It’s hard to put the 2020 Nissan Frontier into context in an auto industry that moves quickly from trend to trend. Since it was first sold in the United States as a 1998 model, it has gone through two generations (1998 – 2004, 2005 – 2020). This pace of development is glacial, especially in a segment as freshly competitive as the mid-size pickup truck class, where the second-generation Frontier lives. Every other mid-size pickup has been updated in the past three years: Toyota Tacoma, Ford Ranger, GMC Canyon/Chevrolet Colorado and Honda Ridgeline, leaving Frontier in the past.
Nissan says the “2020 Frontier lays the groundwork for the next-generation Frontier,” which is planned to debut as a 2021 model. In essence, the 2020 Frontier will be a restomod – a legacy design fitted with a next-generation powertrain.
The new powertrain is a 3.8-liter direct-injection V6 gasoline engine (310 hp/281 lb-ft of torque), mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission with standard rear-wheel drive (four-wheel drive available with a shift-on-the-fly transfer case). Gone is the base four-cylinder model; gone is the manual transmission. Fuel economy is estimated by the EPA to be 18 mpg city/24 mpg highway/20 mpg combined (4×2); 17 mpg city/23 mpg highway/19 mpg combined (4×4) – a healthy increase over the outgoing 4.0-liter V6 engine, and nearly as efficient as the outgoing 2.5-liter four-cylinder Frontier. Prices will go up about $2,000 for equivalent 2020 models over 2019 models; the spread between the lease expensive models, a 2019 base King Cab 4×2 I-4 with a five-speed manual transmission ($19,290) and a 2020 S King Cab 4×2 V6 with a nine-speed automatic transmission ($26,790) raises the price of admission by $7,500, dropping the bargain models from the lineup entirely.
Which kind of messes up the strategy of this transitional Frontier, if the idea is to catapult the Nissan pickup into the lead, or at least into the center, of the midsize pickup conversation. One of the virtues of the Frontier has been price. For 2020, it goes from lowest starting price to highest starting price for a midsize truck (except for the Honda Ridgeline, an outlier entry), ceding the bargain base price to the Chevrolet Colorado at $21,300.
Of course, Frontier has more to offer than just a new engine and transmission. Built in Canton, Mississippi, Frontier is a solid truck, with a fully boxed ladder frame. Thanks to periodic facelifts during this second-generation run, the truck is good-looking and pleasantly fresh. My test vehicle was a PRO-4X Crew Cab model, and had a nice stance thanks to the slight lift from the trim level’s Bilstein Off-Road High Pressure Shocks and 16-inch Off-Road Design alloy wheels. Double-wishbone independent front suspension and a solid rear axle with multi-leaf suspension is totally appropriate for the Frontier.
Inside, time hasn’t been quite as kind to Frontier, especially when it comes to infotainment and advanced driver assistance systems. The 5.8-inch color touchscreen display at the top of the center stack, standard on PRO-4X, is smaller than the screen on my smartphone, and proved challenging to use as a visual aid for navigation. Features that I’ve started to take for granted, like blind-spot warning system and active cruise control, are not available on Frontier, making it feel a little dated. I also noticed that Frontier’s turning circle felt abnormally wide at 43.33 feet. I had to make two runs at perpendicular parking in grocery store lots almost every try (grocery stores being the only place I park during this pandemic lockdown).
I can understand why some buyers have stuck with Frontier through the years. The truck has earned a reputation as a workhorse. During a quick search of used car sales sites, I found dozens of good-looking examples with over 200,000 miles on the clock, and even some with over 300,000 miles that looked ready-to-drive. The new V6 and nine-speed transmission will benefit from this reputation, but as of yet are unproven over the distance, so bear that in mind.
Even though I like the improved power and efficiency of the new engine, my recommendation would be either wait for the 2021 Nissan Frontier and see how it’s changed, or search for a leftover or a lightly used 2019 Frontier on a dealer’s lot rather than buying a 2020 Nissan Frontier.
