Cummins and Nissan Test the Waters With a 2.8L Diesel Frontier

The Next New Diesel From Cummins?

At the recent Chicago Auto Show, a Nissan Frontier with an all-new 2.8-liter Cummins diesel was unveiled. We had a chance to chat with Jeff Caldwell, Cummins general manager for pickups and SUVs, and Pierre Loing, Nissan’s VP for product and powertrain.

Caldwell introduced the concept. “Cummins has been working with Nissan on the 5.0-liter diesel project for several years. Naturally there was conversation on “I wonder what we could do with the Frontier?”

Cummins has been producing a 2.8-liter diesel, primarily for commer- cial vehicles in their China joint venture in Beijing. So they had basic architectural opportunities. And for the past three or four years Cummins has been involved in a program partly funded by the U.S. Department of Energy called ATLAS, also built on a 2.8-liter engine framework, but a different architecture.

Cummins combined some of the technology developed through the ATLAS DOE program and some of the commercial engine technologies. When they’d put together what they felt was a sweet little package they approached Nissan to say, “What do we think?” So, the Nissan truck is truly a design, technology and feasibility study.

According to Caldwell, “We think we have the basic building blocks for what could be a really well-placed engine, a well-placed truck in the North American market.” The team has been working on the package for more than a year, but it was only about six months ago that they were aware that Chicago was the target for a reveal. But the truck is not only for show, it’s fully GO!

“It runs, and it runs well,” Caldwell told Diesel World in an exclu- sive interview. “There’s another engine out there, one, in a test vehicle and we’ve had nearly all the Nissan brass behind the wheel of it and they immediately fell in love with it.”

So we asked what information was available, hoping for some insight. The answer was expected, if disappointing. “Not a lot right now, it’s still a design and technology study. What we’ve said is 2.8 liters, around 200 horsepower and more than 350 foot-pounds of torque (we notice the similarity to GM’s new diesel of the same displacement). That will really move a truck the size of Frontier quickly anywhere you want, as quickly as you want.” Caldwell continued. “We put this particular truck together with a ZF eight- speed transmission, the HP70, capable of 700 Nm so plenty of torque capability. That transmission has been a nice marriage with the engine, a solid power to the wheels and drivability.”

We asked for more details, like are they leaning to CGI, com- pacted graphite iron, or aluminum, or gray iron? CGI has benefits in lower weight and less noise production. “This engine has, today, ASTM 35 gray iron material, not CGI,” Caldwell told us. “We’ve used both in our studies and the ATLAS program has an aluminum block and head.” Those are technological considerations for longevity, strength, and cost effectiveness. “I think there is an expectation that when you put Cummins anywhere on the vehicle that it’s a durable, reliable powertrain,” Caldwell explained. Essen- tially, these are engines with a second, or even third life.

“The technology in this (project) is really an amalgam of advanced technology we’ve been working on, and we’ve kept a close eye on GM … their 2.8-liter, and I remember when they were talking about their 4.5-liter diesel,” as do we.

“The CGI does offer some NVH opportunities, and some weight savings, and if we find the resulting package drives us there, it’s technology directions we understand.” Cummins says it knows how to design, cast and machine CGI. “We will always be improving our products once we launch them.”

In Nissan’s view, the concept is designed to gather feedback to reinforce what they be- lieve, or its contrary. If it does reinforce their obvious idea that a mid-sized diesel truck would be good for them, which they do hope for, then use the data to convince the com- pany “we should do it.” That’s according to Pierre Loing, Vice President for Product and Advanced Planning. “But I need to make clear we’re not there yet. Some on the Nissan side believe it’s a great idea but that does not make a (profitable) business case.”

Naturally we asked about prices in the mid-sized truck market where full-sized is priced competitively with mid-sized. Loing’s view is, “The price needs to come down, yet diesel engines have a cost for the engine technology and the emissions technology. So it’s not an immediate selling point.”

Cummins looks at the coming greenhouse gas emissions stan- dards antiseptically, which, Jeff Caldwell says, “the new CAFE will require—we never say impossible—but will be very difficult to achieve in a full-sized pickup. The difference, I think, is with a full- sized I can put a 4’x8′ sheet of plywood in the bed which defines the frontal area and two large adults in the front. That defines the footprint. Then I know what it will weigh and I can fill it with aluminum (a reference to the new Ford F-150) or other lighter materials. It still has to push the air.”

Continuing, Cald- well said, “We look at the efficiency of the diesel engine, the fact that when in top gear you can cruise at 1,200- 1,500 rpm and still have torque available to you.” That’s in the mid-sized, more aero- dynamic package. They think a full-sized may become difficult. Loing then said, “That’s what led to the dieselization in Europe, not just emissions but you get benefits of torque. CO2 is not used in the U.S., but after 2020 the CO2 number is strongly cor- related to the miles per gallon that you need to reach! You still need to tow a boat or a camper, you need to cruise efficiently, you need to fit it into your garage or parking space. Mid-sized is back, supplying fuel economy with- out sacrificing performance, particularly if powered with diesel engines.” DW