Nissan Says The V6 Isn't Going Anywhere: 'We’re Too V6 To Quit'

Everyone is downsizing—even on the truck side. Nearly every mid-size pickup from the Chevrolet Colorado and Ford Ranger to the iconic Toyota Tacoma packs a base four-cylinder engine in 2026. The only truck maker that doesn’t offer a base four-cylinder engine on its mid-sizer? Nissan, and the company plans to keep it that way.

In a recent interview with Nissan’s Senior Manager of Product Planning, Brent Hagan, he tells Motor1 that the company is leaning hard into its V6 roots. In fact, the company officially designated May 5 as "V6 Day"—you might have seen a few videos floating around on social media promoting that fact. Brent says:

'Our internal tagline is ‘We’re too V6 to quit,’ because we built our heritage on V6s, from the GT-R and Xterra to the current Frontier and Pathfinder. We've got generations upon generations of V6s, and it does give us a differentiator because we're using tried-and-true technology that's durable, reliable, and of high quality. Our VQ38 is produced here in the United States, so it's made in America, by Americans, for Americans—and it has the Japanese quality and reliability.'

2026 Nissan Frontier

Photo by: Nissan

According to Hagan, mid-size truck customers want V6s. Even some Ford and Toyota faithful have reportedly considered Nissan given the Frontier’s naturally aspirated six-cylinder engine. As Brent notes:

'I see a lot of people posting recently saying, ‘I'm a Toyota guy, or I'm an XYZ company guy. I've been with them for a while, but they've gone away from V6s, and I really prefer V6. I prefer the linearity. I prefer the durability. I prefer the overall performance, and I've never considered a Nissan or a Frontier, but now I'm looking at it because of the V6.’ So we know it is a differentiator for sure.'

The 2026 Frontier comes standard with a 3.8-Liter V6 engine making 310 horsepower and 281 pound-feet of torque, regardless of the trim. It’s paired to a nine-speed automatic transmission and, depending on how you spec it, is available with four-wheel drive.

While the rugged Pro-4X sits atop the Frontier range, the recent arrival of the Frontier Sport unlocks a few off-road goodies at a more affordable price. Buyers get access to things like an aluminum skid plate, 17-inch off-road-style wheels, fog lights, Dark Armor accents—and of course, don’t forget that V6.

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Source: Nissan

Motor1's Take: Nissan is committed to the V6. Even as other companies downsize, the Frontier is dedicated to keeping the naturally aspirated V6 alive—hopefully that carries over to the next generation.

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