The Blue Zones diet is awesome – except for one unfortunate flaw
Find out if a plant-based diet, daily activity, and community involvement can help you achieve a longer, healthier life
A factory-delivered Nissan Titan could soon be prowling Australian roads, with the brand’s top brass admitting the jumbo American pick-up is currently being “studied” for our market.
Our huge appetite for equally huge utes hasn’t gone unnoticed internationally, and Nissan all-but confirmed a Titan launch in Australia was not a matter of if, but when.
Buoyed by record sales in the USA, where the new-gen Titan shifted a record 52,924 units last year (up an impressive 141.9 per cent), Nissan’s executive team is now actively investigating other markets it believes could prove equally successful for the full-size pickup.
And Australia, where converted left-hand-drive Titan models sold through importers are fetching six-figure sums, is at the top of its wish list.
“We are seeing significant evolution in the full-size pick-up market. In the US, we never anticipated that within eight months of launching the last version, we’d already be at three-per-cent market share,” said Ashwani Gupta, Nissan’s global vice president of LCVs.
“We are growing there, month over month… and we see the other markets that also have an appetite for a full-size pick-up.
“The question is, when we will be able to do it? And the answer to that is, we are able to do it for Australia, because we have Thailand and the UK as right-hand-drive markets. So from a business point of view, it makes sense.
“Now the challenge we are facing in doing the study for Australia is that Thailand is not yet matured to accept a full-size pick-up, and neither is the UK.
“We are studying it, but we are not ready yet.“
At almost 5.8m long and more than two-metres wide, the American-spec Titan is powered by either a 5.0-litre turbo-diesel, or a thumping 5.6-litre petrol engine, both of which are V8s. It also serves up maximum towing capacity of around 5.2 tonnes, and a maximum payload capacity of around 900kg, depending on the configuration.
Speaking at the local launch of the updated Nissan Navara, Mr Gupta told CarsGuide the Titan would make its way Down Under, it was simply a matter of how soon it would happen, even hinting that he would like to see the current-generation launched locally.
“For us to to convert left-hand drive to right-hand drive is not a big technical challenge, it is just a question of market size,” he said.
“If Thailand and the UK were following, we would have already gone for it very quickly. We’re just waiting for the right space. We are seeing very significantly that it will change. Markets are going more toward the lifestyle off-road.
“It’s going to change. How fast it’s going to change, we can’t predict.”
This article originally appeared on CarsGuide.
More From
Find out if a plant-based diet, daily activity, and community involvement can help you achieve a longer, healthier life
Donald Trump is struggling to stay awake during his criminal trial. Here's what happens when you go cold turkey on caffeine
Can you knock out 50 push-ups? Then you might be ready to try typewriter push-ups, the toughest of all push-up variations
The Western Bulldogs superstar is working diligently on his rehab as he prepares his body for a return to the field sooner rather than later. As Smith told MH at the Australian F1 Grand Prix last weekend, being away from footy has only deepened his love of the game
How superstar Lenny Kravitz stays ripped as he approaches 60 years old. His body has to be seen to be believed
This total-body burner is a test of endurance, strength and determination. Use these tips to record a sky-high score
Eating all the fat you want sounds like a delicious way to lose the weight – but is it worth sacrificing carbs?
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was a popular Australian Grand Prix winner on Sunday in front of a record crowd. Stewart Bell was there to witness it
After enduring a year that would have broken most people, the surprise star of the Tokyo Olympics and Ralph Lauren Fragrances campaign face is feeling relaxed, confident and determined ahead of the Paris Games. As he tells Men’s Health at this week’s Australian Grand Prix, that’s when he’s at his best