Nissan sold only 2,242 Titan trucks last month so it was only a matter of time before they started looking to prune slow sellers. Today it was announced that Nissan has killed the Nissan-specific 5.0-liter Cummins diesel engine. Nissan has also axed the single-cab Titan body style. You can still purchase the Nissan Titan crew cab or king cab trucks.

“This will help better position Nissan in the long term as we prepare for the launch of the new, dramatically refreshed 2020 Titan and Titan XD later this year,” Nissan spokesperson Wendy Orthman told Motor1.com.

Not a Half-Ton, Not a Three-Quarter-Ton

The Titan HD has a higher payload than a traditional half-ton pickup, but less than a three-quarter-ton truck. Nissan looks to capture buyers wanting a payload between those two categories. Sales for all Titan pickups are down over 25% from last year through July. Nissan’s five-year or 100,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty for the Titan was hoped to improve sales.

Revised Titan In 2020

The refreshed 2020 Titan will have a revised, bolder front fascia and tailgate. Currently, only the 5.6-liter V8 is available. We understand Nissan will tweak this V8 to improve both economy and horsepower.

Rumors indicate a V6 option will be added as Nissan has said an optional gas engine will replace the diesel. A new 3.0-liter V6 is slated for the next midsize Nissan Frontier. Speculation is that the new V6 will make 300 hp and be backed by Nissan’s new seven-speed automatic. Could this find its way into the next Titan?

The canceled Cummins diesel V8 cranks out 310 hp and 555 lb-ft of torque. For potential buyers comparing, the Ram HD produces 1,000 lb-ft of torque. That’s a significant difference. Cummins built the Nissan diesel at its Columbus, Indiana headquarters.

Strong Sales In 2017 and 2018

All Titans are built at Nissan’s Canton, Mississippi assembly plant. Titan made its debut in 2003. By 2015 sales had dipped drastically. The current version debuted in 2016. It saw a nice upturn in sales, almost doubling to 21,880. With truck popularity soaring, Titan sales soared too, seeing 52,924 sales for 2017. That momentum held for 2018 with 50,459 Titans sold.

But Titans sold even more in both 2004 and 2005, with an average of 85,000 yearly sales. To boost sales Nissan has looked at other markets to sell the full-size truck, including China, Australia, and Russia.

Midsize Frontier New In 2021

Currently, Nissan also offers a midsize truck with the Frontier. It, too, is available as either a king cab or crew cab. Having its last redo in 2005, it lags behind in the hot mid-size truck market, but that’s changing for 2021. An all-new Frontier will be headed to showrooms before the end of 2020, albeit still based on the existing F-Alpha truck platform.