Nissan’s newest pick-up, the 2016 Titan, now appeals to the gasoline-loving folks as well.

Until now, if you were interested in Nissan’s Titan or Titan XD pick-up line-up, you basically had two choices; get the Cummins 5.0-Litre V8 Turbo Diesel, or get another truck – because this powerplant was the only one available for the truck. Well, not anymore…

Nissan just announced that a new 5.6-litre Endurance V8 gasoline engine, assembled in Decherd, Tennessee, will be available on the Titan and Titan XD full-size machines.

Replacing the old VQ 5.6-litre mill from the previous generation (and other Nissan products), the new engine cranks up 390 hp at 5,800 rpm and 401 lb-ft (544 Nm) of torque at 4,000 rpm. That’s 73 hp and 16 lb-ft (22 Nm) of torque, over the outgoing unit, in case you were wondering. Not only that, but the new Endurance motor comes with a few mechanical upgrades, including four-valves per cylinder, variable valve event and lift, and direct injection. In fact, the only similarities between the two engines is the displacement, but other than that Nissan assures the new one is completely, well, new.

The models equipped with the Endurance V8 engine will feature the new 7-speed automatic transmission as well – which features Adaptive Shift Control and Downshift Rev Matching. All in all, it’s not going to be easy to choose from Nissan’s engine offering for the Titan, as Rich Miller, chief product specialist, TITAN, Nissan North America, put it:

“With this new engine, Nissan TITAN XD customers will have the opportunity to make the choice that is best for their towing and hauling needs – either the all-new Endurance V8 or the Cummins® diesel – two offerings that you won’t find on any other truck on the market today. It’s going to be a tough decision for TITAN XD customers between these two very durable, capable engines.

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