“Hardbodies and Hustlers” Versions of the Nissan Frontier Pickup Will Inspire Your Adventures
Sara Lacey
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Now you can stop daydreaming and start driving.
Our trucks inspire us to do a lot of things. DIY backyard oases, weekend dirt biking, finally bringing home a pony that you can keep forever. Nissan Frontier‘s American designers get this, and are inspired, too. So they’ve been hard at work making some special versions of the 2022 Frontier Crew Cab pickup truck.
Nissan introduced these fun versions at the Chicago Auto Show where they will be on display through February 21st. We hope they will also be on the floor of an auto show near you; they are a lot of fun.
The idea came about as the Nissan team realized that pickup truck culture is more varied that it has ever been. The modified Frontiers are also intended to inspire Frontier owners to customize their trucks.
The new Frontier is more rugged than before and ready for outdoor adventure, but these new concepts provide some special factory and aftermarket gadgets and features to appeal to these new groups of pickup truck buyers. Each concept will be available in three trims-: S, SV and PRO-4X. Pricing has not been released, but here is the breakdown of the designs.
Related: 5 Things I Love About the 2022 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X Crew Cab Mid-Size Truck
The Frontier 72x has just enough retro to feel old school, but still, it’s a 2022 Nissan Frontier. Photo: Scotty Reiss
2022 Nissan Frontier Project 72X Frontier
Nissan says this Frontier concept is inspired by the Datsun 720. It was the first vehicle assembled by Nissan in America (in 1983) when it was produced at the Nissan Plant in Smyrna, Georgia. Its nickname was “Lil Hustler” and was aimed at capturing outdoor enthusiasts.
The 2022 concept gives a nod to the Lil Hustler with its use of gray color and graphics. White painted steel wheels house PRO-4X tires, and there is also a 2.5 inch lift kit and a sport bar.
Related: Six Missouri Destinations, Three Days and One Tank of Gas in the 2022 Nissan Frontier Pickup Truck
The Nissan Frontier Hardbody is right at home on the beaches of California, Baywatch style. Photo: Scotty Reiss
2022 Nissan Frontier Project Hardbody
This particular concept is a nod to the iconic Nissan D21 “Hardbody” pickup truck. In case the idea of driving a hardbody makes you blush, rest assured that the term doesn’t have anything to do with abs. “Hardbody” refers to the double-wall bed of the D21, and its popular, aggressive stance. It was a favorite off-road truck, and was also popular on the beaches of San Diego, where Nissan Design America is based.
Okay, I’ll get on with it! Project Hardbody has fun 80’s inspired decals, a 3-inch lift kit with 33 inch tires, Nissan PRO-4X overfenders, a light bar, and a bed-mounted spare tire. It definitely looks like it would be fun to take to the mountains or the beach. I’ll take one with a campfire and s’mores in either locale, please!
Related: Nissan Goes Rugged but Approachable with Its 2022 Pathfinder and Frontier
Really get away from it all with the gear and capability you need in NIssan’s Project Adventure version of the Frontier pickup truck. Photo: Scotty Reiss
2022 Nissan Frontier Project Adventure
The Project Adventure concept is designed for those who love overlanding. What is that, you ask? It’s a mix of camping, orienteering, and adventure. If you are totally into this idea or even better, actually into doing it, Project Adventure is for you. It’s a 2022 Frontier Crew Cab that has an atlas wrap, Yakima bed rack, Yakima LoadWarrior roof basket with sky tent, bed audio system, and a custom designed snorkel. Yes, I said snorkel. It also has a 5-inch lift kit and 34-inch mud tires. This is the truck to take you into the wild Frontier. Yeah, I said it.
All these concepts are equipped with a V6 that’s going to give you 310 horsepower. They are also equipped with shift-on-the-fly 4-wheel drive. That means you don’t have to pull over and stop to engage into 4WD.
It will be fun to see how these concepts do at the show. We will take pictures and add them here. In the meantime, we hope this gives you some inspiration!