Nissan Titan Warrior Concept Unveiled: 2016 Detroit Auto Show

DETROIT — No, it's not Nissan's answer to the Ford Raptor. However, the Nissan Titan Warrior Concept at least provides an idea of what a more rugged version of the 2016 Titan XD might look like.

Compared to the production Titan, the Warrior Concept has been raised by 3 inches and widened by 6 inches. New 18-inch wheels wearing 37-inch-tall off-road tires fill out the wheelwells. Noteworthy design elements include a front skid plate that interlocks with the redesigned front bumper and LED lighting up front, at the back and on the roof. There's also a quad-tipped exhaust integrated within the bumper, and carbon-fiber spoilers on the tailgate and rear cab.

Functional hood vents were added to cool the 5.0-liter Cummins turbodiesel engine shared with the Titan XD, but the powertrain is otherwise stock.

The suspension has been heavily revised. Up front there are custom-designed upper and lower control arms with performance ball joints as well as "racing-style" coil-over shocks. The rear suspension includes custom internal bypass reservoir shocks, sway bars and hydraulically pressurized bump stops.

Warrior-specific interior elements include auxiliary toggle switches, extra gauges and a custom-built steering wheel milled from a single block of aluminum. The robust seat fabric is trimmed in the same "Magma" orange color that adorns the exterior.

It makes for an interesting-looking Titan, but none of these features were announced for production. Nissan claims that the Warrior Concept was designed solely to celebrate the introduction of the Titan XD, but with the success of the Ford F-150 Raptor it's not a stretch to think that Nissan is testing the waters for an off-road truck of its own.

Edmunds says: The Titan Warrior looks neat, but until we drive it quickly over questionable pavement and wild terrain, the Ford SVT Raptor and Ram Rebel will have to do.