USA - The all-new 2017 Nissan TITAN full-size pickup has been named one of three finalists for 2017 North American Truck of the Year.

• Nissan TITAN announced as one of three finalists for prestigious award
• Nomination of new TITAN half-ton model follows last year's TITAN XD consideration
• All-new TITAN projected to be the highest volume model, competing in the heart of the full-size pickup marketplace
• New model introductions are part of Nissan's "Year of the Truck" – a celebration of Nissan's new TITAN lineup, Armada, Pathfinder and more throughout 2016

The all-new 2017 Nissan TITAN full-size pickup has been named one of three finalists for 2017 North American Truck of the Year (NATOY), an annual award selected by an independent, self-funded jury made up of a group of automotive journalists from across the United States and Canada. 

The announcement was made this morning by NATOY judges as part of a Motor Press Guild (MPG) breakfast at the 2016 Los Angeles Auto Show.

The 2017 TITAN, which is on sale now at Nissan dealers nationwide, is an integral part of Nissan's "Year of the Truck" – honoring the launch of a range of new or refreshed Nissan trucks, SUVs and CUVs, including Pathfinder, Rogue, Armada and TITAN.

The new TITAN is covered by Nissan's recently announced "America's Best Truck Warranty"¹ – featuring bumper-to-bumper coverage of 5-years/100,000-miles, whichever comes first. Vehicles covered by the new warranty, which includes basic and powertrain coverage, include all TITAN V8 gasoline-powered models and diesel and V8 gasoline-powered 2017 TITAN XD models.

Now in its 24th year, the NATOY jury selected the finalists from a list of trucks that set new benchmarks in the classes in which they compete. The jurors evaluated TITAN and other semi-finalists on the ballot based on factors including: value for the dollar, innovation, handling, performance, safety and driver satisfaction.

"For Nissan to be nominated for this prestigious award two years in a row – first the revolutionary TITAN XD and now the high volume TITAN half-ton, is an honor for the thousands of Nissan employees all over America who put their hearts and souls into its development and assembly," said Fred Diaz, division vice president and general manager, North America Trucks and Light Commercial Vehicles, Nissan North America, Inc. "We're looking forward to a positive result this January when the North American Truck of the Year is announced."

For the 2017 model year, the Nissan full-size pickup lineup has expanded with the arrival of the TITAN half-ton. Powered by Nissan's new 390-horsepower 5.6-liter Endurance® V8 engine, the TITAN half-ton was first available in a roomy Crew Cab body, in both 4x4 and 4x2 configurations and in five well-equipped grade levels: S, SV, PRO-4X, SL and Platinum Reserve. Officially added to the lineup just this month are the 2017 TITAN and TITAN XD Single Cab models, while a King Cab variant, along with a V6 engine, will follow at later dates.

Like the TITAN XD, the new TITAN half-ton was developed with core Nissan planning, design, engineering and manufacturing teams contributing from Tennessee, California, Michigan, Arizona and Mississippi. The TITAN half-ton is assembled in Canton, Mississippi, with its V8 engines built in Decherd, Tennessee.

The 2017 TITAN Crew Cab half-ton's standard 5.5-foot bed is designed to work hard and play hard, with a wide range of available functionality features. Nissan's popular Utili-track® Bed Channel System, which made its industry-first debut on the original TITAN, features four heavy-duty aluminum alloy cleats that move and lock anywhere along the walls, as well as bed floor and header tracks that give the user endless tie-down possibilities.

Other TITAN bed features include the popular spray-on bedliner, flush-mounted LED bedrail lighting, cargo and tailgate lamps, 120-volt in-bed access and a damped tailgate that is light to lift and smoothly damped when lowering.

2017 TITAN models were recently named "Full-size Truck of Texas," "Commercial Vehicle of Texas" and "Best Value" by the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA), and given an "Extreme Off-Road" title by journalists participating in the Active Lifestyle Vehicle Awards (ALV).