NAIAS - The All New Nissan Titan Pickup truck takes the Truck Trend Pickup of the year award.

• All-new 2017 Nissan TITAN tops Ford, Ram, Toyota, GMC, Honda for prestigious award presented by “the nation’s premier light-truck authority”
• Significant momentum continues for TITAN, winner of ”Full-size Truck of Texas” award and others throughout 2016
• TITAN half-ton – powered by Nissan’s new 390-horsepower 5.6-liter Endurance® V8 engine – projected to be the highest volume model, competing in the heart of the full-size pickup marketplace
• TITAN is integral part of Nissan’s “Year of the Truck” – a celebration of the new TITAN lineup, Armada, Pathfinder, Rogue and more throughout 2016 and early 2017

The all-new 2017 Nissan TITAN full-size pickup is TRUCK TREND’s 2017 Pickup Truck of the Year. 

TRUCK TREND staff, comprised of an elite group of truck experts from across the nation, selected TITAN over seven competitors following a demanding weeklong test comprised of more than 1,200 miles of performance testing, hauling, towing, fuel economy calculation and off-roading. The award was announced in advance of the 2017 North American International 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 the new TITAN lineup, Armada, Pathfinder and Rogue.

“As a born and bred truck enthusiast from Texas, I’ve firmly believed in TITAN from the beginning,” said Fred Diaz, division vice president and general manager, North America Trucks and Light Commercial Vehicles, Nissan North America, Inc. “This TRUCK TREND award – earned from some of the most respected and knowledgeable truck experts in the nation – further proves that this truck is not only a competitor, but a winner. We’re excited and honored to come out on top, especially given the competition in this year’s testing – a very strong list of competitors that we respect greatly.”

TRUCK TREND’s Pickup Truck of the Year award program is an invitation-only shootout open to all-new or significantly revised pickup trucks for the upcoming model year. Vehicles were graded in seven different categories: interior, exterior, functionality, empirical, highway, off-road, and towing and hauling.

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.

“With the launch of the 2017 TITAN, Nissan has set out to redefine themselves as a force in the pickup market,” said TRUCK TREND editor Jason Gonderman. “By combining a richly appointed interior and deep feature set with a stout drivetrain and respectable capabilities, Nissan has reemerged as a player in the half-ton pickup market. Combined with an industry best 5-year/100,000-mile warranty and low cost of entry compared to the competition, Nissan looks to have found the winning combination with the all-new TITAN.”

For the 2017 model year, the Nissan full-size pickup lineup 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 in November were 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 assembled 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.

“TRUCK TREND’s Pickup Truck of the Year award is not determined around a conference room table,” said Sean P. Holman, content director for TEN: The Enthusiast Network’s Truck and Off-Road Group. “This is a real-world evaluation of pickups as seen through the eyes of truck experts and enthusiasts. Anchored in data, the test is conducted across many disciplines by staffers who drive and evaluate trucks every day with a goal of determining which vehicle offers the best pickup truck experience for the money. TRUCK TREND prides itself as being the credible, go-to authority for light-truck reviews and information for the industry.”

In addition to the TRUCK TREND 2017 Pickup Truck of the Year title, 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). TITAN is also one of three finalists for the North American Truck of the Year award.

Nissan has so much confidence in it's commercial vehicle range it has extended its warranty to FIVE years.

• Nissan guarantees the quality of its petrol and diesel Light Commercial Vehicles with a five-year or 100,000 mile Manufacturer Warranty
• Offered on new Nissan LCVs purchased in Europe from 1 September 2015
• Warranty and Roadside Assistance are fully transferable to new owners

Nissan is bringing a market-leading innovation to the Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) market with the introduction of a five year, or 100,000 mile Manufacturer Warranty for its range of petrol and diesel trucks and vans, purchased from 1 September 2015.

Demonstrating the confidence Nissan has in the quality of its award-winning LCV vehicles, the Manufacturer Warranty covers a comprehensive array of component and chassis elements, from powertrain and battery through to paintwork. The warranty even extends to include Nissan Genuine accessories.

Ponz Pandikuthira, Director of Light Commercial Vehicles for Nissan Europe said, “Nissan has a long heritage in LCVs and we intend to grow our presence in this market across Europe. 

Meeting and exceeding the needs and preferences of our customers is a priority. This innovative five year Manufacturer Warranty was developed following in depth research among our LCV customers to understand what they valued most. 

Launching this market-leading LCV warranty is testament to Nissan’s confidence in the quality of our vehicles and the peace of mind we wish to offer our customers across Europe.”

Nissan has one of the widest ranges of LCVs in Europe to include the popular current Navara pick-up and all-new NP300 from early 2016, NV200 and NV400 vans and NT400 Cabstar and NT500 trucks. 

Designed to suit a variety of uses, Nissan’s vans and pick-ups provide cleverly-designed cargo spaces and the latest technological features as options, including rear view camera and NissanConnect Navigation system. 

The LCVs provide for a wide range of applications, with impressive manoeuvrability, high levels of driver comfort and affordable cost of ownership from versatile and durable chassis and cabs.

