GMC vs Nissan diesel

ksss wrote:
I think Nissan honestly should have picked a different motor. The specs they have necessitate serious running gear. The Cummins has very close to the same spec as an LB7 Duramax. All the HD running gear adds weight and the powerful engine reduces mpg, and yet the 1500 specs payload doesn't allow for a payback. So there you are, a pretty narrow band of buyers. Basically anyone that wants a diesel half ton, that has torque and hp specs like an older 3/4 but only half ton tow specs, you have your pickup. They could put a full floating axle under it, call it 2500, turn the motor up a bit and enter the HD market. That might result in more sales.

Ditto. That heavy Cummins 5.0 V8 simply used up too much of the XD Titan's GVWR. If they would have bumped up the GVWR/payload 500 lbs., OR used a lighter/smaller diesel engine to lower the empty weight, the Nissan Cummins could have been a legitimate "tweener" or "heavy-half", basically in a category all by itself with no real competition.

Not sure Nissan entering the HD market would be a smart move. They let their Titan decay for far too many years. Nissan has to build their 1/2-ton segment up first before they can be taken seriously again. In any case, doubt Nissan seriously has the resources to do it even if they wanted to. Obviously there were budgetary compromises going on just to bring the Nissan XD Titan Cummins to market.