The midsize truck segment and its move away from the tried-and-true V6 didn’t happen overnight, but it happened faster than most of us realized. Within the span of just a few model years, turbocharged four-cylinders replaced naturally aspirated V6 engines across nearly every nameplate in the segment.
The Toyota Tacoma moved away from its V6 after the 2023 model year, switching to a 2.4-liter turbo four-cylinder for 2024. Chevrolet made the same call with its 2023 redesign of the Colorado, dropping the 3.6-liter V6 entirely. Although it offered a 3.0-liter and 4.0-liter V6 for ages, when the Ford Ranger returned to the U.S. market for the 2019 model year, it launched with a turbocharged four-cylinder from the start.
If you are looking for a traditional, body-on-frame midsize truck with a rugged, naturally aspirated V6, your options have severely narrowed. However, the Nissan Frontier stands as the definitive holdout against the four-cylinder wave.
As competitors leaned into turbocharging to chase better EPA numbers, Nissan stuck with its 3.8-liter naturally aspirated V6 called the VQ38. Paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission, it produces 310 horsepower (6,400 rpm) and 281 lb-ft. of torque (4,400 rpm). Nissan says the VQ38 and nine-speed combo give the Frontier more standard horsepower and more standard towing capacity than the Toyota Tacoma, Ford Ranger, Honda Ridgeline, and Jeep Gladiator when comparing base models.
When properly configured, the Frontier can pull up to 7,150 lbs., which covers most travel trailers, fishing boats, or a trailer loaded with several ATVs for a weekend getaway.
- Base Trim Engine
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3.8L VQ V6 ICE
- Base Trim Transmission
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9-speed automatic
- Base Trim Drivetrain
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Rear-Wheel Drive
How turbo four-cylinders took over
The appeal is straightforward, but nuanced
Smaller engines with forced induction can deliver V6-level (or V8-level) power while using less fuel, helping auto manufacturers hit EPA targets without compromising on capability. On paper, that sounds like a win for the buyer, but the real-world gap is narrower than you might expect.
|
Truck |
Engine |
EPA City |
EPA Hwy |
EPA Combined |
|
2026 Nissan Frontier |
3.8L V6 |
19 |
24 |
21 |
|
2026 Toyota Tacoma |
2.4L Turbo 4-cyl |
20 |
26 |
23 |
|
2026 Chevrolet Colorado |
2.7L Turbo 4-cyl |
19 |
24 |
21 |
|
2026 Ford Ranger |
2.3L Turbo 4-cyl |
21 |
25 |
23 |
The Frontier’s naturally aspirated V6 matches the turbocharged Colorado exactly at 21 mpg combined, despite conventional wisdom that turbo four-cylinders are inherently more efficient. In fact, looking at the EPA data, the Colorado’s turbo four offers no fuel economy advantage over the Frontier’s V6 whatsoever.
The Tacoma and Ranger do pull ahead at 23 mpg combined, but buyers expecting a dramatic efficiency gap between the Frontier and its turbo-equipped rivals may find things are a bit more nuanced.
Edmunds’ long-term testing of all three turbo-equipped trucks found that each one fell short of its EPA rating over a full year of driving, in some cases by a noticeable margin. Factor in the added complexity of turbocharger hardware and the maintenance that comes with it, and the on-paper efficiency advantage starts to look thinner.
The EPA ratings also show that the Frontier edges out both the Tacoma and Ranger on total range at 441 miles per tank.
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How Nissan tests its V6 engine
Pushed beyond all possible limits
Nissan doesn’t just build the Frontier’s V6 and ship it.
Engineers at the Decherd Powertrain Assembly Plant in Tennessee randomly pull engines off the line and run them through dynamometer tests that simulate 130,000 miles of real-world driving. The most intense portion runs an engine at maximum load and maximum speed for 100 straight hours, the equivalent of climbing a mountain road at full throttle for four days without stopping.
Throughout the test, oil and coolant temperatures are cycled to extremes no driver would encounter on a daily commute. The engine is likewise kept at wide-open throttle, at or near its 6,600-rpm redline.
The goal of such intense testing is to catch manufacturing issues before they leave the Nissan facility, a strategy that shows up in the ownership data. According to S&P Global Mobility, 92% of Frontier trucks sold over the last 10 years are still on the road.
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New Nissan Frontier Sport Edition
Dynamic contrast to the Dark Armor option
The conversation around V6 engines and midsize trucks is timely because Nissan is expanding the Frontier lineup with a new Sport Edition package for 2027.
Built on the SV grade, it adds 17-inch off-road-style wheels, all-terrain tires, an aluminum skid plate, fog lamps, and front accent lighting, along with unique graphics and a two-tone interior with yellow accents. Nissan expects the Sport Edition to be available at dealers later this summer.
The Sport Edition follows the Dark Armor option introduced for 2026, which brought a blacked-out look to the same SV grade. Where the Dark Armor leans toward a stealth look, the Sport Edition goes in the opposite direction, especially with its more dynamic blue launch color, pictured here.
The case for a V6 truck in 2026
Turbo four-cylinders have their place, and for buyers who mostly commute and rarely tow, they can make sense. But the Nissan Frontier makes a different argument. Its naturally aspirated V6 matches or comes close to the segment’s turbo engines on EPA estimates, tows up to 7,150 lbs., and has been stress-tested to extreme levels before it ever reaches a dealer lot.
In addition, nine out of 10 Frontiers sold in the last decade are still on the road. For a truck buyer who loves an old-school V6 and is thinking long-term, that’s a hard number to ignore.
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
