Ready to assume its role as the sole pickup in Nissan’s U.S. lineup following the full-size Titan’s departure, the 2025 Nissan Frontier gets several updates to keep it relevant in the hotly contested midsize truck segment.
Photo: Jeff Youngs
Since our last review of the 2022 Nissan Frontier, the truck has received a slew of updates, culminating in a minor refresh in 2025. Here’s a rundown of the most significant changes over the past few years:
The 2025 Frontier also boasts increased towing capability. Last but not least, Nissan’s new Maintenance Care program gives Frontier buyers up to three free oil changes during the initial two-year (or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first) ownership period.
Nissan’s midsize truck is available in two cab sizes, two bed lengths, and five trim levels (S, SV, Pro-X, Pro-4X, and SL), equipped with either rear-wheel drive (RWD) or four-wheel drive (4WD). The S and SV trims are available in two-door extended cab (Nissan calls it a “King Cab”) or four-door crew cab body styles, while the Pro-X, Pro-4X, and SL come exclusively as a crew cab. Prices range from $32,050 for the King Cab S RWD to $45,610 for the Crew Cab SL Long Bed 4WD. Prices do not include the $1,510 destination charge.
For this review of the 2025 Frontier, Nissan provided a test vehicle equipped with SL trim and the following options:
The test vehicle’s price was $47,750, including the $1,510 destination charge to ship the truck to your local dealership from the Nissan assembly plant in Canton, Mississippi.
Photo: Jeff Youngs
A new front fascia, grille, and bumper design headline the exterior updates to the 2025 Nissan Frontier. While not a significant change, the facelift keeps the Frontier’s squared-off front end looking fresh. A sliding rear window is newly standard on all trims, and there’s a new tailgate finisher on Pro-X and Pro-4X trims, which doesn’t add any functionality but, again, keeps things fresh. A new 17-inch wheel design on SV and higher trims and a new exterior paint color—Afterburn Orange—round out the exterior design changes.
Nissan also expands the availability of its crew cab/long bed configuration for 2025. Previously, it was only available with SV trim, but now buyers can also get the six-foot-long bed with the crew cab on Pro-4X and SL trims. With the recent discontinuation of the full-size Nissan Titan, the increased availability of the longer bed with the larger cab adds flexibility and capability to the Frontier lineup. In fact, it might just keep some would-be Titan buyers from defecting to another brand.
While the updates to the 2025 Frontier’s nose, tailgate, and wheels have a minimal effect on the truck’s aesthetics and zero benefits from a functionality standpoint, the ability to get the long bed on more crew cab trims is much more impactful. After all, this is a truck; functionality rules the day. With the Titan gone, Nissan would do well to expand the Frontier’s functionality even further.
Moving to the interior, every 2025 Frontier gets updated dashboard trim, a telescopic steering wheel, and a sunglasses holder. In addition, SV and higher trims add two-way power lumbar adjustment to the six-way power driver’s seat, a four-way power passenger seat is now standard on Pro-X and higher trims, and the SL gains a new wireless phone charger as standard equipment.
Like the exterior, none of the interior changes alone is a game changer. It’s more of a value-added thing, Nissan upping the Frontier’s comfort and convenience levels to give customers more bang for their buck—something shoppers looking at midsize trucks are likely very interested in.
Photo: Jeff Youngs
Like the design changes, the updates to the 2025 Frontier’s infotainment and safety technologies are relatively minor but not insignificant. Most noteworthy is the upgrade to a larger 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, which is standard on all but the base S trim (it carries on with an 8-inch screen). The setup now includes wireless Android Auto with its wireless Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring.
While an improvement over the smaller screen, the new 12.3-inch infotainment display doesn’t move the bar compared to the competition. The increased real estate makes viewing and selecting individual icons and adjusting settings easier. Still, the system lacks the refinement of those found in its competition, and the voice-command system isn’t particularly robust.
