Overlanding, or back-country adventure travel as it used to be known, has become all the rage these days. After what feels like years cooped-up, Americans are eager to get outside and explore again. And increasingly this means getting out of the city, off the beaten path, and deep into the wonderful parts of our great country that few people ever have the opportunity to experience. Auto manufacturers have taken notice as well and have begun offering a wide range of off-road-capable vehicles right from the factory. Fully decked-out overland rigs have also become the focus of the latest class of concept vehicles, with Nissan’s 2022 Frontier Project Adventure being the latest.
A Stout PRO-4x Base
When building the Project Adventure concept, Nissan started with its already immensely capable 2022 Frontier PRO-4x. The PRO-4x comes with shift-on-the-fly four-wheel drive, an electronically locking rear differential, hill descent control, Bilstein monotube dampers, and a bevy of skidplates standard. This trim also gets Lava Red grille accents and red front tow hooks in addition to LED headlights, fog lamps, and daytime running lights. Under the hood is Nissan’s 3.8-liter V-6 engine, which pumps out 310 hp and 281 lb-ft of torque. All 2022 Nissan Frontiers also come standard with a nine-speed automatic transmission.
A New Altitude
While the 2022 Nissan Frontier PRO-4x is a solid off-roader in its own right, Nissan aimed to show that the truck is also a fantastic base for those desiring a more extreme overland build. To do this, Nissan Design America started by giving the Project Adventure concept a bit more altitude by installing a 5-inch Calmini lift kit complete with adjustable upper control arms. This added lift allowed for the installation of larger 34-inch (285/75R17) BFGoodrich Mud Terrain T/A KM3 off-road tires. For reference, the standard tire Nissan uses on the Frontier PRO-4x is a 265/70R17, which measures out to about 31.6 inches tall.
Built For The Backwoods
While the interior of the 2022 Nissan Frontier Project Adventure was left largely factory, Nissan Design America added a full host of exterior accessories aimed at making time spent off the grid more enjoyable. This starts with a Yakima OverHaul System bed rack over the truck’s 5-foot bed. Mounted to the Yakima rack is an iKamper Skycamp 2.0 rooftop tent (or, rather, platform tent in this case). The bed-mounted rack also sports a pair of RotoPaX jerrycans along with a pair of RotoTraX recovery boards. In the bed, the Nissan Frontier is fitted with the company’s optional spray-in bedliner and Utili-track System, which makes securing cargo such as the necessary cooler and recovery gear a breeze.
Also mounted up high, this time on the truck’s roof, is a Yakima LoadWarrior cargo basket. Mounted to the cargo basket are a DMOS folding shovel and Hi-Lift jack, along with a weatherproof storage bag for hauling additional necessities, such as recovery gear. A massive 50-inch E-Series LED light bar from Rigid Industries is mounted above the truck’s windshield, providing plenty of illumination for after-dark adventuring. Rounding out the build is a custom one-of-a-kind carbon fiber snorkel, which was designed and crafted by Nissan Design America. The truck also sports a unique “U.S. Atlas” vinyl wrap.
Genuine Nissan Accessories
Concepts like this 2022 Nissan Frontier Project Adventure are great for displaying what can be done and building interest around a vehicle platform. They also make for fantastic display boards of optional factory or dealer installed equipment that is currently offered (or coming soon) as well. The Project Adventure Frontier is fitted with several parts from the Genuine Nissan Accessories catalog. These include the awesome tailgate audio system by Kicker ($400), black Frontier tailgate lettering ($140), off-road step rails with removable steps ($650), and black exhaust tip ($80).
Get Out And Get Dirty
While we appreciate all of the overland concepts that have come to fruition in the past several years, the Nissan Frontier Project Adventure finds a special place in our heart. We love that Nissan opted to build this concept with its midsize Frontier, as we’ve been big fans of the truck’s more nimble proportions ever since its debut. We also love that, for the most part, everything on this truck seems to work well together to accomplish the goal of getting out into nature, without taking on a lot of the fluff that’s seemingly overrun the industry. In a word, the truck feels pure, and we appreciate that.
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