2022 Nissan Frontier gets a new look and more technology

After 17 years of faithful service, it’s time to say goodbye to the old Nissan Frontier. Making its debut on Thursday, the brand-new 2022 Frontier is a midsize pickup that should still appeal to people who enjoyed the basic transport of old model trucks, offering enough modern conveniences to satisfy all technicians.

First of all, this truck looks great. Nissan looked at its 1980s Hardbody truck to give the new Frontier some personality and, we have to say, it works completely. The new Frontier is a little longer than the previous model, adding about 5 inches, most of it to the front of the panel. Even so, the 126-inch frontier wheelbase of the old Frontier remains the same. We’re all here for the new front panel with its LED block headlights, and we like how the bumper pulls away to reveal more of the tires. The sculpted, cushioned tailgate has a place for stamping “Frontier” on laminated metal, and the nameplate spans the entire width of the truck.

The 2022 Frontier will be available in the S, SV, Pro-4X and Pro-X versions – more about the latter in a minute. Crew and King Cab body styles will be available with a choice of bed lengths from 1.5 to 1.8 m. Note that the Pro-4X model is the one with details in Lava Red, LED front lighting and black painted grid. The rest of the Frontier line will not have these subtleties.

Nissan launched the new Frontier engine in the old truck, so we already know what we’re going to do here. The 2022 Frontier has a 3.8-liter V6 with 310 horsepower and 281 pound-feet of torque. Power reaches the ground through a nine-speed automatic transmission. And no, a manual transmission is not offered.

In terms of power, Frontier outperforms many of its main competitors. The Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon twins offer 308 hp and 275 lb-ft of their 3.6-liter V6, and the Toyota Tacoma has 278 hp and 265 lb-ft of its 3.5-liter V6. The Ford Ranger’s 2.3-liter I4 turbo has 270 hp, but outperforms other trucks with torque, offering a healthy 310 lb-ft.

The new Frontier has a maximum payload rating of 1,610 pounds and a maximum trailer rating of 6,720 pounds. That load number exceeds the Chevrolet Colorado and Ford Ranger, but the Frontier cannot compete with both in terms of towing. The Tacoma has some configurations that can tow and transport more than the Nissan, but in general the Frontier stands out competitively within the class. Trailer swing control is standard.

The Frontier should be a little more pleasant to drive in 2022, thanks to the new hydraulic cabin supports on the chassis, which, according to Nissan, reduce road vibration by 80% compared to the old truck. The Frontier has a larger front anti-roll bar and a new rear anti-roll bar for better handling, and the power steering ratio has been increased by 16%. Overall, these appear to be some organized updates that should improve the ways on the Frontier road.

As for off-road, Nissan still doesn’t have complete engineering specifications, so we don’t have important information like ground clearance or approach and exit angles. What we do know is that the Pro-4X will only be offered with four-wheel drive, Bilstein shock absorbers, skids in the front, a two-speed transfer box and, of course, a rear locking differential. Hankook’s 265/70 series all-terrain tires involve 17-inch wheels. A new off-road mode on the 360-degree camera works at low speeds, while in the low range of four-wheel drive, to give drivers a view of rocks and other obstacles around them.

The aforementioned Pro-X finish, however, only comes with two-wheel drive. Nissan says this is for the customer who wants the Pro-4X’s rugged appearance, but does not need off-road capability. Bilstein shock absorbers and the front sliding plate are part of the package, but that’s it.

Hill start assistance is standard on all Frontiers and downhill control comes on all four-wheel drive models. If you want to improve your equipment, Nissan’s Nismo division will offer a large number of parts for the 2022 Frontier, including suspension upgrades, lighting, handrails and roof racks and tents.

As for the interior, it looks normal for the class. As expected, the new Frontier is far ahead of its predecessor, but the design still favors function over form. Of course, the Pro-4X has a lot of details of Lava Red, and that’s fine and all, but don’t expect anything luxurious. Honestly, though, the same can be said of just about any medium-sized truck. The car-based Honda Ridgeline is truly the only one with a chic cabin.

Storage, at least, is plentiful, with 4 liters of volume on the center console, 5.7 liters in the rear door pockets and 6.5 liters in the front door pockets. In addition, there is a small cubicle on top of the dashboard and storage under the rear seats. Nissan’s super-comfortable Zero Gravity seats are also supplied as standard in all finishes. The Pro-4X features an embossed pattern on the seats that reminds us of a Navajo blanket and, honestly, we hope it doesn’t apply to the rest of the line. It’s a little too much.

The Frontier finally arrives in time with a standard 8 inch touch screen running the NissanConnect infotainment system complemented by Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Drivers can opt for a larger 9-inch touchscreen and wireless charging is available on the Pro-4X and Pro-X. As for the other charging options, the front seats have a USB-A port and a USB-C port, along with two 12-volt outlets. The rear of the King Cab has no outlet except for a 110-volt, 400-watt plug, but the Crew Cab has two additional USBs. There is a second socket on the bed for tools, blenders, whatever you want.

Nissan’s Safety Shield 360 suite offers an impressive amount of safety technology, with things like blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking and rear cross traffic alert with automatic rear braking. The fact is that everything is optional. Many of these features are standard on the Honda Ridgeline, Ford Ranger and Toyota Tacoma. Adaptive cruise control is also available on the Frontier, but it is an extra add-on in the Safety Shield package.

If you’re looking for Nissan’s handy ProPilot traffic assistance system, keep looking. Nissan says its Frontier buyers are not really interested in having the truck control the steering, acceleration and braking of traffic to and from, but it would not make a difference anyway, since the ProPilot requires electric power steering, which Frontier does not have.

We are still waiting for official prices and fuel economy data, but Nissan says the Frontier should average about 20 miles per gallon with two-wheel drive and 19 mpg with four-wheel drive, just like the current Frontier . We will have the final details of the MSRP closer to when the Frontier arrives to dealers this summer.