Though winter officially doesn’t start until December 21, the 2018 Nissan TITAN XD full-size pickup will be ready for the worst the season can throw at it with the arrival of a new Snow Plow Prep Package.

The package, which includes high-capacity, heavy-duty front springs, will be available this fall for use with a range of commercial and personal snow plows from five leading snow plow manufacturers: Boss, Fisher, Meyer, SnowEx, and Western.

The Snow Plow Prep Package replaces the stock front springs with a higher capacity design, which increases front gross axle weight rating (GAWR) capacity by 575 pounds (from 4,325 pounds to 4,900 pounds). This allows fitment of snowplows up to 786 pounds (TITAN XD Gas Crew Cab S grade).

The Snow Plow Prep Package is available on all three TITAN XD Gas body configurations with the V8 gas engine – Single Cab, King Cab and Crew Cab – and on S and SV grade levels. The heavier duty springs were also offered on 2017 TITAN XD models (as the Heavy Duty GAWR Package), making vehicles equipped with that package also snow plow-capable.

"Following recent years with greater than average snowfall, experts are predicting a wild winter season again this year, meaning there should be plenty of opportunities for individual and fleet snow plow business operators," said Billy Hayes, division vice president, LCV and Trucks, Nissan North America, Inc. "Get your new TITAN XD ready this fall… and let it snow!"

The Nissan TITAN XD is ideal for commercial use such as snow plow duties, staking out a unique position in the segment between traditional heavy-duty and light-duty entries. It offers the effortless towing and hauling of the larger, more expensive heavy-duty trucks, yet has the fuel-efficiency, affordability and creature comforts of a half-ton pickup.

Nissan TITAN XD models are built on a unique frame and chassis to handle the demands of commercial use, including a fully boxed, full-length ladder frame with added stiffness, vertical and lateral bending, and torsional rigidity versus TITAN half-ton models.

To maximize stability, handling and ride comfort, TITAN XD uses a heavy-duty, highly stable suspension design. The front suspension, a double-wishbone design with stabilizer bar, is reinforced and tuned for hard use, and the stout rear axle utilizes hefty leaf springs and leaf bushings, along with twin-tube shock absorbers.

The TITAN XD’s 5.6-liter Endurance® V8 engine, which is cast, forged and assembled at Nissan’s Powertrain Assembly Plant in Decherd, Tennessee, is rated at 390 horsepower and 394 lb-ft of torque. TITAN XD is also available with a powerful Cummins® 5.0L V8 Turbo Diesel powerplant. The 2018 Nissan TITAN and TITAN XD are assembled in Canton, Miss.

"When the roads are covered with snow and ice and you’re out clearing a parking lot in the dead of night, you better have confidence in the truck behind the plow," said Hayes. "We’re proud to say that the TITAN XD is built as tough as the hard-working people taking on the job of keeping Mother Nature at bay."

TITAN XD commercial buyers also qualify for a $500 Nissan Upfit Allowance¹, to help defer the cost of the snow plow equipment.