The powerful look begins in the body-colored grille, which incorporates a faux bash guard made of tough plastic, an original design. The front end comes off as bulky without being big, and the rounded edges further suggest that pow!-in-your-face boxing-glove look. The hoodline is tall, the clear halogen headlights and round Maxima foglights are oversized, and the turn signals goggle-like. The large fender flares with integral mud flaps span radial wheel arches, and have a finish that's deliberately duller than the body. They're attached by prominent tabs that look like bolt heads, which cause people to walk up and see if they twist. There's something right about any design feature that draws people to touch it.

At the back, a new tailgate cover comes standard with a tailgate lock; the lock is designed to keep the tailgate itself from being stolen, not what's in the bed. Because tailgates get smashed so easily the demand for them is high, which keeps thieves busy; the lock should slow them down at least. The gas tank opening is boldly notched into a fender flare.

Four-spoke 16-inch alloy wheels use a simple cross pattern, and are fitted with P255/65R16 tires on the 2WD SE (like our test model); 4WD models come with wider and taller 265/70R16 tires. The supercharged SC, either 2WD or 4WD, is planted to the ground with tires that are both tall and wide, P265/55R17.

Crew Cab beds are about 20 inches shorter than standard Frontier beds. The Crew Cab bed holds just 33 cubic feet of cargo space, compared with 45.7 cubic feet for a Regular Cab model and 44.1 cubic feet for the remaining models. About 16 inches of length can be regained with an optional bed extender, a hinged aluminum rack that effortlessly flips back 180 degrees to frame the end of the lowered tailgate. Flip the bed extender forward, close the tailgate, and it provides a contained area for groceries or other small cargo. When you want it out of the way, the bed extender is quickly removed. (Unlike a solid tailgate, however, the bed extender won't hold back dirt or anything that can slip between the aluminum tubes.)

On the roof is a beefy tubular rack, first featured on the Xterra; it can be fitted with Yakima attachments to carry skis, snowboards and mountain bikes. Additionally, a bed-mounted bike rack is available.

The engine compartment is tidy and roomy, and everything looks well balanced and accessible. The hood closes with a solid thunk, as do the four doors.