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Nissan hosts truck rally for Frontier and Titan owners

By Mike Levine, Pickuptrucks.com, Source: Cars.com

Nissan is busy designing and engineering the next-generation Titan half-ton pickup, but that doesn't mean existing owners are being left behind. The automaker recently hosted its first Nissan Truck Rally in Texas for current Titan and Nissan Frontier midsize pickup owners and enthusiasts.

Tiago Castro, senior planner for Nissan trucks, said the company is looking for a way to build better relations with some of its most loyal customers.

"We wanted a firsthand opportunity to talk to customers who currently own Titans," Castro said. "We wanted to learn what they like and don't like about the Titan and also have interaction with them like we do for other Nissan vehicles, like the Z car. A lot of these guys get together on their own, but this time we wanted to facilitate that meeting."

The three-day Truck Rally was held June 25-27 at Hidden Falls Adventure Park, a four-wheeling and camping spot about 50 miles outside of Austin, Texas. The park has almost 200 miles of trails for off-road vehicles.

The primarily off-road theme of the rally allowed Nissan to easily gather a group of truck owners together in one spot instead of managing the logistics of a cross-country towing trip or focusing on work truck applications.

On hand at the rally were Nissan engineers, marketers and planners who could talk face-to-face with 70 Nissan owners and their friends and families. There were 41 trucks -- 21 Titans and 20 Frontiers, Castro said.

The event was split into two parts: a relay where the trucks traveled the park's trails in a group with a professional driver who demonstrated the rock-crawling capabilities of the Titan PRO-4X off-road model, and a group of stations where Titan owners could see the different functional features that Nissan offers for the Titan's and Frontier's cargo boxes.

"We wanted to demonstrate and show off features like the spray-in bedliner," Castro said. "We also wanted to get their feedback on how important accessories are. It was very interesting to see some of the modifications our owners had made to their trucks, too."

Part of the feedback that owners provided to Nissan staff could also find its way into new in-truck features and accessories that Nissan offers in the next Titan.

"These guys are passionate about their trucks. They love them," said Dan Tons, chief marketing manager for Nissan trucks. "We asked them why did they choose Nissan [instead of a competing truck]. They told us they didn't feel pressure to buy any other truck. [They bought a Titan because] they were looking for a vehicle that fit their needs, was priced right and could handle their capabilities best.

"All of the information we gather will definitely help us build future vehicles," Castro said.

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