Automakers from around the world are constantly designing new trucks to appeal to the U.S. market. Nissan is one of them, and recently, it updated its full-sized pickup truck, the Titan. Here’s how the 2020 Nissan Titan stacks up to what Ford and Chevy offer, according to MotorTrend.

The new 2020 Nissan Titan 

Unlike the affordable and reliable Nissan Frontier, which is a mid-sized pickup truck, the Titan is much larger; hence it comes with a lot more features and options. The Titan’s biggest change is its engine, which now has a single option.

Like MotorTrend said, the Titan comes standard with a 5.6-liter V8 that generates 400 hp and 413 lb-ft of torque. That is a massive and powerful engine that gives the Titan the distinction of being one of the “best in its class.”

This engine, according to Nissan, when combined with the other improvements made to the truck, allows the Titan to be faster and more fuel-efficient than before. That said, official 0 to 60 mile-per-hour times and estimated fuel economies are still unknown.

On top of those facts, the new Titan also has good safety ratings. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave it an overall safety rating of 4 out of 5 stars in crash tests. Furthermore, the new Titan comes with a host of standard smart safety features.

Other than those improvements, likely the most noticeable one is the 2020 Nissan Titan’s redesigned appearance. MotorTrend says this redesign helps set the truck apart, visually speaking, from its competitors.  

How the 2020 Nissan Titan compares to Ford and Chevy trucks

Unfortunately, despite these changes and the massive standard 5.6-liter engine, MotorTrend says the Titan doesn’t hold a candle to the F-150 or Silverado in the two areas truck drivers care about most: payload and towing capacities. 

Even with its massive engine, the 2020 Nissan Titan can only carry about 1,700 pounds in its truck bed and can only tow about 9,400 pounds. These are simply lackluster numbers for a full-size pickup truck with a massive engine.

For example, the Silverado, with similarly sized engines, can tow between 10,000 pounds and 12,000 pounds of cargo. Payload wise, Ford and Chevy’s full-size trucks can handle hundreds of pounds more in their beds than the Titan. 

That said, MotorTrend did think the Titan was better in certain areas. It praised its interior looks and features. The standard smart safety features on the Titan were also far better than what Ford and Chevy has to offer. 

Does Ford and Chevy need to worry?

Probably not. While the new Titan makes a good attempt at differentiating from competitors, it’s simply far too behind in the areas that matter most for American truck drivers: towing and payload capacities. Its capacities aren’t terrible; it’s just not enough to justify buying the Titan over another full-size pickup truck.

The Frontier at the very least has the luxury of being the cheapest new pickup truck on the market. Unfortunately, the Titan doesn’t. Priced similarly to its competitors, and a new Titan will start at about $36,000, according to MotorTrend. 

But this doesn’t mean the 2020 Nissan Titan is a terrible truck. As MotorTrend explains, its safety features are better than Ford and Chevy’s. So while the Titan may not disappoint its owners, it simply won’t outsell Ford and Chevy trucks in America.