With more than six decades of experience bringing compact and mid-size trucks to U.S. customers, the all-new 2022 Nissan Frontier brings the power, capability, utility, maneuverability and technology that drivers need to take on both weekday work and weekend adventures.
Frontier also plays an important role as the company revamps its U.S. showroom with the Nissan NEXT transformation plan.
The all-new 2022 Nissan Frontier goes on sale in summer 2021.
Aggressively imposing exterior design
The all-new Frontier design combines aggressive, modern style with elements inspired by the iconic Nissan Hardbody, a truck that burnished its rough and rugged reputation winning off-road races in the 1980s and 1990s.
Frontier features a powerful front end with a massive grille and chiseled hood, framed by new precision interlocking headlights. A wide, elevated stance and massive vertical fenders evoke durability and strength, accentuated by a high eye-point and high shoulder bodysides – where natural light and shadows meet.
In the rear, precision lighting features a machined, structural look, with the lamps appearing to clamp to the body sides. The muscular rear fenders combine with the rear bumper for an athletic, uncompromising stance.
Body colors such as Tactical Green Metallic offer a new, yet familiar, perspective – inspired by tech-savvy backcountry gear. Another example, Boulder Grey Pearl, helps accentuate the Frontier’s exterior form and pairs well with bold accent colors.
And for an even more aggressive look, the specially-equipped 4WD-only Frontier PRO-4X and new-for-2022 2WD-only Frontier PRO-X feature LED headlamps, LED Daytime Running Lights, LED fog lights and Lava Red grille accents.
Confident capability
Building on a proven chassis and frame – one of the most durable in the mid-size truck segment with multiple industry quality and durability awards – the engineering team refined and tuned the powertrain, steering and suspension with a focus on the demands of U.S. truck owners.
The standard 310-horsepower 3.8-liter direct injection V6 engine, which was all-new for 2020 with 93 percent new or redesigned parts, offers best-in-class horsepower1. Torque is rated at 281 lb-ft.
Matched to the engine is a 9-speed automatic transmission designed to maximize efficiency and provide strong acceleration. With an expanded lockup area, a new high-response electro-hydraulic system, long input shaft and a 99 percent wider gear range (versus the previous Frontier 5-speed design), the transmission offers quick, crisp and direct shift response throughout the entire gear range.
Nissan also retuned Frontier’s hydraulic rack-and-pinion steering gear for 2022 to provide better on-center feel, reducing driver fatigue on long trips. Steering gear ratio has been increased by 16 percent, leading to a faster response with less steering effort.
Frontier’s front and rear suspensions offer best-level ride and handling both on- and off-road. New hydraulic cab mounts reduce road vibration by 80 percent, while new urethane jounce bumpers – the only in class – provide improved damping for a smoother ride. In addition to a larger front stabilizer bar, a rear stabilizer bar reduces body roll and increases traction. Standard 4-wheel ABS disc brakes provide confident stopping power.
Frontier 4WD models feature a shift-on-the-fly 4-wheel drive system with 2WD/4HI/4LO modes operated by an electronically controlled part-time transfer case. Frontier 4WD models are available with a 4-wheel limited-slip system, which helps transfer power to the drive wheels with more grip on low traction surfaces. Hill Start Assist is standard on all models, and Hill Descent Control is standard on all 4WD models – helping adventurers safely climb and descend steep grades.
The PRO-4X model adds an electronic locking differential, Bilstein off-road shock absorbers and underbody skid plates for the most fierce of off-road adventurers.
Bed utility continues to be a strength for Frontier, with an available high-utility bed that includes a factory-applied spray-on bedliner and Utili-track™ Channel System. The Utili-Track™ system provides ultimate cargo hauling flexibility through the use of three special “C” cross-section rails mounted in the bed. In addition, four fixed bed tie-down hooks help secure adventure gear of all shapes and sizes.
A dampened tailgate assist – new for 2022 – is standard on all models. Inside the bed, two standard stop lamp lights mounted on the back of the cab and two new available LED cargo bed lights make the all-new Frontier ready for any adventure, night or day.
Frontier’s towing capacity is rated at up to 6,720 pounds (maximum, when properly equipped). New for 2022 is standard Trailer Sway Control, which detects sway and automatically applies the brakes to eliminate it for a more confident towing experience.
