Nissan's got a monster truck for Latin America

Crain News Service report

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.'s “Frontier Attack” concept vehicle, based on the company's Frontier pick-up, is inspired by extreme monster trucks.

The Attack is the work of Nissan Design Center in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and while it is not slated for distribution in the U.S., it sure turned heads at the International Auto Show of Buenos Aires 2017, held in June in Argentina.

Powered by a 2.3-liter diesel engine, a manual six-speed gearbox and a rear multilink suspension with a rigid axle, Nissan said the truck is intended to handle Latin America's roads and terrain. It achieves maximum torque at lower rpm, with maximum torque between 1,500 and 2,500 rpm.

As was the case with its Kicks Concept in 2015 in Brazil, Nissan said that through the Frontier Attack's unveiling at the auto show, it hoped to find out what Argentineans thought about the truck, setting the basis for a potential production version of the vehicle in the future.

“Those who knew nothing about the project and had never heard of the Frontier Attack named it ‘the beast' when they saw it for the first time — a name that the design team soon adopted,” said Robert Bauer, chief designer of the Nissan design team in Rio de Janeiro. “With its aggressive design inspired by off-road fans in Latin America and imposing ‘monster-trucks,' the Attack is ready to overcome any barrier placed in front of it.”

Among the truck's features are a VDC (vehicle dynamic control) system that helps to improve traction performance and safety on all four wheels, according to Nissan. It continuously monitors steering and brakes, detects over steering or under steering, and reduces engine speed and/or applies the brakes to certain wheels to compensate. It electronically controls the vehicle's traction and prevents it from skidding, overturning or losing control. The VDC system also interacts with other systems such as the anti-lock braking system to improve maneuverability in difficult situations.

The company did not say if or when the truck might be available.

Nissan said its Argentina unit “is getting ready to become an automotive terminal” and will begin production of its NP300 Frontier pickup in 2018 in Santa Isabel in the province of Cordoba. Total investment in the project is $600 million (U.S.), with 1,000 new jobs to be created. With the project, Argentina will join the global NP300 Frontier manufacturing network that currently includes Thailand, Mexico and Spain.

This report recently appeared in Automotive News, a Detroit, Mich.-based sister publication of Tire Business. Some material came from a Nissan press release.