In 1959, Nissan introduced the Datsun 220, the first compact pickup in the U.S. With that first truck, Nissan launched a run of pioneering innovations in the compact and mid-size segments that continues to this day.
Trucks continue to play an important role in the company’s future, and the all-new 2022 Frontier – built with more than six decades of truck expertise in the U.S. – signals a new chapter in Nissan’s mid-size truck story when it goes on sale in summer 2021.
Highlights:
- 1959 – First compact truck in the U.S. (Datsun 220)
- 1969 – First half-ton compact pickup (Datsun 520)
- 1975 – First long bed compact pickup (Datsun 620)
- 1977 – First King Cab body (Datsun 620)
- 1983 – First import-brand compact truck manufactured in America (Datsun 720)
- 1997 – First-generation Nissan Frontier introduced (1998 Frontier)
- 1999 – First compact pickup with four full-size forward-hinged doors (2000 Frontier Crew Cab)
- 2001 – First factory-installed supercharger in a compact pickup (2001 Frontier SC V6)
- 2002 – First Crew Cab compact pickup with more than a 6-foot truck bed (2002 Frontier)
- 2004 – Second-generation Nissan Frontier introduced (2005 Frontier)
- 2005 – First spray-on bedliner (2005 Frontier)
- 2020 – First mid-size pickup with 310 horsepower1 (2020 Frontier)
- 2021 – Third-generation Nissan Frontier introduced (2022 Frontier)
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1. Comparison based on 2022 Frontier vs. latest in-market Ward's Small Truck segment. Base models compared. Based on manufacturer's website.