Nissan offers the Frontier in two body styles – the King Cab and the Crew Cab. Four-passenger King Cab models feature small rear doors for access to the fold-down jump seats. Exclusive to this Frontier is a two-wheel-drive XE model with a 2.5-liter, 16-valve, dual overhead cam four-cylinder engine pushing 154 horsepower at 5,200 rpm and 173 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,400 rpm. Move up the lineup to find SE, LE, and NISMO models, all of which are available with either two- or four-wheel drive and are motivated by a 4.0-liter, 24-valve, dual overhead cam V6 offering 265 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 284 lb.-ft. of twist at 4,000 rpm. Every 2005 Nissan Frontier rides on an independent front suspension with a stabilizer bar while a live suspension with leaf springs is bolted to the rear. History
The all-new Frontier, which returns unchanged for 2006, represents a solid progression forward in the design of Nissan's popular compact, which is built in Smyrna, Tenn., where Nissan has been making pickups since the mid-1980s. It was the first U.S. assembly plant for a Japanese automaker, and it has been turning out high-quality products since Day One.
This newest Frontier got its exterior styling straight from its new big brother, the Titan pickup that was introduced in mid-2003 as Nissan's first entry in the full-size truck market.
Four-cylinder engines aren't very important in the world of mid-size pickups, but Nissan still has one (the Altima's 2.5-liter) in the base-trim King Cab. All other models get the 4.0-liter version of Nissan's VQ V-6, which just made its debut in the new Pathfinder. This engine, which features variable-valve timing, makes 265 hp and 284 lb-ft of torque. The power figure bests all mid-size contenders-even the V-8 Dakotas-and launches the 4x4 Crew Cab from 0 to 60 mph in just over eight seconds, aided by a five-speed automatic .The Frontier rides on a fully boxed frame derived from the Titan's, and it provides a stiff foundation that effectively quells the shuddering ride that is the bane of 4x4 pickups. All Frontiers use 4x4 ride height, but the body is not perched absurdly high off its wheels, a situation that not only pays dynamic benefits but also provides a lower step-in height.