The all-new half-ton 2017 Nissan Titan Pro-4X Crew Cab is on its way to dealership lots, adding to the already available Titan XD in Nissan showrooms. We’ve spent some quality time off-road in the smaller lighter Titan, getting a good feel for its capabilities and strengths.

Compared to the Titan XD Pro-4X, the half-ton is lighter by about 800 pounds and shorter by 11-inches. This gives it a number of inherent benefits for off-roading including a better break-over angle of 21.7 degrees. It also has nearly two more inches of ground clearance at 10.8-inches.

This makes it more agile and maneuverable on paper but how does it feel? You won’t be shocked to discover it feels lighter and more agile when crawling around off-road and getting into some tight spots.

The Pro-4X comes with a healthy hardware package that makes it the number one choice for those looking to go off-pavement a lot. These include skid plates at the front below the bumper, one under the engine oil pan, transfer case and the fuel tank.

Bilstein dampers all around along with General Grabber APT off-road tires tune the suspension for a better ride and articulation while an electronic locking rear differential keeps you moving when not all wheels are on the ground.

Hill descent control is also standard on the Pro-4X, an easy to engage system that maintains a crawling speed on slippery slopes quite well. These are combined with a refined hydraulic power steering rack with a check valve to reduce kickback over rocks and obstacles.

The ride is improved as well by way of hydraulic cab mounts and new urethane jounce bumpers that work with its fully boxed frame to offer up less bounce and shake than the last generation.

There’s a number of visual that come with the Pro-4X too including its unique 20-inch wheels, the obligatory graphics and the aforementioned front skid plate that’s powder coated silver. Inside as well it gets its own seating and trim that has a more sporting flavor than the other trim grades.

Here you also get a unique 4×4 power delivery and status screen for the instrument cluster. And optional is a special version of Nissan’s Around View Monitor that can spot you on the trail, including a special view of the right front tire.

Like the Titan XD, the half-ton Titan Pro-4X comes with the new 5.6 liter Endurance V8 with now 390 horsepower and 394 pound-feet of torque that goes through a seven-speed automatic transmission. That power is extra handy in low range where a special throttle map makes precise throttle control easier over the rough parts.

The big takeaway here is that the half-ton Titan Pro-4X feels a good bit lighter on its feet than its XD big brother. Chassis and handling feel is on par I think with the Toyota TRD. And if you’re asking about more? Rumor is Nissan has another off-road model higher than the Pro-4X up their sleeve.

We’ve also test driven the new half-ton 2017 Nissan Titan Crew Cab on the pavement and have a separate review on that with more detail on the truck itself, pricing information, and more about the truck’s new 5-year/100,000 bumper to bumper warranty.