A protective, utility-centric interior
Seamlessly blending with the powerful new exterior, designers gave the all-new interior of the 2022 Frontier a feeling of protection and versatility with modern functionality.
Helping set the stage is an available, largest-in-class 9-inch color touchscreen2 with Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™3 that are standard on all models. The new center stack is simplified and intuitive, allowing for a user-friendly experience for driver and passenger.
Further making life easier, a standard, largest-in-class4 7.0-inch Advanced Driver Assist Display offers configurable information directly in front of the driver.
New trim, finishers and meter accents are inspired by adventure gear.
Addressing common customer needs, Frontier provides 4.0 liters of center console storage – almost double that of most mid-size pickups – as well as 5.7 liters of rear-door-pocket storage and 6.5 liters of front-door-pocket storage. Storage is also provided at the top of the instrument panel.
Added insulation, improved rear carpet structure and new front-door acoustic laminated glass all reduce interior road noise. Standard Zero Gravity seats provide initial softness with lateral support to help reduce long-range driving fatigue.
An abundance of modern tech and safety features
A long list of advanced technology and safety features make each ride more confident, including five new class-exclusive features5.
Wireless smartphone charging and NissanConnect® with WiFi Hotspot6, available on PRO-4X/PRO-X models, keep driver and passengers connected. Standard on all models are two front USB ports (one Type-A, one Type-C), two front 12V outlets and Siri® Eyes Free7. Two 110V outlets with 400-watt capability – one in the rear, one in the bed – are available on SV and PRO-X/PRO-4X models, allowing users to easily power a wide variety of indoor and outdoor accessories. Fender® Premium Audio with nine speakers is available on SV and PRO-X/PRO-4X grades.
The 2022 Frontier is the first application of Nissan Intelligent Around View® Monitor with Moving Object Detection and Off-Road Mode8. Nissan was the first automaker to offer Around View Monitor, which creates a birds’ eye view by stitching together views from four cameras mounted on the outside of the vehicle.
The new Off-Road Mode available on Frontier PRO-4X functions while the vehicle is moving forward at slow speeds and the 4WD system is in 4LO, ideal for negotiating tight trails without having an external spotter to avoid potential body scrapes or dents.
Available safety technology starts with Nissan Safety Shield® 360, featuring Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Blind Spot Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Departure Warning, High Beam Assist and class-exclusive Rear Automatic Braking9.
Class-exclusive10 Intelligent Forward Collision Warning and Tire Pressure Monitoring System with Easy Fill Tire Alert are standard. Additional available features include Intelligent Cruise Control, class-exclusive11 Traffic Sign Recognition and Intelligent Driver Alertness. Rear Door Alert12 is standard on all models. The all-new Frontier features eight standard airbags.
A range of models and features
The 2022 Frontier King Cab is offered in 2WD and 4WD S and SV grades. The 2022 Frontier Crew Cab is available in 2WD and 4WD S, SV SWB (standard bed) and SV LWB (long bed), along with the Crew Cab PRO-4X (4WD only) and new-for-2022 PRO-X (2WD only). The PRO-X grade provides the same rugged design touches as PRO-4X but does not include certain 4WD-related content (electronic locking differential, underbody skid plates). Seven option packages will be available.
A 5-foot bed is standard on all Crew Cab models, with a 6-foot bed optional on Crew Cab SV Long Wheelbase models. A 6-foot bed is also standard on all King Cab models.
Available exterior colors include Glacier White, Gun Metallic, Super Black, Red Alert, Cardinal Red Metallic TriCoat, Deep Blue Pearl, Baja Storm, Tactical Green Metallic and Boulder Grey Pearl – colors intended for fun and adventure. Interior color options include Charcoal, Sandstone and the PRO-4X/PRO-X’s Charcoal with Lava Red.
More than 85 Nissan and NISMO accessories are approved for the 2022 Frontier, including sports bar, off-road step rails with removable steps, NISMO suspension kit, off-road auxiliary lighting, ladder racks and tents. More accessories are in development, and additional details will be available closer to the vehicle’s on-sale date.
For more information on the 2022 Pathfinder and 2022 Frontier, along with the complete lineup of Nissan vehicles, please visit NissanNews.com.
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Rod is a blogger, writer, filmmaker, photographer, daydreamer who likes to cook. Rod produces and directs the web series, CUPIC: Diary of an Investigator. He is also the editor, producer and administrator of STM Daily News, a part of the TNC Network.
