Nissan has managed to take a truck hit by the ugly stick and make it seem as if it was supposed to look like that. It looks quite husky and appealing from some angles, but not all will like it. There is, for example, no attempt to make the fender flares look like anything other than industrial add-ons. The tailgate has an obvious plastic panel over the middle, showcasing the new lock to keep the wicked from purloining the 'gate. Tires are big.
Wheels are bold.
It's an exciting, energetic look that Nissan showed off here recently. Still, the test-drive truck caught lots of eyes, and ayes. Hardly scientific, but at least suggestive of success. A full Frontier redo in '03 could eliminate the foul legacy of the initial design. Other big news for the '01 is an optional supercharger.