What It Takes To Build A Nissan – Durability
[Music] The pickup truck was born out of necessity. And as the world changed, it changed with it. Constantly evolving. [Music] I’m Michelle K. And on this episode of what it takes to build a Nissan, we’re in Moab, Utah with a team of Nissan engineers to see how they lay the groundwork to build a truck like the Nissan Frontier. The Nissan engineers do their tests at the proving grounds facilities in Arizona, but they also put the trucks in some extreme realworld scenarios. And once I heard about that, we had to tag along. We run them through all sorts of harsh environments, more than what the customer typically would do. And over and over again, we’re evaluating the complete vehicle from your window switches to your headlights to your instrument panel to the radio to the stitching on the seats to the carpet to tire wear. You name it. Everything is durability, reliability, and everything’s evaluated for that. Favorite part of my job is going fast. [Music] So, we’re now doing the towing capacity evaluation. What does that mean? While you’re towing, the vehicle dynamic changes. The loading condition you’re adding to the vehicle is a major factor on your brakes, your cooling system, your power train, your handling. Depending on the shape of the trailer or the object you’re towing can substantially increase the air drag. So, all those things need to be evaluated. Capture those concerns and we fix them before they go to market. We’ve always needed help hauling things. From the moment we had the combustion engine, we were thinking of ways we could haul more. In 1959, Nissan released the first compact pickup truck in the United States. It changed the truck and the world forever. And through the years, Nissan has continued to build on that legacy. [Music] Okay, Vlad, what’s next? We’re doing off-road vehicle evaluation with payload. So, as we are going over this very rough terrain, what are you as an engineer feeling for or listening for? Yeah, my evaluation would focus on the suspension. So when we go through these frame twist where it’s twisting the vehicle from side to side. So it’s stressing the suspension and the frame and putting stress in the body. We want to make sure that the vehicle is tested for these conditions to ensure the durability and reliability of the product. [Music] How would you say it’s going so far? Great. However, I will say I’m getting a little nervous because we are rapidly approaching what appears to be a cliff. Um, I’m assuming it’s not. Oh my gosh. What are you doing? Why are we stopping in the most treacherous place? We’re just rocking back and forth. Articulation. Two wheels are in the air. Oh my gosh. Wow. We are just attacking these obstacles. This is nuts. I mean, I will say I have felt totally safe this whole time. At least I did my job. Yeah, go Vlad. And well, it’s a beautiful place to do an evaluation. I’ll say that. [Music] So, where are we headed right now? We are headed to the dunes and we’re going to experience different surface conditions. Soft sand, washboard, hard pack, which really changes the dynamic of the vehicle and the loading on the drivetrain. It’ll be fun. Yeah. So, we’re now in the sand as you can feel vibration I was describing earlier and that. So, that’s what we’re trying to feel. It’s like make sure you don’t feel any abnormal noise. And when you give a little bit of gas, make sure that it’s responding the way you need it to. Yeah. The little things that we evaluate for at the end of the day is what the customer would feel. We want to make sure the customer has that reliable feeling. I know I can go in surfaces like these, drive, and head out home safe. Wow, what a ride. Thank you so much, V. Sure. anytime. Ready to do it again? Of course. The pickup truck has evolved a lot in the past 100 years. But what’s cool is that this isn’t the end. The history of a truck spans a century. But its next chapter, well, it’s still being written. [Music]
“The pickup truck has evolved a lot in the past hundred years. What’s cool is that this isn’t the end.” @MichelleKhare heads to Moab to watch the Frontier take on brutal trails, max towing hauls, and payload punishment. It’s an epic display of what tough looks like.
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