Nissan Hardbody Trucks were the successor to the Datsun 720 line of small trucks. The truck's name, "Hardbody", refers to its double-wall bed and overall styling. The Hardbody was produced for the U.S. Market from 1986 until 1997, and were direct competition to the Toyota mini pickup. The old to new Nissan body style changed in mid-year 1986, so the new 'D21' 1986 Hardbody trucks are referred to as 1986.5; they can be distinguished from the early 720 body by their two large headlights rather than four smaller. The D21 Hardbody was a close relative of the Pathfinder.
In the US, the Hardbody cab styles were 'Standard' and 'King' (also known as 'Extended'). Bed lengths were 'standard' 6-foot (2 m) and 'long' seven foot. International markets also received the 'Crew Cab' (4-door) version with a short four and a half foot bed. Both 4 and 6 cylinder engines were available, with the 2.4L 4 cylinder KA24E being a respectable-performance SOHC engine that replaced the Z24 for 1990-1997. The 6 cylinder 3.0L VG30E engine increased power and torque only modestly, and was not available on all the Hardbody variations. Five-speed, including overdrive, manual transmissions were the most common, but an automatic transmission was available for some configurations. Both rear wheel drive (4x2) and four wheel drive (4x4) versions were made in quantity. Major options included air conditioning, larger wheels/tires, sliding rear window, radios, and rear bumper. There were several trims available including base, XE, and top of the line SE. A driver's side airbag was added for 1996 while rear wheel ABS came only with 4WD models.
These low-cost, dependable Hardbody small pickup trucks sold very well worldwide, and are still often seen both on-road and off-road. They are renowned for their reliability and endurance, with the exception of body panel and frame rust over time.
They are still available new in Mexico as the Nissan Camiones.
Nissan Hardbody
Manufacturer
Nissan
Also called
Nissan Hustler, Nissan Camiones
Production
1986-1997
Assembly
Smyrna, Tennessee
Kyūshū, Japan
Predecessor
Datsun 720
Successor
Nissan Frontier
Class
Compact pickup truck (1986-1997)
Body style(s)
2-door and 4 door truck
Layout
Front engine, rear-wheel drive / four-wheel drive
Engine(s)
2.4L 106 hp I4 (1986-1990)
3.0L 145 hp V6 (1986-1990)
2.4L 134 hp I4 (1991-1997)
3.0L 153 hp V6 (1991-1997)
Transmission(s)
4-speed automatic
4-speed manual
5-speed manual
Wheelbase
104.3 in (2649 mm)
116.1 in (2949 mm)
Length
174.6 in (4435 mm)
190 in (4826 mm)
195.5 in (4966 mm)
Width
65 in (1651 mm)
66.5 in (1689 mm)
Height
62.4 in (1585 mm)
62 in (1574.8 mm)
66.7 in (1694 mm)
67.1 in (1704 mm)
Related
Nissan Pathfinder
Nissan Hardbody Truck with second facelift
The Nissan Frontier, which is also known as the Navara in other parts of the world such as Australia, is a pickup truck made by Nissan. Nissan was the pioneer of the compact pickup truck market in 1959, joined in the 1960s by Toyota. Since 1959, Nissan is known for a number of notable firsts in the compact pickup truck market, including the first extended cab body style (in the 1976 Nissan King Cab) and the first crew cab compact pickup in North America, in the 2000 Frontier. Frontiers are currently built in Smyrna, Tennessee, like its immediate predecessor, the Nissan Hardbody Truck.
Contents
1 First Generation
1.1 Frontier Bravado
2 Second Generation
3 References
4 External links
First Generation
First generation
Also called
Nissan Frontier Bravado
Production
1998-present
Assembly
Smyrna, Tennessee
Curitiba, Brazil
Santa Rosa, Laguna, Luzon, Philippines
Engine(s)
3.3L 210 hp V6
3.4L 170 hp V6
3.3L 170 hp V6
2.4L 143 hp I4
2.7L 84 hp l4 Diesel
Transmission(s)
4-speed automatic
4-speed manual
5-speed manual
Wheelbase
King Cab: 116.1 in (2949 mm)
Regular Cab: 104.3 in (2649 mm)
Crew Cab: 131.1 in (3330 mm)
Length
1998-2002 King Cab: 196.1 in (4981 mm)
Regular Cab: 184.3 in (4681 mm)
1998-2002 Crew Cab: 193.1 in (4905 mm)
2003-04 King Cab: 202.9 in (5154 mm)
2003-04 Crew Cab: 199.9 in (5077 mm)
2003-04 Crew Cab Long Bed: 217.8 in (5532 mm)
Width
2WD: 66.5 in (1689 mm)
4WD & 2001-02 Desert Runner, Crew Cab 2WD & King Cab 2WD: 71.9 in (1826 mm)
2003-04: 71.2 in (1808 mm)
2003-04 King Cab 2WD: 67.7 in (1720 mm)
Height
1998-2002 King Cab 2WD: 62.6 in (1590 mm)
King Cab 4WD & 2001-02 Desert Runner, Crew Cab 2WD & King Cab 2WD: 65.9 in (1674 mm)
1998-2000 Regular Cab 2WD: 62.5 in (1588 mm)
1998-2002 XE Regular Cab 2WD: 62.8 in (1595 mm)
1998-2000 Regular Cab 4WD: 66.1 in (1679 mm)
2003-04 King Cab 4WD & XE 2WD: 66.7 in (1694 mm)
2003-04 Crew Cab 4WD: 67.1 in (1704 mm)
2003-04 SVE & SC Long Bed Crew Cab 4WD: 71.8 in (1824 mm)
2003-04 King Cab 2WD: 63.2 in (1605 mm)
SC 2WD: 69.9 in (1775 mm)
The Frontier – which is the American name for the model known as the Navara in most parts of the world – was introduced in 1997 for the 1998 model year as a replacement for the aging 1986.5–1997 Nissan Hardbody Truck. Nissan first offered the Frontier with a 4-cylinder engine, the KA24DE, but added the 6-cylinder engine, the VG33E in 1999.
