Nissan's full-size truck program made a big step forward in 2017 with the introduction of a second-generation Titan wearing bigger and bolder styling to better compete for eyeballs in North America's super-competitive full-size pickup marketplace.

It's not possible to overstate the importance of big pickups on this continent, especially for those brands who find the right combination of powertrains and body configurations. So far, we'd argue Nissan's doing a better job of that than Toyota's Tundra, but it's a constant uphill battle against the domestic juggernauts in this class: the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra and Ram 1500.

For 2018, the Titan carries over unchanged save for the addition of a Midnight Edition trim package available on the SV Crew Cab model, which adds to that truck 20-inch black wheels, dark exterior and interior accents and headlights and black step rails.

The Titan is offered in a Regular Cab form with an eight-foot bed, in King Cab configuration with a 6.5-foot bed or as a Crew Cab with a 5.5-foot bed.

The strongest Titan can to up to 9,390 lbs (4,259 kg) and payload tops out at 1,610 lbs (730 kg). There's also a half-ton Titan XD, covered in a separate buyer's guide entry.

While Nissan has made noises about adding a V6 engine for entry-level buyers, thus far all Titans share a 5.6L V8 that makes 390 hp and 394 lb-ft of torque. It comes paired with a seven-speed automatic transmission and 4WD is standard in all trims but the entry-level single-cab Titan S.

Nissan offers the Titan in four trims: S (single and crew cabs), SV (single, king and crew cabs), Pro-4X (crew and king cabs) and Platinum Reserve (crew cab only).

S trim includes remote keyless entry, push-button start, backup camera, vinyl upholstery and a 5.0-inch display audio system are included on the S.

SV adds stain-resistant cloth upholstery, chrome exterior trim, and a full-colour instrument cluster display. Beyond bright body colours, the PRO-4X trim adds Bilstein off-road shocks, front bucket seats, a locking rear differential, hill descent control, and knobby tires.

Platinum Reserve gets leather seating, 20-inch chrome wheels, and a Rockford Fosgate premium audio system with 12 speakers. The Reserve ups the ante with premium leather upholstery, a heated steering wheel, 360-degree parking camera, ventilated seats and an integrated trailer-brake controller.

While the Titan can be equipped with blind-spot warning and rear cross-traffic alert, active safety features like dynamic cruise control and emergency automatic braking aren't on the menu.

Fuel consumption estimates range from 15.0/11.2 L/100 km (city/highway) for a RWD Titan to 15.9/11.9 in the Pro-4X model.