An open-air pickup with a midgate passthrough would be incredibly cool.
Nissan just patented what could be a massive conversion kit for the Frontier pickup, one that clearly takes inspiration from both the Jeep Wrangler and Chevy Avalanche. With this conversion, the Nissan Frontier would get a removable roof, a cargo box with removable panels, and even a bed-to-cab passthrough.
Tim Esterdahl from Pickup Truck + SUV Talk spotted this 18-page patent that would turn the Frontier into an open-air overlanding pickup. It seems that the Frontier’s cab would have some sort of soft-top panel, which either folds back or is removable, to provide a Wrangler-like open roof. Though, unlike the Wrangler, the doors don’t seem to be removable.
Behind the cab would be a rigid bed cap that would have soft removable panels on top and the sides. And in between the bed and the cab, there would be a passthrough, allowing either passengers or gear to freely move back and forth between the cab and the bed, not unlike the Chevy Avalanche. However, unlike the Avalanche, Nissan’s patented passthrough doesn’t require folding the rear seats down or unlatching a large midgate. Instead, there’s just a small cover, which is held on with two simple latches. A watertight rubber seal sits in between the cab and the bed, to keep the passthrough sealed but still allow for the flex inherent in body-on-frame pickups.
Nissan | USPTO
With all of the panels removed and the passthrough open, passengers would have an incredibly airy environment, one that would be well-suited for overlanding duty. It would also make the Frontier incredibly unique among pickups in its class.
Is Nissan actually going to offer this overlanding kit as an option for Frontiers? It looks like it would require significant modification to the cab’s roof and rear bulkhead, so it would surprise me if Nissan actually were to actually offer this conversion for existing Frontiers. Or is Nissan making a special edition Frontier with these features? That seems more likely and would be incredibly cool. It’s also possible that this is just an idea Nissan patented that goes unused, as automakers regularly patent ideas for potential future use and then never do anything with them. However, I do hope this makes it to production in one form or another because it’s a cool idea that would make the Frontier unique in the world of small pickups.
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