Skip to main content

Nissan's 2016 Titan gets a 5.6-liter gasoline V8 option

2016 Nissan Titan XD
Image used with permission by copyright holder
When the 2016 Nissan Titan was unveiled earlier this year, the big news was the 5.0-liter Cummins diesel V8 available in the XD model. Diesels aren’t very common in half-ton trucks, and Nissan and Cummins still hope this configuration will help distinguish the Titan in a cutthroat segment.

But no modern truck worth its tow hitch is offered with just one engine option. So alongside the diesel, Nissan will offer a more conventional 5.6-liter gasoline V8 in its overhauled pickup. Built in Tennessee, this second engine will become available next spring.

Recommended Videos

The gasoline V8 should look familiar to owners of the previous-generation Titan, as it shares displacement and other characteristics with the sole engine offered in that truck. But for 2016 it gets a significant bump in power, producing 390 horsepower and 401 pound-feet of torque, compared to the 317 hp and 385 lb-ft of the previous version. That’s thanks in part to direct injection, and a higher compression ratio.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Nissan will pair the 5.6-liter V8 with a seven-speed automatic transmission. The 5.0-liter Cummins diesel V8 gets a six-speed automatic. That engine, by the way, produces 310 hp and 555 lb-ft of torque, and could return better fuel economy. Buyers will have to decide exactly what they want from their trucks when choosing between gasoline and diesel: the gas engine will probably be better at highway cruising, but the diesel’s torque and presumed fuel efficiency might make it a more practical choice.

Of course, pricing will also be a major factor, and Nissan won’t discuss that until closer to the gasoline engine’s launch next year. Nissan plans to offer the Titan with three cab configurations, two frame sizes, and three powertrain options. That means there’s still one more engine yet to be revealed. Most manufacturers offer a smaller V6 engine in base models, so perhaps Nissan will go that route too.

The availability of a wider variety of powertrain and body configurations will likely be as important to the Titan’s success as any specific feature, including the pair of V8 engines. Sales kick off this month with the diesel Titan XD crew cab.

Stephen Edelstein
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
Digital Trends’ Top Tech of CES 2025 Awards
Top Tech of CES

Las Vegas is overrun. Every billboard in town is shouting about AI, hotel bar tops now sport a sea of laptops, and after hours The Strip is elbow to elbow with engineers toting yard-long beers.

That means CES, the year’s biggest tech bacchanalia, has come to town, and Digital Trends editors have spent the last four days frolicking among next year’s crop of incredible TVs, computers, tablets, and EVs. We’re in heaven.

Read more
Sony and Honda’s Afeela 1 EV makes more sense at CES than in the real world
Afeela 1 front quarter view.

The Sony car is almost here. After its creation via a joint venture with Honda in 2022 and two years’ worth of prototypes, the electronics giant’s Afeela brand is finally taking reservations for its first electric vehicle, with deliveries scheduled to start in 2026.

But will it be worth the wait? Coinciding with the opening of reservations, Sony Honda Mobility brought updated prototypes of the Afeela 1 (as it’s now officially known) to CES 2025, representing what California customers (Afeela is only taking reservations in that state) who put down a $200 refundable deposit can expect when they take delivery.

Read more
Bose wants to dominate car audio, and I heard its next-gen 3D automotive speakers
Bose logo on a speaker grille

Bose’s automotive audio business is huge, and it’s set to get even bigger. The company has been making big plays in car audio for some time now. The audio company works with premium brands like Porsche, building high-end speakers that allow drivers to experience high-quality audio on the road, whether they’re carting the family around in an Escalade or weaving around the highway (don’t do that) in a Porsche Macan.

But while it has a solid selection of audio brands under its belt, the world of personal audio is also evolving. Mercedes-Benz showed off its Dolby Atmos system at CES last year, and now, a year later, plenty of other brands are joining the trend. At CES 2025, Bose walked me through its current lineup of automotive audio products, as well as a sneak peek of what’s to come.
Immersive audio
The big trend in all areas of personal audio right now essentially boils down to supporting 3D audio formats like Dolby Atmos. Consumer home theater products are increasingly offering up-firing and side-firing speakers that can bounce audio around the room to simulate height and surround effects, while headphone brands are increasingly developing spatialized audio tech that can convert stereo audio into simulated spatial audio.

Read more