab offers provisions for the installation of a child safety seat in the rear passenger area, something lacking in today's extended cab compact truck market and a boon to families with small children.
Convenience features include full carpeting, cloth front bucket and rear bench seat, center console with large armrest and storage including front and rear cup holders, large door mounted armrests with map pocket and door cloth inserts and an auxiliary 12-volt power port.
Engine and Driveline
Standard equipment on Frontier Crew Cab is Nissan's proven 3.3-liter V6 engine, with 170 hp and 200 ft-lbs of torque. The engine was specifically developed to have a broad, flat torque curve, developing 90 percent of its maximum torque at 1,500 rpm -- where it is most useful for off-roading and towing.
Frontier Crew Cab is available with a 5-speed manual or 4-speed electronically controlled overdrive automatic transmission and a 2-wheel and 4-wheel drive driveline system. A 19.4-gallon fuel tank ensures that Frontier Crew Cab can go the distance.
The automatic transmission offers up to 5,000-pound towing capacity, while the manual transmission has up to 3,500-pound towing capacity.
The 4-wheel drive system on Frontier Crew Cab features automatic locking hubs and a shift-on-the-fly feature at speeds up to 50 mph and an optional limited-slip differential.
All Frontier Crew Cabs come standard with a 4-wheel Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), actuating on the front disc and rear drum brakes.
Safety
Standard safety equipment offered on Frontier Crew Cab includes second generation front supplemental air bags, energy-absorbing steering column, front seat belts with adjustable shoulder belt anchors and pretensioners, three rear seat belts, pipe-style steel side-door guard beams and on manual transmission models, a clutch interlock.
Model Availability
The 2000 Frontier Crew Cab lineup starts with the XE model, which comes well equipped with standard air conditioning, 4-wheel ABS, power steering and brakes, a tachometer, 235/70R15 all-season tires on styled steel wheels, chrome bumpers and grille, privacy glass on the rear door windows and back glass, green tinted front windows, a sliding rear window, twin trip meter (LCD), AM/FM/cassette audio system and heavy-duty skid plates.
Optional on XE is the Value Plus Package, which adds alloy wheels and 265/70R15 tires, a tilt steering wheel, variable-speed intermittent wipers, a tailgate finisher and a limited-slip differential (4-wheel drive only).
The SE model adds body color bumpers, fender flares and mirrors, as well as 16-inch alloy wheels and 255/65RI6 tires, side step rails, fog lamps, a CD player, leather wrapped steering wheel and shifter knobs, unique color face gauges, carbon-fiber-look tailgate finisher and badging, special SE cloth seats and a tilt steering wheel.
There are three option packages available on SE: the Utility Package, which adds a limited-slip differential (4-wheel drive only), and a heavy duty tubular roof rack, the Sport Package, which adds a sunroof and a premium 100-watt 3-in-1 audio system (radio, cassette and CD), and the Power Package, which adds power mirrors and door locks, power outside mirrors, cruise control and an anti-theft system with remote keyless entry.
Frontier Crew Cab can also be equipped to maximize its utility with a unique, tubular-style roof rack fitted with Yakima(TM)-designed attachments to carry skis, snowboards, mountain bikes, kayaks or a luggage rocket box -- while still preserving the full use of the bed. Other planned accessory items include tonneau cover, bed-mounted bike rack and a bed extender that when deployed enlarges the bed length.
Warranty
All Nissan models are covered by a comprehensive 3-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper Limited Warranty, a 5-year/60,000-mile Limited Powertrain Warranty, a 5-year/60,000-mile Limited Corrosion Coverage, and a Lifetime Limited Seat Belt Warranty.
