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Overdrive

Earlier in the season the Texas Auto Writer’s Association (TAWA) gathered to drive and review the best trucks, SUVs, CUVs, for their annual Truck Rodeo. The Rodeo features major manufacturers who bring fleets of their best on and off road vehicles.

Mere days before the Truck Rodeo was to take place, Nissan USA held a private off road test drive event in Bandera, Texas, located just 50 miles outside of San Antonio. The location chosen for Nissan’s Overdrive event had every type of terrain imaginable and was nothing short of an off-roader’s dream. The purpose of this preview was to give TAWA members and others within the automotive media the opportunity to test Nissan truck models earlier than the planned Truck Rodeo. It was also to inform the media of many new technologies which are to be found in Nissan’s 2012 truck line-up.

The test fleet consisted of brand new Armada’s, Xterra’s, Pathfinder’s, Frontier’s and Titan’s along with Nissan’s new PRO-4X series package (which is offered for most of these models). Each vehicle tested at the event all had it’s own individual purpose (Armada’s capabilities to seat 8 passengers for example) but actually possessed much more than what some might expect. When driven through the hilly, rocky, sandy, muddy and creek bed course, all models proved they could each handle the numerous terrain conditions.

The latest Titan model (Titan PRO-4X) was on hand at Nissan’s Overdrive and reigned supreme with all who drove it at the event. From the V8 power plant in the Titan PRO-4X V8 to its red stitched leather interior every inch of this truck was born to be bad (but in a good way!). All of the features within the PRO-4X package are perfect for those who are not only in the market for a 4×4 but those who have plans on using it for ‘all terrain’ purposes.

One unplanned event occurred when a Rhino ATV became immovably stuck in very thick mud. Once word of the stranded vehicle got out Nissan reps invited a chosen few to watch the Titan PRO-4X in action.

Afterwards, the Titan’s driver, Mike Betts (who is an engineer at Nissan’s Arizona proving grounds) celebrated the occasion by performing an exhilarating off-road demonstration. Let’s just say parts of the demo made great use of the Rancho® suspension, its rugged trail tires, and with a few other accessories that provide fun yet safe travels during extreme off road adventures.

Throughout the Overdrive the Nissan truck fleet proved to be hearty and proficient both off-road and on. TAWA members took notice and awarded the 2012 Nissan Frontier first place for Mid-Sized Truck of Texas. Nissan also took home honors for the Xterra PRO-4X which won Compact SUV of Texas. TAWA members also took great interest with a few of Nissan’s newest innovations within their 2012 truck line-up. Two of those features were the manufacturer’s super tough OEM spray-on bedliner and their Utili-track® tie-down feature.

Utili-track® (also known as Nissan’s rail cargo management system) consists of adjustable tie-downs on three sides and on the flooring of the bed. This system makes hauling much more convenient and keeps items safer during transport which is ideal for those who regularly haul heavy items or large equipment. This system is the first of its kind in the industry and was well received by those who were fortunate enough to have a sneak peek during Nissan’s Overdrive experience.

Driving the rugged new Nissan trucks and SUVs made it obvious why sales of the brand have been excellent in recent years in spite of a tightened supply due to the terrible earthquake and accompanying tragedies in Japan this year. The tough and excellent handling, towing, and comfort features in these new Nissans are sure to lead to accelerating increases in sales throughout the coming year.

Diana Claussen

Diana Merrill Claussen has been involved in the journalism and photography industry since 2000 and moved to Texas from Florida in July 2004. Diana inherited her love of cars from her father and the love of speed from the racers and aviators in her family. Her professional career is also in the public relations industry while her personal interests include; outdoor activites, reading, family time, volunteering and animal care.

  

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 8th, 2012 at 11:45 am and is filed under Event Coverage. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.