NEW $22K Nissan Pickup Truck Is a Bargain for What It Can Do, But Price Isn't Even the Best Part!

Nissan's new NP300 pickup is heading to America at around $22,000, which is a bargain for what it can do, but price isn't even the best part. If you need a truck that tows, hauls, and works hard but won't spend over $30,000, your options have been close to zero. Most people believe a cheap pickup has to be a soft, car-based compromise, but the NP300 is a genuine body-on-frame truck, and it has already proven itself in Mexico. Genuine body-on-frame truck. These days, the words affordable and pickup are showing up together more often. Ford has the Maverick, and Hyundai has the Santa Cruz. Ram and Toyota are preparing the Rampage and the Stout, but almost all of them share one thing. They're built on car-based unibody platforms with a cargo bed added in the back. Don't get us wrong, these trucks are doing a great job as daily drivers. They're comfortable, efficient, and easy to park. But once real work enters the picture, the story changes. Towing and payload ratings stay modest, and rugged use is hardly on the menu. Therefore, plenty of buyers are getting an affordable pickup, but not a genuine truck. This is exactly the pattern the NP300 is about to break. It's not a concept, and it's not a prototype. It's a proven midsize truck that's been hauling and towing in Mexico and other markets for years. And underneath, it's riding on a traditional body-on-frame chassis. That's the same recipe found in trucks that cost far more. More precisely, the NP300 is using the D23 platform. It's shared with the Navara, sold in Australia, Europe, and beyond. But the NP300 is going to be the stripped-down, work-focused sibling. Namely, the rear end is getting a solid axle with leaf springs, instead of the Navara's multi-link setup. It's simpler, it's tougher, and it's built to carry weight day after day. A rigid frame and a leaf-sprung axle sound great on paper, but they only matter if they turn into real work, and that's where the numbers get surprising. Designed for work Here's where a separate frame starts paying real dividends. It's handling stress in a completely different way than a unibody shell. Therefore, the NP300 is going to deliver work numbers from a higher price class. We're talking about midsize territory, trucks that usually start well above $30,000. Anyone who's towed close to a vehicle's limit knows the feeling. The trailer is shoving on every downhill, the engine is gasping on every climb, and your hands are glued to the wheel. That's what happens when a truck simply isn't built for the job. The NP300 is going to tow up to 6,600 pounds, right on par with the Toyota Tacoma. Compare that with currently cheapest pickups on the market, and the gap is hard to ignore. Plus, trailer stability assist is coming standard, applying the brakes the moment a trailer starts to sway. But towing is only half the equation. Payload is where the NP300 is going to embarrass much pricier rivals. Its max rating is going to sit at over 2,700 pounds. That's more than any compact or mid-size pickup on sale, and it's getting close to full-size numbers. For contractors, roofers, and farmers, that figure is going to mean fewer trips and less wasted fuel. Off the pavement, the NP300 is no slouch either. A limited slip rear differential and hill start assist are standard, along with respectable ground clearance. Muddy job sites and gravel farm roads are going to be well within its comfort zone, and yet the most valuable number on the spec sheet isn't measured in pounds at all. Genuine utility. It's measured in feet. Walk onto any dealer lot today, and nearly every compact or midsize pickup is a crew cab. Four doors, two rows of seats, and a bed that's getting shorter with every generation. It's a layout made for families, not for work. The NP300 is heading in the opposite direction. It's coming as a single cab, with one row of seats and zero family hauler ambitions. Therefore, all that saved length is going straight into the cargo area. That bed is going to measure 7.7 feet, sitting on a wheelbase that stretches past 124 inches. If you've ever hauled lumber in a shortbed truck, you know the routine — tailgate down, red flag tied on, and half the load hanging out into traffic. It's awkward, it's slow, and it's not exactly safe. A 7.7-foot bed is putting an end to that. It's longer than anything in the compact or midsize class, and it's matching most single-cab, full-size trucks. Plywood, pipe, fence posts — far more of the load will stay inside the bed where it belongs. There's also a chassis cab version on the menu. Without a factory bed, it's ready to become a flatbed, a dump body, or a utility box. In short, almost anything a business needs. A huge bed and a