To find out more about Nissan’s industry leading five year Manufacturer Warranty, go to www.nissan.co.uk or visit your local Nissan LCV dealer. Nissan’s trained LCV specialists will help find the right vehicle to fit any requirements, as well as providing expert servicing and maintenance throughout the lifetime of the vehicle.

Vauxhall stops its lifetime/100,000 miles warranty, in favour of an industry basic, what a surprise.

• New, reinforced 3 year/60k warranty tailor-made for today’s motorists
• Current Lifetime Warranty to finish by end of year
• Full AA cover and extension cost effective options incorporated

Vauxhall Motors has revisited its Lifetime Warranty programme.  From January 2015, all Vauxhall cars and vans will carry a *3 year/60,000 mile warranty with cost effective options for extension.

Tim Tozer, Vauxhall’s Chairman and Managing Director cites the changing ownership landscape and significant investment in new technology as key drivers for the change.  ‘In today’s market, 65% of retail sales are supported by a finance package and within that, over 60% are PCPs. 

This has dramatically changed ownership patterns resulting in fewer customers retaining their cars beyond three years.  Couple this with a €4 billion investment in high technology powertrains and state of the art new products and it no longer makes business sense to invest in 100,000 mile warranty cover. We will continue to focus our investment on providing our customers with a high quality and satisfying experience, both at dealer and company level, throughout their purchase and ownership period.’

Existing vehicles with Lifetime Warranty will continue to be covered for up to 100,000 miles whilst the vehicle remains with the first owner, subject to annual validation.  The new 3 year/60,000 mile transferable warranty is fully competitive with benchmarked competition, includes AA roadside assistance (with Homestart and full European cover) in the first year and is available with cost effective extension options up to 4 and 5 years.

Note: * Vivaro and Movano van warranty is 3 years/100,000 miles.

Subaru excels at Auto Express Driver Power survey

• Subaru dealer network ranked second out of 31 for overall customer satisfaction
• Focus on customer service results in a six-place improvement
• Subaru dealers ranked highly for helpfulness, quality of work and technical knowledge

Subaru UK’s dealer network has again scored highly in the 2013 Auto Express Driver Power survey, further improving its ranking in the influential annual survey of 46,000 UK motorists’ satisfaction in their cars and dealerships.

The results were published in the July 31 issue of the popular weekly motoring magazine.

The 50-strong Subaru dealer network rose from an already creditable eighth place in 2012, up to second in 2013, beating all of its nearest rivals for motorists’ trust in their dealers, and only losing out on the top-spot to luxury car brand Lexus.

Motorists taking part in the survey rated Subaru dealers in particular for ‘helpfulness and attitude’, ‘standard of workmanship’, ‘value for money’ and ‘technical knowledge’.

Overall, 89.28 per cent of Subaru owners were satisfied in their dealer, with one reader explaining that their local dealer was “very courteous, always helpful and keenly priced.”  In Driver Power survey results published earlier in the year, Auto Express listed both the Subaru Legacy and Subaru Forester  in the top 100 most satisfying cars to own according to British motorists.

Steve Fowler, Editor-in-chief of Auto Express commented:  “When it comes to keeping customers satisfied, Subaru dealers certainly know what’s important. They may not have the flashy premises of some rivals, but it’s relationships that matter and Subaru customers really value theirs with their dealers.”

Paul Tunnicliffe, Managing Director of Subaru UK, said of the result: “This result – our highest ever in the Driver Power survey – is testament to the considerable time we've invested on assessing the performance of dealers in after sales care.  We survey every service customer in real time, and so are able to jump on problems before they become an issue.  This result proves the effectiveness of this programme.

“In addition we don’t focus on having expensive, fancy premises to enhance the customer experience; for us its about good technical knowledge and developing relationships with our customers.  A second-place ranking puts our dealers well ahead of many of the prestige car makers and all of the mainstream ones and is proof that the brand holds customer satisfaction close to its heart.”

Every Subaru model is sold with a five-year, 100,000-mile warranty and a 12-year manufacturer anti-corrosion warranty as standard, while all vehicles come equipped with a choice of efficient petrol and diesel Boxer engines and benefit from Subaru’s enviable record for build quality and durability.

Vauxhall's new baby wins another award

Vauxhall’s fashionable A-sector ADAM has scooped the best interior design in a production car award at the Automotive Interiors EXPO 2013.

Beating stiff competition including the Alfa 4C, Jaguar F-Type, Renault Clio and the new Range Rover, Vauxhall’s stylish urban newcomer was selected by a jury of respected motoring journalists from around the world. The award is part of a trade show in Stuttgart, Germany for concepts, materials, surfaces, fabrics and components in vehicle interior equipment.

Elizabeth Wetzel, Interior Design Director for the newcomer, is especially pleased with the Vauxhall ADAM’s victory: “The individualisation of the interior is one of the ADAM’s many outstanding traits. Our small lifestyle car offers almost 82,000 combinations for interior-styling. The EXPO AWARD is a wonderful tribute to the whole Opel/Vauxhall design team.”

With prices starting from £11,255, ADAM introduces unprecedented levels of personalisation into the style-conscious A-segment, giving every customer the chance to create a truly bespoke ADAM reflecting their individual style and personality.

Like all Vauxhalls, ADAM is covered by a Lifetime Warranty up to 100,000 miles.