New Nissan 5.6 motor looks very nice!

[ASD Dad]

http://www.off-road.com/blog/2015/12/15/nissan-unveils-5-6-liter-v8-gas-engine-for-nissan-titan-and-titan-xd/

 

This is the motor I wish we had.  The Cummins looks stout and I am sure will be but fuel and maintenance costs will be higher.  I know maintenance on the the domestic diesels is pretty insane vs. gas.

 

390 HP with 401 TQ along with a 7 speed transmission looks pretty perfect.  I sorely miss the similar power, TQ and 6 speed from my Tundra and this big box could use the extra oomph and gears.

 

I wonder how soon it could come to the NV...  If/when it does I may trade in early even though I normally keep vehicles a while.

[lumberman1964]

Do you think your truck comes close to those numbers with the Bully Dog tune you use?

[ASD Dad]

Do you think your truck comes close to those numbers with the Bully Dog tune you use?

 

Not even remotely close.  Stock we're at 317 hp.  To get to 390 without using forced induction would require long tube headers, custom exhaust, intake, maybe even cams and throttle body.  Then it would require a full tune from Uprev and premium gas.  EVEN doing all that, I still dont know if you could make it to 390, I somehow doubt it.  Plus most of that is geared towards horsepower and not torque.  

 

Plus we wouldnt get the new 7 speed transmission.  On the Toyota 6 speed, 5th and 6th are overdrive for mileage on the highway.  I'm guessing 6-7 would be overdrive on the new one.  Plus with the higher number of gears you can have a super low final drive for great pull right off the line.  Tundra has a 4.30 final drive which on a normal transmission would equal highway driving at very high rpms.  6th gear drops that down to normal. 

 

375 to 400hp is where any modern V8 should be sitting for a truck/van.  Torque should be at 400 as well.  Toyota did it back in 2007 and with the 6 speed it was a game changer.  Nobody had anything remotely close.  Now everybody does except Nissan.  All the domestics have caught or passed those marks and the old Toyota 5.7 is still stout.  At least Nissan will have something to compete with motor wise for the gas buyers.  

Edited December 15, 2015 by ASD Dad

[andy_george]

Dang, those upgrades do sound yummy. If only they could be accomplished with a quick computer re-flash....hahaha!

[Chris_CommercialManager]

Question, would you spend an extra ten grand for that engine?  

 

I ask because we've had round table talks at manufacturer and dealer get togethers and that is the number that always comes up.  Being a commercial product first Nissan is of the opinion that probably would not sell well in the cargo van.  I have to agree, though I do think for the right person it would be a great fit.

[andy_george]

Wow, 10 grand seems like a big premium to bring the 5.6 in line with the tech that most gas motors have these days. I'd love the increase in performance, but if I were in the market for a new van I'd probably only be willing to spend a couple thousand dollars extra for the increased output.

 

And on the flip side, the rock-solid, simple, proven performance of the current 5.6 does provide a lot of peace-of-mind....

[ASD Dad]

10 grand?!?  Heck no!  That's more than it costs to upgrade to a top line diesel and transmission in the domestics HD trucks.

 

That price is absurd.  The motor we have has been untouched for over a decade!  It wasnt top spec back then and these days is laughable compared to a modern V8, such as the new one going in the Titan.  

 

If Nissan follows along with other brands it should be a $3K upgrade or so to the new V8 and maybe $7-8K for the Cummins in the NV.  This is assuming a new NV would get the new transmission stock for either V6 or V8 and the Cummins would get a matching transmission.

[Chris_CommercialManager]

Ten thousand is the number that has been used with us when the topic has come up.  

 

I personally don't mind the older powerplant and small revisions.  It's easy to sell against the competition that has their new products, and the new problems that accompany that technology.  It might be older tech but it's tried and true.

 

I wouldn't mind an option as you have ASD for an upgrade.  But I'd like to see this rock solid reliable (although admittedly not the most fuel efficient option) be around for all of the tradesman purchasing these vehicles.

[KMG]

I'm happy with the 5.6's horsepower and torque..  I'd prefer they invest R&D into improving our fuel mileage, not increases to horsepower and torque.

[ASD Dad]

More efficiency yields greater results all around.  You can get better HP, TQ and MPG with things like direct injection, variable timing, etc.  We have an old school engine compared to newer V8's.  Just like the old Chevy pushrod 350 small block.  Its rock solid but it sure doesnt get great mileage.

 

They have small displacement V6's that have more horsepower and over twice the fuel mileage as the old Viper V10 monster.  That V10 was pretty bulletproof for what it was but tech can improve in all areas, not just HP and TQ.

 

The only downside is complexity.  It is much harder to work on the newer motors on your own.  Many require specialized software and computers.  Even more require specialized tools just for that job.  

 

I wouldnt be surprised in the least if that new Titan V8 got much better mileage vs. the old 5.6 even though it is in a bigger, heavier truck.

[ASD Dad]

I just saw on the autoblog site that the new Armada is getting the new V8 motor with 7spd transmission.  8500 tow rating and a really stout frame body.  I havent seen pricing yet but if Chris is right this "should" cost $10 grand more than the outgoing Armada.  We'll see!  If it isnt, Nissan Commercial is on something loony if they plan on charging $10,000 for the new motor/tranny in the NV.

 

EDIT: Most of the time year to year models dont see a giant surcharge even if there are significant upgrades.  It's just the cost of staying competitive.  The 5.6 motor we have was just barely competitive when it came out close to a decade ago let alone now.  The only reason for the massive upcharge would be if this motor was more or less free at Nissan so we're just paying for the body and chassis and that is why the Nissan is priced a bit lower.  However, Ford has their top of the line Ecoboost V6 twin turbo in the Transit and the premium there sure isnt $10K.

 

What Nissan should do is release the new NV with this new V8 at a small upcharge and even offer the Cummins at a larger upcharge but if they can keep the costs competitive they can really make some waves in the industry.  The NV is the last vehicle with the current V8 being made.  I bet the new V8 gets similar mileage as the current V6 with way more HP and TQ than our current V8 let alone the V6.

Edited February 11, 2016 by ASD Dad

[ASD Dad]

Pricing came out - http://blog.caranddriver.com/2017-nissan-titan-xd-gas-v-8-priced-from-36485/

 

Kind of puts a big dagger into the Nissan Commercial idiocy of charging an extra $10 GRAND to drop this motor and transmission in the NV series.  The new Titan is totally new from the ground up with the much better motor and transmission and barely more money than the outgoing Titan that was ancient.  

 

If they want to charge $500-$1000 for the new motor and transmission I would jump in an instant.  

[andy_george]

I'd never sell my van for the powertrain upgrade, but it surely makes it a more attractive option for potential buyers.

 

But my tune may change when another NV smokes me from a stoplight becuase it's sporting the new motor and tranny;)