The story about the pickup truck model from this manufacturer started three years ago with the allegedly leaked photos of the BX concept. However, not many things have happened since then. These days, we can find a number of reports that talk about such a vehicle, but it’s all about rumors and speculations. Therefore, we suggest you take all these 2021 Infiniti Pickup Truck rumors with a big dose of skepticism.
Why 2021 Infiniti Pickup Truck?
Why would a brand like Infiniti work on a pickup truck? This is the first question that comes to our minds but things seem more logical than they may look at first. If you look at the latest reports, Infiniti sales numbers are in a big decrease. Every model was less popular in 2019 compared to previous years. We don’t want to sound too dramatic, but Infiniti definitely needs a savior. One of them is already on the way, a new coupe crossover called QX55. However, one model can’t make such a huge impact to change the brand’s negative course. Therefore, the 2021 Infiniti Pickup Truck might be another model on the way.
At this point, it’s hard to talk about anything more precise, but we see three possible scenarios for the 2021 Infiniti Pickup Truck. It may come based either on a mid-size Frontier or full-size Titan. The third one is to see a completely new vehicle, which would ride on a unibody platform.
2021 Infiniti Pickup Truck May Be Based On New Frontier?
This seems like the most possible scenario. Simply, a full-size luxury pickup seems like a too big risk at the moment, while something smaller would definitely be a better pick in this case. Therefore, we would expect to see a truck based on the new Frontier.
The next generation of Nissan’s mid-size pickup truck is finally about to come this year and there are plenty of novelties we expect to see. With a completely new design, it seems like a perfect basis for the 2021 Infiniti Pickup Truck. Of course, the luxury truck would come with its own styling, based on the brand’s designed language, with a lot of inspiration taken from the full-size SUV QX80.
On the other side, lots of mechanical parts would be shared with the new Frontier, starting from the new version of the F-Alpha platform. Of course, this would include the engine as well and you probably already know that the Japanese manufacturer has prepared a new 3.8-liter V6 engine, which delivers around 300 horsepower and comes in pair with a 9-speed automatic transmission.
Titan-Based 2021 Infiniti Pickup Truck
The second option would be to go with a full-size pickup. In this case, the new 2021 Infiniti Pickup Truck would be based on Nissan Titan, which has recently been updated and now gets a new look, transmission, more power etc. We have no doubt that the mechanical aspects of the two models would be pretty much the same.
On the other side, we would see different aesthetics, as the new luxury pickup would come based on Infiniti’s design language. We presume it would feature pretty much the same front end as the QX80, while the rest of the body would come in a typical pickup layout.
Still, we don’t believe too much in this scenario and the biggest issue with it would be the 2021 Infiniti Pickup Truck price, which would be extremely high. We are not sure that there will be many truck buyers that are ready to pay such sum. Therefore, a mid-size version seems far more likely to us.
Unbody, Why Not?
The third possibility is to see a pickup truck that rides on a unibody platform. Everyone knows that such an approach would provide significantly higher comfort and overall ride quality, pretty much on par with crossovers. Therefore, we presume that the 2021 Infiniti Pickup Truck, in this case, would be notably smaller, probably based on the QX50 crossover, as it is the freshest model in the company’s lineup (along with the upcoming QX55 coupe crossover).
This means the new truck would ride on a familiar D platform, with the focus on comfort and luxury. A smooth ride is one of the first things that come to mind, but we also count on a full load of standard and available features. This platform would also open a lot of new options in terms of motorization. We presume that base models would come with a 3.5-liter V6, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see some turbocharged version in the offer as well.
Release Date
Although some reports suggest the 2021 Infiniti Pickup Truck could come already by the end of this year, such prognosis sounds too optimistic. Even if the luxury carmaker decides to make such a vehicle, we don’t believe it would come so soon. At this point, this model is nothing more than a rumor, so take this article with a big reserve.
