The next generation of the Nissan Titan may come with the option of a Cummins diesel engine. The next generation Titan’s four-cylinder diesel engine was announced earlier this week at the Department of Energy Merit Review. The Nissan Titan four-cylinder diesel engine will will have 2.8 liters of displacement and make an estimated 220-horsepower and 380 lb-ft of torque while getting an expected 28-mpg combined.

The Cummins four-cylinder diesel engine designed for the Titan will use steel pistons in place of traditional aluminum ones. The steel pistons will provide strength for high power loads with a shorter stroke, which helps to reduce the height of the engine and easier to fit under the hood of a half ton truck.

The Department of Energy has contributed $15 million of the $30 million total cost to the four-cylinder diesel project. The project is set to be finished in 2014, the same time the next generation of the Nissan Titan is expected to launch. The engine has already been installed in a current-generation Nissan Titan for testing (shown above).

The Nissan Titan diesel engine will meet U.S. Tier 2 Bin 2 emissions standards, according to the Department of Energy. The Titan four-cylinder diesel will meet those emissions requirements by using an exhaust scrubbing system similar to the one used in current-generation Ford and GM diesel pickups, according to Pickuptrucks.com.

A half ton pickup truck with 380 lb-ft of torque and a 28-mpg combined fuel economy rating is an impressive feet, the most advanced competing engine, the Ford Ecoboost direct injected and turbocharged V6 engine currently makes 420 lb-ft of torque and is a marvel of fuel economy with a 16-mpg city and 22-mpg highway rating.

Image by Cummins and Nissan via Pickuptrucks.com