Few modern Nissans are as in-your-face as what you see here, and that’s entirely by design. What appears to be a highly modified Pro-4X pickup provides only half of the story. Under the sheet metal, this isn’t what it appears to be. That was intentional, too.
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Nissan recently invited Carscoops to tour its Tennessee production facilities, and this truck was how we got around. From behind the wheel, we got a taste of something that few ever do. Rather than a prototype of some future trim level, this truck is the product of an internal memo at Nissan.
Quick Facts
SWIPE
The goal was to build a show truck. Something that would turn heads and help prospective buyers and current owners visualize what’s possible with deeper pockets. In our time with the Frontier, we found that there’s plenty to enjoy visually. And there’s more substance behind the flashy looks, too.
Styling With a Wink
The paint you see here is what Nissan calls Citrus Strike. It’s new for 2026, and the name makes sense. It certainly is striking. That’s especially true compared to most of Nissan’s popular paint colors. It stays that way in most scenarios too because Nissan requires employees to clean it at the end of every use. This Frontier goes beyond a simple hue, though.
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There’s a unique NISMO hood decal with topographical elements and location coordinates. NISMO included its own auxiliary lighting pods as well. One sits on each upper edge of the hood. There are two more perched on the top of the NISMO roof rack over the cab. All four come on with the flick of a switch.
Photos Stephen Rivers / Carscoops
Behind the cab, there is a bed-mounted accessory rack built out of texturized steel. It’s full of anchor points, and each side features a gun case. Of course, owners could affix just about anything they might want to the rack on either side. Recovery treads, off-road jacks, or other accessories would work just as well.
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A set of 265/70/17 BF Goodrich KO2 tires provide excellent grip while being wrapped around NISMO Off Road Axis Black beadlock capable wheels. Put simply, anybody could roll into a Nissan dealer tomorrow and order what you see here. And that’s a bit ironic considering what’s under the exterior of this truck.
Interior Segment
When one opens the door of this show truck, they’ll find a badge that might make them wonder if the factory made a mistake on this build. The backrests say “Pro-X,” which is objectively different from the Pro-4X badges on the tailgate of this truck. That’s because underneath everything, this is a two-wheel-drive Pro-X trim, not the 4WD version denoted by the term Pro-4X.
It’s not the only change to this truck from the standard Frontier, but we’ll circle back to that later. For now, let’s focus on what it’s like to occupy this cabin. The seats are comfortable and feature good lateral bolstering.
Photos Stephen Rivers / Carscoops
As we highlighted in our review of the 2025 Frontier, this is the truck for old-school truck lovers. The controls are all exactly where one would expect. Forget fussing around with a touchscreen to activate headlights or to pop the bed. Every major function one might need in a quick flash is available via a physical control.
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At the same time, Nissan’s 12.3-inch infotainment system looks great, integrates seamlessly with Android and Apple, and responds to requests very quickly. If there’s anything we can see customers complaining about, it might be the abundance of cheaper-looking and feeling plastic throughout the cabin. The reality is that such materials can be a real benefit for those who plan to do real work with this truck.
The back seats could also be a cause for complaint as they’re quite cramped. That said, it’s worth noting that this entire segment has the same issue. Some brands offer trucks that have even less space than you see here. Toyota and its special TRD Pro IsoDynamic seats leave a comically small amount of space.
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We’re happy to report that while the Frontier has tight rear seats, they still feature the same quality of upholstery and design as the fronts. The bed in this case offers five feet from front to back, along with a payload of 1,590 pounds.
Drive Impressions
In the same way that this Nissan has some old-school touches in the cabin, it drives sort of like an old-school truck, too. We’ve known that since testing a couple of different versions late last year.
What surprised us was that this Frontier in particular felt different. Stock versions of this truck from 2025 featured heavy steering at slow speeds and a chassis that could get unsettled when nothing was in the bed.
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This Frontier still suffers from heavier steering, but the tires soak up poor road conditions so well that it feels more direct. The entire truck is better settled and tracks nicely when given direction. The kickback and twitchiness we experienced on stock wheels and tires with nothing in the bed of other Frontiers doesn’t exist in this show truck.
The VQ38DD V6 under the hood continues to provide ample, naturally aspirated power at just about every RPM. Would we love more power? Sure, but the 310 ponies (231 kW) and 281 lb-ft (380 Nm) of peak torque on offer are more than enough for everyday tasks.
The nine-speed automatic that transfers power to, in this case, the rear wheels, is very smooth. As we noted last year, it’s not a very fuel-efficient truck, and no doubt, bigger tires and a roof rack won’t help that either.
On the road, this was a joy to drive. It turned heads and provided solid feedback throughout the experience. The pedals allow for nuanced engagement and they respond as one expects. The one other issue with the cabin popped up though.
This special show truck has very dark red tint on the windows making visibility very limited. Off-road, this truck was surprisingly capable. Our time with it included some muddy fields, gravel, and plain-old dirt.
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Despite sending power to just a pair of wheels, the truck had zero issue managing the terrain. Some of that comes down to the tires but it’s worth noting that the truck handled it just fine. Would it be better to have 4WD for such antics? Absolutely. In a show truck, real-world usability isn’t always the priority.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, this Frontier isn’t some unobtainable SEMA unicorn, that barely moves under its own power, built by a skunkworks department in secrecy. It’s a statement piece. Nissan took a regular Pro-X, draped it in attitude, and used it to show what’s achievable with factory-backed parts and a little imagination.
After spending time behind the wheel, we walked away with two takeaways: first, the Frontier remains a solid, charmingly traditional pickup that drives better than the spec sheet suggests. And second, Nissan understands that buyers want trucks with personality and they’re willing to help supply it.
Is the Citrus Strike Frontier a bit of theater? Absolutely. But that’s part of the fun. Nissan didn’t build this for the spec nerds or the spreadsheet warriors. They built it for the kid in the parking lot who points at it and says, “That one.” And in a segment flooded with seriousness… towing numbers, payload charts, and technical acronyms we’re glad Nissan still remembers how to have fun with a truck.