That changed, with the introduction of the 2000 Frontier Crew Cab. The Crew Cab was the first compact pickup to offer a 4-door body-style in North America. Until that point, crew cabs were heavy duty versions of full-size trucks and were mainly used as commercial vehicles, although four-door compact pickups existed in Asia and Europe for decades.
For 2001, Nissan facelifted the Frontier, introducing bolder styling in an effort to make it more appealing to younger buyers. The Frontier was completely redone after the 2004 model year, which later resulted in the suspension of the regular cab model, indefinitely.
Frontier Bravado
In the Philippines, the Bravado is still under production in Nissan's Santa Rosa, Laguna plant. It is powered by Nissan's TD27 l4 direct injection diesel engine that produces 84 horsepower and 176nm of torque and mated with a 5–speed manual transmission. It features sturdy cargo hooks to secure cargo in place, a double–walled tailgate that is strong enough to slide in heavy cargo to the trucks bed, a divider well to separate cargo, and a sturdy frame guard to tie down and secure cargo in place. For durability, this model is equipped with double–walled rear side panels for demanding work. The Bravado is offered as an utilitarian, workhorse vehicle and is not equipped with 4WD.
Second Generation
Second generation
Production
2005-present
Assembly
Smyrna, Tennessee
Curitiba, Brazil
Platform
Nissan F-Alpha platform
Engine(s)
4.0L 265 hp V6
2.5L 154 hp I4
Transmission(s)
5-speed automatic
5-speed manual
6-speed manual
Wheelbase
125.9 in (3198 mm)
Length
205.5 in (5220 mm)
Width
72.8 in (1849 mm)
Height
XE King Cab: 68.7 in (1745 mm)
SE King Cab: 69.7 in (1770 mm)
Crew Cab: 70.1 in (1781 mm)
:LE Crew Cab 2WD: 73.9 in (1877 mm)
Related
Infiniti QX56
Nissan Armada
Nissan Pathfinder
Nissan Titan
Nissan Xterra
Suzuki Equator
Initially, the Frontier was considered a compact, but beginning with the totally redesigned model year 2005 Frontier (introduced at the 2004 North American International Auto Show), it became more mid-sized. It uses the new Nissan F-Alpha platform and exterior body styling resembles that of the company's full-size Nissan Titan truck.
The new truck's wheelbase is 125.9 in (3.20 m) with a 205.5 in (5.22 m) overall length. Towing capacity is 6500 lb (2,950 kg). A 4.0 L VQ-family V6, the VQ40DE, is the standard engine, and it produces a respectable 265 hp (198 kW) with 284 ft·lbf (385 N·m) of torque. Also available is the QR25DE four-cylinder engine, which is also found in the Sentra SE-R Spec V sports sedan. A six-speed manual is standard with a five-speed automatic optional. Both rear and four-wheel drive are available. Traction control and hill-descent control are also available.
The Frontier is called Navara when sold in Europe. The engine is a 2.5 L diesel, with 144 hp or 174 hp. The stronger version has a massive 403 Nm of torque.
Suzuki will market an as-of-yet unnamed Frontier-based mid-sized pickup that will be produced by Nissan North America at the Smyrna plant.[1]
References
CanadianDriver Communications, Inc. (2004). 2005 Nissan Frontier is bigger and more capable than predecessor. Retrieved January 11, 2004 from http://www.canadiandriver.com/news/040106-2.htm
^ Suzuki Auto Announces Plans for Pickup Truck Built by Nissan North America, Business Wire, December 11, 2007