On the plus side, Nissan retains the physical volume and tuning knobs that make common adjustments easy. Also, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto add convenience while helping to eliminate unsightly and unwieldy wires in the console area. I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention the test vehicle’s 10-speaker Fender premium audio system, which sounded terrific while cranking Hair Nation on SiriusXM satellite radio.
In addition to infotainment, Nissan enhances the Frontier’s camera and safety technologies for 2025. A surround-view camera becomes standard on the SL, and the camera’s Off-Road mode now operates at speeds up to 12 mph. This allows off-roaders to increase their crawl speed and identify potential hazards while doing so.
On the safety tech front, the 2025 Frontier gets several newly standard advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), including blind-spot warning, adaptive cruise control, and rear parking sensors. Additionally, traffic-sign recognition joins the standard Safety Shield 360 ADAS suite on the SL. In my opinion, the enhancements to the standard ADAS package are yet another example of added value. They are much more impactful than any design-related improvements.
Photo: Jeff Youngs
While its competitors use four-cylinder engines, the Nissan Frontier differentiates itself by employing a standard 3.8-liter V6. However, the two extra cylinders don’t necessarily give it an advantage regarding horsepower and torque. While the Frontier’s 310 hp equals that of the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon and tops the base engine output of the Ford Ranger (270) and the Toyota Tacoma (278), its 281 pound-feet of torque lags that of the GM twins (430) by a significant margin.
The numbers notwithstanding, the Frontier is a strong performer. It pulls hard off the line, though wide-open throttle at higher speeds results in some engine harshness before the nine-speed automatic transmission shifts to the next gear. Overall, however, the transmission handles shifts adeptly and is drama-free.
Regarding ride and handling, while the Frontier is smoother in that department than the previous generation, there’s no getting around the fact that it has a solid rear axle. With an empty cargo bed, the Frontier’s rear end bounces and skitters over potholes, bumps, and uneven pavement. While that’s true of most body-on-frame pickups, the Frontier’s rear end is busy, even at low speeds. On the plus side, the brake pedal feel is good, with quick response and strong stopping performance.
Being a truck, the Frontier’s primary purpose is to tow and haul. For 2025, Nissan increases the Frontier’s towing capacity by about 500 pounds across the board. The truck’s new maximum towing capacity now sits at 7,150 pounds—up from 6,640 pounds. Meanwhile, the maximum payload remains the same at 1,620 pounds.
At 19 mpg combined, the Frontier 4WD’s EPA fuel economy is anywhere from one to three mpg worse than competitors equipped with base engines and 4WD. According to the trip computer, my test vehicle averaged 19 mpg during my evaluation. Although it’s nice to boast about having a standard V6, Nissan is clearly at a disadvantage regarding fuel economy. As other automakers shift to smaller displacement, more fuel-efficient turbocharged engines, perhaps there’s a VC-Turbo in the Frontier’s future.
Photo: Jeff Youngs
With the Titan having exited stage left, the Frontier is now the torch bearer as Nissan’s sole pickup truck. To keep it competitive with its midsize adversaries—and potentially appeal to full-size truck buyers—the Frontier’s updates for 2025 keep it in the race, but is it enough? After all, a facelift is not a radical design departure. The same goes for the other enhancements for 2025. They don’t raise the bar—they simply help maintain the Frontier’s current position.
For the Nissan Frontier to gain traction, it must break new ground—in design, capability, fuel economy, affordability, or all of the above. However, with Nissan’s current challenges, we’ll likely see incremental changes to the Frontier each year rather than something groundbreaking. No matter what Nissan does with the Frontier, one thing is sure: GM, Ford, and Toyota will continue moving the ball forward in the midsize truck market.
Jeff Youngs has 30 years of experience in the auto industry, including 19 years with JD Power in marketing and editorial management roles. He also spent five years with General Motors as a media relations professional. More recently, as a freelance automotive journalist, his work has appeared on Autotrader, Autolist, Capital One Auto Navigator, CarGurus, iSeeCars, JDPower.com, and Kelley Blue Book.
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