Buyers expect a lot from small pickups. More, in some ways, than they would demand from a car. Pickups are expected to carry heavy loads, go off-road, and take the abuse of construction sites and vacation trips without sacrificing reliability, comfort and style.
Filling all those needs can be a tall order.
Nissan is an experienced player in this game. Ever since the days of boxy Datsuns, the company has had at least one small hauler available. Though the product has evolved as the needs and tastes of buyers have changed, basic elements - compact size, durability and value - have remained constant.
Anticipating a dramatic change in the role of the pickup,
Nissan took a gamble several years ago. The company decided that appearance would become increasingly important in the truck-buying process. So a bundle of money was invested in a reshaped truck penned by the designers at
Nissan?s California studio.
The result was the original Hardbody, controversial at first, but now a proven design. By today?s standards, the Hardbody - now simply called the Nissan Pickup - appears tame. It has rounded corners and bulging fenders, all neatly executed. The design?s longevity can be attributed to its basic understatement. Unlike most faddish styling jobs, the Pickup was, and still is, free of trendy frills that quickly become obsolete.
Cabs and cargo beds are offered in two sizes. The Regular Cab is just that, providing space for two or three people, with just enough storage space behind the seats for unfolded towels and newspapers but not much else.
The King Cab, as you?d expect, is larger, providing a 14.4 cu. ft. of cargo area behind the seats or, when optional jump seats are installed, temporary accommodations for two more passengers. Very temporary.
The Standard Bed is about 6 ft. long; the Long Bed runs an additional 15 in. Both beds are available with either the Regular of King Cabs.
Whether they?re Regular or King, Nissan cabs are comfortable and attractive. A car-like dashboard holds gauges for the driver (the minimum three for speed, fuel and water temperature are standard; some versions add a tachometer) and a glove box on the passenger?s side. Passive restraints aren?t on the Pickup?s feature list, but 3-point seat belts and side intrusion beams are.
Depending on the model - we did our driving in a V6-powered SE - cabin trimmings range from depressingly utilitarian (stark vinyl) to comfortably attractive (soft cloth). Plastic upholstery is restricted to bench-seat versions - which are rated but not recommended for three riders - and all bucket-seat Pickups get cloth.
A wide range of options is offered to further civilize the cab, although appearance and comfort basics are in place for all but the bare-bones model.
More important to work-oriented customers are the technical differences between the various Pickups. Standard and XE (Regular or King Cab) models are powered by a 2.4-liter, 4-cylinder engine with a 5-speed manual transmission. This is the utility combination, giving away some smoothness and power in return for reliability and low cost.
Long Bed Standard and SE King Cab versions get a 3.0-liter single overhead-cam V6, with a choice of 5-speed manual transmission (standard) or a 4-speed over-drive automatic. The V6 is essentially a passenger-car engine, and is recommended more for its refinement than for its extra power. It?s a quiet engine that never feels strained, one of the greatest in the business in terms of smoothness and all-around driveability.
If trailer-towing is on the menu, the V6 is a must. Small trailers are within the 4-cylinder?s abilities, but performance with a load nearing the 3500-lb. maximum will be marginal. The V6 is better, but here, too, the ratings are optimistic. Nissan claims a 5000-lb. maximum trailer capacity (as well as a 2000-lb. payload rating) for the V6 5-speed Long Bed version, but progress with the truck so heavily laden will be slow indeed.
The larger engine is also greatest for use in 4-wheel-drive models. Nissan, like most rivals, uses an on-demand system that allows the driver to engage 4WD while the truck is moving - shift on the fly, as they say. The V6 versions are fitted with automatic locking front hubs, compared with 4-cylinder models that require the driver to get out and engage the front hubs manually before going off-road.
Manual hub engagement is a leftover from an earlier age in 4WD technology, and we expect to see it disappear entirely before long. If you want 4WD, do yourself a favor and get a setup that includes auto-locking hubs.
In all cases, calling for 4WD on the other form also brings along power steering and rear-wheel anti-lock brakes.
