Nissan "Slashes" Titan Pickup Truck Production

[Perian]

Link: http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/art...602170370/1148

Christine Tierney / The Detroit News

Saddled with large inventories of light trucks, Japanese automaker Nissan Motor Co. has cut back production of the large Titan pickup and big sport utility vehicles built at its U.S. plants.

Last month, Nissan slashed output of the Titan at its Canton, Miss., plant by 29 percent, to 5,680 vehicles.

Three years ago, Nissan anticipated that it would be producing more than 8,000 Titans a month on average at the plant to sell more than 100,000 a year.

[Perian]

No doubt those Titan shoppers are waiting for the 2007 Silverado and Sierra...

[CarShark]

Originally Posted by Perian

No doubt those Titan shoppers are waiting for the 2007 Silverado and Sierra...

...and the Tundra, too. This time next year the truck market will be even more competitive. I just find it funny (strange funny, not ha-ha funny) that the truck that has won most every truck comparison is doing so poorly.

[Arizona Slim]

There's a dark cloud forming over Nissan, and the press is reluctant to say anything about it yet. Quality problems and low-grade interiors are starting to catch up with them now that their exterior designs have lost the wow factor.

[Tanner03]

Arizona SlimThere's a dark cloud forming over Nissan, and the press is reluctant to say anything about it yet. Quality problems and low-grade interiors are starting to catch up with them now that their exterior designs have lost the wow factor.



Very True! Plus the brake issue which i know hurt there first go at things.

[mbukukanyau]

At least Nissan Helps its models with new interiors when they need help, Like the Quest and Altima got help.
When Will GM help the G6 and Malibu? will G6 be force to limp with that center console to its death, until they be forced to bring back the Grand Am? becouse the G6 name is tarnished?

The Before this restyle this Ultima interior was worse than Malibu

[Arizona Slim]

Originally Posted by mbukukanyau

At least Nissan Helps its models with new interiors when they need help, Like the Quest and Altima got help.
When Will GM help the G6 and Malibu? will G6 be force to limp with that center console to its death, until they be forced to bring back the Grand Am? becouse the G6 name is tarnished?

I didn't mean to imply that GM is any better. But don't be too impressed with Nissan's redesigned interiors. I've driven pretty much everything on the Nissan lot recently, and across the board their interiors are constructed of very thin, low-grade plastics. It looks good in pictures, but up close its obvious cost cutting.

[mbukukanyau]

Originally Posted by Arizona Slim

I didn't mean to imply that GM is any better. But don't be too impressed with Nissan's redesigned interiors. I've driven pretty much everything on the Nissan lot recently, and across the board their interiors are constructed of very thin, low-grade plastics. It looks good in pictures, but up close its obvious cost cutting.

I agree totally. I think Nissan recent success was driven not by any solid longterm products but, by bold designs.. once their sizzle fizzles, their inferiority becomes apparent, they will sink...
I wonder what Gnosh will do...
I however respect their trying to improve, even in midlife cycle.. Talk of a midlife Crisis.. if they cannot sell those trucks, their Tennessee plant will not be able to pay for itself
Perhaps they should build their Global products like the Nissan Patrol there

[TiburonJT]

Uh oh - another sign that Toyota will take over the world.

Although I like a lot of Nissan vehicles, I agree that their interiors from 2000 or so to present have often been very cheap.

[Arizona Slim]

It goes to show what striking designs can do. People will forgive a lot of shortcomings in a car they really want.

[mbukukanyau]

Originally Posted by Arizona Slim

It goes to show what striking designs can do. People will forgive a lot of shortcomings in a car they really want.

The problem however after the initial momentum is to keep that momentum going

[69Firebird400]

Originally Posted by Arizona Slim

It goes to show what striking designs can do. People will forgive a lot of shortcomings in a car they really want.

Agreed...for me, the interior quality didn't get me into a Pathfinder, but the vehicle's packaging, interior space, and powertrain did. The styling also helped. On paper, a Pilot would have probably been a better choice, but I couldn't stand the way they looked. Everytime I looked at the Pathfinder I liked it more, and everytime I looked at a Pilot, I liked it less.

Nissan's plant in Mississippi is killing their quality scores. I think a car can sell if it has any number of:

- striking design
- good interior materials
- quality reputation
- good performance

Nissan is starting to get the reputation of only having 50% of those four. Like Arizona Slim said, their designs aren't making the impact that they did a few years ago as most manufacturers have raised the bar on design, and now they're basically re-hashing designs that had been popular (see the Infiniti Coupe concept in Detroit last month, or the current X-Terra versus the first generation one).

[01cavalier]

Guess it isn't as great of a sell as they expected. It is an ugly truck, not many people looking at it at the auto shows.

[drew770]

Both GM and Ford should take note how tough the large truck market is. The Titan was and still is a great truck. It might have a cheap interior but so does GMs current truck offerings.
Fans are extremely loyal and both GM and Ford has to continue to raise the bar of excellence to keep Nissan and Toyota at bay.

The same way the Titan sales has proven to be soft is the same thing GM needs to worry about with it's mid car offerings which the Malibu and G6 are both good cars but just not good enough and in order to crack the loyality of import buyers GM and Ford both have to give the consumers much more than what they expect from a Chevy or Ford.

[SSrevolution]

This proves it. The new Tundra will be a dud. Think about it.
The Titan for awhile was literally the best 1/2 ton truck (with exception of configurations, cabs, beds, etc) And it still is a disappointment. The Ridgeline is a slow seller. And even if Toyota makes the Tundra with HD and work truck configurations, it will still not be well recieved. Even if it is "better."