flexible chassis are a great start, but they're useless if the engine gives up halfway through the workday which brings us under the hood. Powertrain Here, Nissan is playing it smart by not playing it fancy. Many modern pickups are relying on small turbo engines, complex hybrids, or pricey V6 units. The NP300 is sticking with a good old 2.5-liter inline-four, naturally aspirated and refreshingly simple. It makes 166 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque. That's not going to win any drag races. But this engine was never designed to impress at a stoplight. It was designed to work. Most truck owners know the sinking feeling of a check engine light right after the warranty runs out. With a complex turbo engine, that light often means a four-figure repair bill. The 2.5-liter, on the other hand, has been in Nissan's lineup for many years. Its weak points are well-known, and its parts are everywhere. Therefore, maintenance is going to stay cheap and easy, and durability is going to be a strong suit. Even under heavy loads, this engine is going to keep doing its job day after day. A manual gearbox is part of the deal in Mexico. But for American buyers, we presume an automatic transmission will join the lineup as well. Then there's a second option, a hybrid version that Nissan is preparing for this truck. It's going to add extra torque for pulling and hauling while cutting down trips to the gas station. Still, there's a catch. The hybrid is going to come with a higher sticker price, so buyers will have to pick their priority, savings at the pump or at the dealership. Simple engineering is keeping running costs down, but Nissan didn't stop there. The same thinking is shaping everything you can see and touch. Straightforward design. That philosophy is continuing on the outside. At first glance, the NP300 looks a lot like the Navara. The front end and the overall shape are similar, but a closer look reveals a very different personality. Think about the last time a painted bumper got scraped on a job site. A simple scuff can easily turn into a few hundred dollars at the body shop. The NP300 is sidestepping that problem with black plastic bumpers and steel wheels. They're not flashy, but they're cheap to replace, and they're not afraid of hard use. The cabin is following the same no-nonsense formula. Forget big touchscreens, ambient lighting, or soft leather. Instead, Instead, the NP300 is getting durable plastics, manual air conditioning, and a simple audio system with Bluetooth. It's built for dusty boots and spilled coffee, not for showroom applause. Safety, however, isn't getting the bare-bones treatment. Six airbags and vehicle dynamic control are coming as standard, and we have no doubt the US version is going to add a few more features to meet local regulations. Basic plastics and steel wheels might not sound exciting, but they're the reason the price tag is about to surprise a lot of people. date and price. Patience is going to be required here. The NP300 isn't arriving tomorrow. It's expected to hit the U.S. market in about two or three years. Nissan is going to need that time to adapt the truck for American roads and rules. But once it lands, the price is going to be hard to argue with. The starting price should sit around $22,000. That's a figure usually reserved for small sedans, not real trucks. Meanwhile, the Maverick keeps creeping toward $30,000, and midsize rivals start well above that line. The Frontier, on the other hand, is going to remain Nissan's more upscale, more refined offer. There's one more thing to keep in mind. The NP300 is built at Nissan's Cuernavaca plant in Mexico, and trade rules are still shifting. Therefore, the final number could move a bit. Even with a small increase, it's going to remain one of the most affordable new trucks around, and it'll be the only one at that price with a real frame underneath. So, the NP300 is shaping up as a rare combination. It's bringing a body-on-frame chassis, a full-size class bed, and mid-size work ratings, all for the price of a compact car. The title promised that price isn't the best part, and that's true. The best part is a truck that's going to do real work without asking for compromises. Ford, Toyota, and Ram are all chasing budget buyers with car-based pickups. But if Nissan delivers on this recipe, will they still be selling the right kind of truck? Different manufacturers have different visions of affordable utility and some of them are not necessarily chasing numbers that punch way above the prices of their trucks. One of them is the Toyota Hilux Champ, which you can check out in our next video. Instead of focusing on towing and payload figures, this truck is aimed at buyers who need flexibility and can turn their vehicle into anything they need.