Pickup trucks are increasingly diverse. A handful of electric pickup trucks are pending and more compact selections for consumers who want pickup truck versatility but don’t necessarily want a pickup truck are now on the roads.
Nissan is also planning its next pickup truck expansion while looking back into the future via three concepts.
The names? Project Hardbody, Project 72X and the Project Adventure. The three concepts made their debuts at the recently concluded Chicago Auto Show.
The Project Hardbody concept, and homage to the late-1980s Nissan Hardbody, sports a set of wheels inspired by the Desert Runner pickup of similar vintage.
Features include a 3-in. (76-mm) lift kit with adjustable upper control arms and overfenders from the current PRO-4X model.
Classic Hardbody features include block-style wheels with 33-inch tires, sport bar with rectangular LED lights, and blacked-out front end and door graphics with ’80s-style shadow outlining.
The Project 72X recalls the Datsun 720 pickup with white wheels and 1970s-inspired body side graphics.
The Project Adventure is the more modern of the three and is aimed at over-landing enthusiasts. It features a 5-in. (128-mm) lift kit, 34-inch mud-terrain tires, Yakima bed rack system and a Yakima LoadWarrior roof basket. A sky tent and Bluetooth bed audio system by KICKER and carbon-fiber snorkel designed by NDA are also included.
Like all concepts, the future of Nissan’s new trio of adventure trucks is unknown.
James Raia, a syndicated columnist in Sacramento, California, publishes a free weekly automotive podcast and electronic newsletter. Sign-ups are available on his website, www.theweeklydriver.com. He can be reached via email: james@jamesraia.com.
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Nissan needs to concentrate on fuel economy before thinking off road capabilities.
At the probable price, these have become very expensive toys. My Nissan Frontier (2010) is perfect and did not coast a fortune. It can also do the type of work that I need done. Hauling the lawn mower to the shop is a perfect example.
We’ve had Frontiers since 2015. They’re going to have to do a lot more than basically ‘prettify’ it to get me to upgrade.
Diesel power in the future?