Nissan Frontier Ronin concept takes aim at Ford Ranger Raptor

Nissan has shown the Frontier Ronin concept, a heavily modified mid-size pickup truck built for hard off-road driving in the desert. The truck is designed to compete with the Ford Ranger Raptor.

The concept is built around a long-travel suspension, which lets the wheels move far up and down to soak up rough ground at speed. It also gets twin turbochargers borrowed from the Nissan R35 GT-R, the performance sports car. The truck rides on 35-inch tyres and has bucket seats inside.

The Frontier is Nissan's mid-size pickup, a class that sits between compact and full-size trucks. The Ronin concept takes that base and pushes it toward performance off-road use. The result is a hardcore desert runner, rather than a vehicle meant mainly for work or daily commuting.

The Ranger Raptor is the benchmark in this segment. Ford's high-performance version of the Ranger is sold as a serious off-road machine, and the Ronin concept is a direct challenger to it.

The Ranger is sold in India, so the comparison matters for local buyers who look at premium pickups. But the Frontier Ronin is a concept, not a production car. Nissan has not said it will be sold in India or anywhere else, and no price has been given.

It is not yet known whether Nissan plans to build the Ronin for sale, and if so, when and at what cost. The concept's specifications, including the engine output and the final suspension setup, have not been confirmed by the company.