How did Nissan manage to land Cummins for the new Titan?

When there are established players in a given segment, it’s difficult for an “outsider” to enter. While Nissan is by no means an outsider in the automotive industry, it certainly could stand to gain some ground in the full-size truck segment. That may be happening soon, thanks to the introduction of the 5.0-liter Cummins turbo diesel engine. The 2015 Nissan Titan will have this engine option that was previously only offered by Ram. So why is the Cummins diesel engine coming to Nissan? It was an interesting series of events.

Why is the Cummins Diesel engine coming to Nissan?

While there is a lot of speculation on how Nissan got the exclusive Cummins engine deal, there are some facts to consider. The Chrysler corporation recently was completely taken over by Fiat interest to form Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. So it’s no surprise that shortly after Fiat became involved, the Ram brand dumped the Cummins diesel in favor of an Italian diesel engine from VM Motori.

Interestingly, while Chevy, Ford and Ram are considered the “American options” in the full-size truck market, having a Cummins diesel should give the Titan a little more credibility with the domestic crowd – especially since the engine and truck will both be built right here in America. So really, the Nissan Titan Diesel will be one of the most American trucks on the market when you look at it that way.

Oh yeah, and there’s the awesome power that the vehicle will produce. American truck buyers love performance, and the Titan Diesel will have it in spades. The 5.0 Cummins is expected to be able to produce approximately 300 horsepower and 550 lb-ft of torque. This should allow the truck to offer up towing capability of 20,000 lbs.

Show us a truck lover that wouldn’t love those numbers! As always, keep it tuned here for more information on the newest Titan. It’s also no secret that the new Frontier will be equipped with a Cummins.