In this week’s Ask Nathan:
- What is up with Nissan’s Future Trucks?
- Where is the Hyundai Genesis Coupe replacement?
- YouTube self-promotion is out of control!
The first question comes from a fan who wants to know what is up with Nissan’s future trucks.
Q: (Via: Twitter@NathanAdlen) Dude! What is up with Nissan’s future trucks?
I know you like the Titan but the look is BOR-R-RING!!! Tell me that Nissan’s future trucks will look less bland! Their sales depend on it!!!
— Jill
A: Yeah, we were all hoping that Nissan would pump out more aggressive designs.
With that being said, they have made real strides in other departments. All of their trucks are benefitting from a nicer interior design with more competitive accessories. While the Titan still has cheap-feeling door panels (hard plastic et-al), the rest of the interior is quite nice.
The 2021 Armada has a bolder design, including a much better looking light setup. It still has some of the old tech underneath, but its a nicer place to be, with slightly better off-road dimensions.
Considering the importance of the upcoming 2021 Nissan Frontier, we suspect the automaker will make it as competitive as possible in terms of interior design, amenities and (hopefully) off-road tech. All indications point to a vehicle that will use and surpass many of the Toyota Tacoma’s benchmarks.
As for sales, it’s true – Nissan is hurting a in some areas. Last year (2019), Nissan sold less than 35,000 Titans in North America. To put that into perspective, Ford sells abut double that amount every month in 2019. Nissan simply cannot compete with the “Big Three” with annual sales, but that doesn’t mean they can’t build a competitive truck.
My issue isn’t the look of the truck. I mean, sure, it would look amazing if they made it look more like the Titan Warrior concept. That’s not happening anytime soon. To be honest, I think that Nissan’s pricing is a bit too steep. If they want to play this game, they need a lower entry price – regardless of what the competition offers.
I know the bones are good, I know the half-ton Titan is one of the best handling trucks on the street. Off-road, it holds its own against the Trail Boss, Rebel, FX4 and TRD Pro. Making it look cool would be awesome, but making it (much) more affordable across the board would help even more.
The next question comes from a Hyundai fan who wants a modern Genesis two-door sports car.
Q: Hi Nathan. I have owned Hyundai sport coupes since I had a 2003 Hyundai Tiburon.
In 18 years I owned a 2003 and 2008 Tiburon and a 2010 and 2015 Hyundai Genesis coupe. I have a 2019 Veloster and I like it a lot but it’s not as fun as my rear drive Genesis coupe. I was wondering why Hyundai and Genesis won’t build the coupe anymore.
Thank you for your fun shows and great Sunday read. I am a big fan and I’m happy to see that you are back!
– Jack C K
A: Thanks for the email!
I miss the Hyundai Genesis coupe too. It was like a more useable Z, and it was an awesome GT car.
Unfortunately, public demand for the coupe fell off a cliff around 2016. Its last full year on sale saw less than 1,200 sold in all of North America. People were more interested in entry-level pony cars that were comparably priced. On top of that, it was built on an old platform and Hyundai saw greater value in keeping the Genesis name it’s own luxury brand name – no sports coupes needed.
With that being said, there are lots of rumors swirling around Hyundai and Genesis considering a mid-engine sports car. There are even rumors about a spin-off of the Kia Stinger that would be comparable to something like an EcoBoost Mustang, but with all-wheel drive. Mind you, these are rumors, but Hyundai is always full of surprises.
Stay tuned!
– N
The last question/comment comes from an angry viewer who is displease with YouTubers self-promotion.
Q: (Via: Twitter@NathanAdlen) Why do YouTubers think they are more important than the cars they talk about?
(Paraphrased and edited) I doubt you’ll post this. But if you do I need you to tell me why I see YouTubers faces all over the place and barely any car. You guys are not the worst but there are times you get stupid with promotional shots for clickbait. Stupid poses and stupid looks on their faces like a million other YouTubers. I’m sick of it!
– Erin PL
A: Thanks for the message!
Imagine this: You have to promote your business, and to do so, you need to market your brand. I know it can be a bit obnoxious, but in order for people to get connected to the content people (like us) are trying to promote, we have to show more than just the vehicle. People click on various YouTube personalities not just because of what they are promoting, but who is doing the promoting as well.
Sure, some people (including us) may be a bit obnoxious, but we have to find a way to get noticed.
On the other hand, I too become grumpy when I see the presenter acting more important than the vehicle in question. We try to stay away from inflated egos, but we’re not perfect either. Sometimes, we talk about calming things down, or – adding more energy. A lot of what we do on video has to do with viewer feedback. We honestly do read comments and react when we see a trend.
If you ever think we are being unreasonable, overindulgent or too obnoxious – let us know. At the very least, we care about making our viewers happy.
Now, how about buying a TFL Studios tee-shirt? 😁
— N
Speaking of excessive…
