Courtesy photo

Way back before the events of 2020, Nissan introduced a new engine into its already great midsized Frontier pickup: a V6 that would produce a new segment-leading 310 horsepower. We loved this new addition to what we referred to as the “Classic Nissan Frontier” that provided more power, more places to go and a way to get more stuff to those places.

In the all-new 2022 model of the Frontier, the auto manufacturer has taken a giant leap in the design, giving it what we would call a “grown-up look” to the new truck. In the past, the look had more of a Baja beach-like vibe. Don’t get us wrong, we really liked it – in fact, we spent three years with the somewhat similar-looking Xterra from Nissan.

With the 2022 model and its new design, different look and increased power, Nissan seems to be making the statement that this vehicle is a new force in the midsized truck department. What a great time to make these changes as so many people are looking for something smaller that still has lots of space and the ability to go on adventures that other vehicles cannot handle.

The new engine brought with it a new nine-speed transmission that gave the everyday drive a new dimension. The shifts were so much smoother and nicer than the previous six-speed. It was also very helpful when accelerating onto and around others on the freeway.

For the weekend adventurer, when properly equipped as our test drive Pro 4X version was, the new truck will tow up to 6,720 pounds. Anything from small camping trailers to a flatbed of four-wheelers would be right in its wheelhouse.

Courtesy photo

A couple of years ago, when we first experienced this new motor, we put 5,500 pounds behind the Frontier. It attacked this load with no problem during a haul from Springville down to Manti in Sanpete County, a round trip of 160 miles with some good grades. Our mpg was 14 for that trip.

Nissan has also included a trailer sway control system that will apply the brakes if the trailer starts to move around on the driver. We have found this to be an enormous benefit over the years as this technology has advanced.

Having the Pro 4X version of the new Frontier, it seemed only fitting that we get into the mountains for some kind of drive. This proved to be a bit of a challenge as we had the truck over the Halloween weekend after all the storms that came through Utah during October.

As we headed up Hobble Creek Canyon, we figured we could find some great places to give the truck a test. This turned out to be true as we went from graded to off-road trails in the mountains. We loved the new shift-on-the-fly system, going from two-wheel drive to four-wheel drive with the twist of a knob.

Our trek lasted about three hours as we made our way over the mountains and down into the Strawberry Reservoir valley, navigating everything from snow to mud. The Frontier proved its worth in gold, with the added skid plates getting a workout along the way.

Courtesy photo

With all the extra power, we had no problems, even when all four wheels were in the mud. If we kept it slow and steady after switching to the four-wheel low setting, the Pro 4X kept right on moving through it. This year, Nissan has also included its all-around view monitor that can now be used at slow speeds for spotting. This is a great addition and very useful when there are rocks and other obstacles so one of us didn’t have to get out of the truck to help the driver.

The EPA fuel estimate on the Frontier is 17 city and 23 highway. We got an impressive 21.3 mpg during our week, which included about half highway and half city driving.

We felt Nissan spent a lot of time thinking about — and innovating — the bed of the Frontier truck. We took the opportunity to clean out some places around the house on Saturday and use the truck to transport unwanted items to the dump. During this process, we found that Nissan’s thinking time has really paid off. They have added a factory-applied, spray-on bed liner, and with Nissan’s ULTILE-TRAK tie-down system that featured cross-section rails mounted in the bed of the truck, it was easy to secure our stuff and get it transported efficiently and safely. There is also a 120-volt plug in the bed.

Nissan has added a standard locking detachable tailgate, a tinted front window and rear privacy glass to the Pro4X that really added to the overall aesthetics of the truck. Our Pro-4X came with a luxury package that added power front seats and a new 9-inch infotainment screen with a navigation package that was very helpful for getting around, even high in the mountains!

On the safety side, the new Frontier now comes with all the great Nissan features. With the addition of the tech package, we had adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, traffic sign recognition, rear cross path detection and rear sonar with braking control. All these are great additions for the everyday driver and even the driver getting into the back country.

Courtesy photo

We loved the new look of the Nissan Frontier. It has definitely come of age and would be a great addition to anyone’s garage. It’s perfect for both the everyday driver and the weekend adventurer.

Base price: $37,240

Destination charge: $1,150

Price as driven: $44,315

The engine under the hood of the new 2022 Nissan Frontier.

Front tow hooks under the new 2022 Nissan Frontier.

The front camera under the grill logo on the new 2022 Nissan Frontier.

Newsletter

Join thousands already receiving our daily newsletter.

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)

• Daily Newsletter
• Breaking News
• Obituaries
• Deals, Offers & Events