2024 Nissan Frontier Hardbody Is an '80s Throwback Star

Retro version revealed with 2024 Frontier pricing

written by Kristin Shaw^{Contributor
Kristin Shaw has worked in the automotive industry as a freelance writer since 2012. Her first review was about a Ferrari F430, which is a great place to start for a lifelong enthusiast. She has tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the past decade, and some of her favorites include the C2 and C8 Corvette, Lamborghini Aventador S, BMW X5 and Toyota GR86. Her dream car is a restomod 1957 Chevy Bel Air in turquoise. She's competing in her first Rebelle Rally, an all-female off-roading competition, in the fall of 2022 in a lifted Hyundai Santa Cruz. Her work has also been seen in The Drive, AutoWise, GearJunkie, U.S. News & World Report, Forbes Wheels, Today, The Washington Post and more.}
9/15/2023
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Nissan announced pricing on its new 2024 Frontier pickup, starting at $31,105.
The brand added a new trim for the crew cab, the SL, which comes with upgrades in the midrange.
2024 will include the Hardbody Edition, a throwback to the 1980s truck.

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Nissan teased the retro stylings of the 2024 Nissan Frontier Hardbody earlier this month, giving fans of the 1980s a drool-worthy pickup to look forward to. The Japanese brand’s newest Frontier model is not debuting with any major changes, but the Hardbody Edition injects a fresh take.

Starting at $29,770 (plus $1,335 in destination and handling costs for a total of $31,105), the 2024 Frontier costs slightly more than the 2023 model. Nissan added a new SL trim on the four-door crew-cab models with niceties like leather-appointed seating, a premium Fender 10-speaker audio system and LED lighting.

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2024 Nissan Frontier Hardbody rear three-quarter

The Hardbody Edition starts with a crew-cab SV 4x4 and includes three-spoke, heritage-styled 17-inch alloy wheels wrapped in all-terrain tires. Off-road features like black over-fenders and side rail, mud flaps, a bed-mounted sport bar, and an aluminum skid plate give the truck a muscular feel.

What's old is new once more: Retro graphics like a prominent “4x4” on the front doors set the Hardbody apart along with a cutout Nissan logo that’s different from the garden-variety Frontier. Altogether, the 2024 Nissan Frontier Hardbody Edition adds $3,980 to the crew-cab SV 4x4 model for a total of $42,095.

Hiren Patel, project lead designer for Nissan, has a personal passion for this design.

"I was constantly searching for Hardbody trucks for sale online, and I had pictures of them up all over the studio," Patel said in a statement. "Even if you don't recognize or remember the original Hardbody, you're still going to say, 'That's a cool truck.'"

Available as a 2x4 or 4x4 pickup, the 2024 Frontier is equipped with the same 310-horsepower 3.8-liter V6 engine paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. When fully equipped, the Frontier can tow up to 6,640 pounds.

Buyers can choose between the crew cab and a King Cab — an extended cab with two doors. The crew cab is offered with a 5-foot or 6-foot bed depending on the trim level, and the latter is offered with a 6-foot bed. The 2024 model is on sale now.

Edmunds says

The Frontier isn't our first choice in midsize pickups, but the Hardbody makes it almost too cool to ignore.

by Kristin Shaw

Kristin Shaw has worked in the automotive industry as a freelance writer since 2012. Her first review was about a Ferrari F430, which is a great place to start for a lifelong enthusiast. She has tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the past decade, and some of her favorites include the C2 and C8 Corvette, Lamborghini Aventador S, BMW X5 and Toyota GR86. Her dream car is a restomod 1957 Chevy Bel Air in turquoise. She's competing in her first Rebelle Rally, an all-female off-roading competition, in the fall of 2022 in a lifted Hyundai Santa Cruz. Her work has also been seen in The Drive, AutoWise, GearJunkie, U.S. News & World Report, Forbes Wheels, Today, The Washington Post and more.