The 2021 Nissan Titan receives sub-par scores in IIHS’ latest crash tests but earns top ratings for its crash-avoiding technology.
Every year, vehicles are getting slightly safer thanks to technological innovation. Advanced materials tolerate impacts better, and driver-assist systems can prevent a certain percentage of crashes from even occurring in the first place.
But progress isn’t always a guarantee. In fact, after its most recent upgrade, the full-size Nissan Titan truck received inferior crash-test results from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) than the previous model.
More specifically, the 2021 model performed worse than its predecessor in the challenging passenger-side small-overlap evaluation. The 2019 model received a ‘good’ ranking in six separate categories—the highest score IIHS gives out, across the board. Nonetheless, because of increased interference in the passenger space, this rugged pickup’s new iteration, including both the extended-cab and crew-cab variants, is only rated ‘acceptable’—the second-highest ranking.
Nissan redesigned the Titan’s frontal parts in 2020 and changed the roof rail, hinge base, and lower sills. Whether or not engineers meant it, these structural modifications seem to have impacted the crash efficiency. Meanwhile, Nissan introduced a driver-side knee airbag, and models constructed after September 2020 also have it on the passenger side.
The headlights scored worse as well. Interestingly, the Titan comes with two lamp layouts available, and both are classified ‘poor’—the minimum rating of the IIHS. The previous model managed to scrape by with a ‘marginal’’ rating—one step higher.
Although, the Titan does a better job of evading collisions between vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian. At both 12 mph and 25 mph, the truck can safely avoid hitting other vehicles. Moreover, when driving at 37 mph, it can automatically brake for a pedestrian that might come on its way.
As manufacturers modify or rebuild several models, automobiles almost always get better. Fortunately, occurrences such as the regress of the 2021 Nissan Titan pickup rarely happen. And of course, knowing quite well how Nissan always puts safety in priority, we fully expect Nissan to resolve the issue quickly.
We’ll keep you posted.
Read the full IIHS Report here.
