Nissan may have made significant updates
to the 2020 Frontier midsize pickup but the truth is the second-generation
model has been on borrowed time for many years now. Thankfully, an all-new
model is on the way and today we bring you the first look at a 2021 Nissan
Frontier test prototype featuring the final production body. Sure, it’s
completely covered in camouflage as you would expect, but the bodywork appears
to be the real deal.
Spotted somewhere in the United States,
the 2021 Frontier looks a bit more modern than the outgoing model, boasting an
angular, square-hipped shape, a higher-set hood and more upright front end. We
can also see more details of the surface development applied to the new
Frontier’s design. This particular prototype doesn’t feature the distinctive
LED headlight signature teased in Nissan’s video back in May, so we can assume
it’s a lower-trim, work model featuring non-LED headlights. Out back, the
vertical taillights are partially camouflaged so we can’t tell whether they
feature LEDs or not.
We already know what’s under the hood, as
Nissan has confirmed a new 3.8-liter V6 engine for the all-new Frontier. Rated
at 310 HP and 381 Nm of torque, the new power plant is mated to an
equally new nine-speed automatic transmission. The gearbox replaces both the
five-speed auto and five-speed manual units available in the current Frontier.
Rear-wheel drive will be standard while an
all-wheel-drive system with an electronically controlled transfer case will be
optional. Nissan has promised “improved fuel economy and emissions performance”
for the new powertrain but has yet to release numbers. The automaker has also
announced that the new Frontier will offer similar levels of comfort and
refinement as its U.S. rivals, even going as far as not ruling out a
performance-oriented model.
The unveiling of the next-generation
Nissan Frontier was originally expected late this year as a 2021 model, with
the first deliveries following in February 2021. It remains to be seen if the
coronavirus pandemic and its effects on the auto industry will delay the new
Frontier and have Nissan launch it a 2022 model.
