What Are the Overlooked A60 Generation Nissan Trucks and SUVs?
If you’re looking for something big, powerful, aggressively styled, and proven to be long-lasting, feast your eyes on Nissan trucks and SUVs. Not just any, though. With rising MSRPs, many are shopping the used market for full-size trucks and three-row SUVs. One overlooked segment of Nissan’s girthier offerings is the A60 generation.
3 Nissan trucks and SUVs built in the A60 generation
- Nissan Titan (A60): The Titan is a full-size pickup truck that was first introduced in 2004. The first-generation model was available with a large-displacement, 32-valve V8 engine, available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations, and was offered in King Cab and Crew Cab body styles.
- Nissan Armada (TA60): The Armada is a full-size SUV that also debuted in 2004. Using the Titan’s same F-Alpha platform and V8 engine. Available in both rear-wheel and four-wheel drive configurations, it had seating for up to eight passengers and was known for its spacious interior and strong towing capacity.
- Infiniti QX56 (JA60): Also in 2004, the QX56 utilized the same basic vehicle as the Armada but had a lightly upscale interior, different exterior styling cues, and used higher-octane fuel. Leather upholstery and premium sound helped justify it as a luxury vehicle in the American three-row SUV market.
| Make/Model | Engine | Transmission | HP | Torque (lb-ft) | Max tow rating |
| Nissan Titan | 5.6-liter VDK56DE V8 | RE5R05A 5-speed auto | 305 | 369 | 9,400 lbs. |
| Nissan Armada | 5.6-liter VDK56DE V8 | 5-speed auto | 305 | 385 | 9,100 lbs. |
| Infiniti QX56 | 5.6-liter VDK56DE V8 | 5-speed auto | 320 | 393 | 9,000 lbs. |
Nissan’s first-generation full-size offerings in the Titan and Armada were built until 2015. But the Infiniti shed its first-generation debut by 2010.
Who designed the A60 generation?
Development for the Nissan A60 generation began in 1999 with senior design manager Diane Allen at the helm. As the first woman to design a full-size truck, she juggled three other projects at the time. Simultaneously, she was penning the exteriors of the Infiniti QX56, Nissan Armada, and Nissan Frontier.
Allen focused solely on exterior design, and she ensured that full-size pickup truck customers weren’t welcomed with anything less than fierce. For instance, the Titan embodied the concept of the mythical worrier, the designer said in the past. Not only did the Titan succeed following its release—becoming a finalist for the North American Truck of the Year award.
Rumor has it that the C-pillar-installed rear door handles are a Nissan design tradition that began with the D21 Pathfinder. The body lines appeared like a single-cab truck with a camper shell.
Where are Nissan trucks and SUVs built?
Just about everything on the Nissan Titan is made in America—except for the transmission. Although the first-generation full-size Nissan trucks and SUVs were assembled at the automaker’s plant in Canton, Mississippi, the Titan is still the only one.
In 2010, the family of A60 Nissan trucks and SUVs lost a member. The estranged was the second-generation Infiniti QX56. But it was the first time the globally revered Nissan Patrol architecture was sold in the U.S. since Neil Armstrong walked on the Moon. There were slight differences between the international-market Y62 Patrol and the American Z62, but each was built in Nissan’s plant in Kyushu, Japan.
The lower-priced Armada also had the same fate. In 2016, it joined the Patrol proper, but as a full Y62 SUV.
Why are A60 Nissan trucks and SUVs important?
Nissan took a bold step when entering the full-size truck and SUV market in the early 2000s. Although the Titan never cracked into the top five in trucks—out of six—it remained steadfast in only providing potential buyers with a V8 engine. Unfortunately, that may have hurt their fleet sales. Nissan’s SUVs are more popular, but still don’t measure to the numbers of Chevrolet’s Tahoe and Suburban, Ford’s Expedition, and Toyota’s Sequoia.
However, for those with an unconventional twinge, the A60 generation of Nissan trucks and SUVs, and indeed its successors, are a perfect fit. The Titan was always a leader with in-bed storage and safety features, the latter becoming less uncommon on full-size pickup trucks these days. Nissan’s Armada gave you an SUV big enough for any family at a lower price than that comparable American brands and Toyota. With the Infiniti, you even get some fake wood on the steering wheel, but a three-row barge that steers like a sedan.
Moreover, Nissan trucks and SUVs provide an alternative to the global lineup of Toyota for those choking on Detroit’s patriotic PR. Regardless, much of what they make is built or assembled north and south of the U.S. borders.
