Ford-Tuner Roush Has Turned Its Attention to the Nissan Frontier Pickup

While normally associated with Ford vehicles such as the Mustang and the F-150, it seems Roush Performance wanted to see what the wider world was like. The brand made famous by former race car driver and team owner Jack Roush has partnered with Nissan to create the 2026 Frontier Pro-4X R by Roush, which you'll be able to buy. The performance improvements made here are things that really count for a truly off-road-worthy pickup truck.

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The end goal for the Frontier Pro-4X R is to make it an even more capable off-roader. This starts by replacing the stock Pro-4X Bilstein suspension with a Roush Performance–tuned version of the Öhlins 2.0 Off-Road Suspension System, which features an external reservoir for reduced fade and more consistent performance in the open desert. This lifts the truck an additional 2.0 inches over the Pro-4X, which is already about 0.5 inch taller than the S 4WD trim. The lift isn’t achieved with a set of spacers; it's a true lift via the springs and means the truck gains additional wheel travel. This required Roush to create a new set of front upper control arms to deal with the lift and additional movement allowed by the Öhlins suspension.

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It also added a set of 17-inch titanium-finished aluminum wheels wrapped in a set of 265/70R17 Hankook Dynapro AT2 Xtreme all-terrain tires. While not a larger-sized tire compared to stock, the rubber boasts a more aggressive tread design over the standard all-terrains, which come on the regular Frontier Pro-4X. The wheels are finished off with a set of Roush “R” center caps and high-strength steel black lugnuts. On the rest of the exterior you find more of those “Rs” on the front fenders, grille, and tailgate. There is also a set of titanium-painted features including the grille inserts, skidplate, and lower front fascia. Inside, you find simpler treatments that extend to just the headrests featuring the Roush “R” embroidered into them. The rest is the standard Pro-4X fare.

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There is no work or tuning done to the 2026 Frontier Pro-4X's standard 3.8-liter VQ38 V-6, which still makes 310 hp and 281 lb-ft of torque. It also comes with a 3.692:1 rear gear ratio connected to an electronic limited-slip differential inside its M226 housing, which is a unique variant of the Dana Super 44 rear axle. This electronic limited-slip works in conjunction with the Active Brake Limited Slip (ABLS) system—meaning it uses the ABS system to control wheel slip. When set into 4-Lo with its 2.717:1 ratio and in first gear with a ratio of 5.425:1, the Pro-4X is capable of a standard 54.42:1 crawl ratio.

Indeed, the 2026 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X R by Roush takes the rough-and-ready pickup into the true off-road realm. This Roush-tuned Frontier is available to order now and starts at $49,655. That’s only a $6,090 premium over the 2026 Frontier Pro-4X with the 5-foot bed (priced at $43,565), which is a great deal considering the desert-commanding suspension system that comes as part of the package—an equivalent aftermarket kit can run well over $4,000 alone. Add in the tires and new wheels, installation, and factory-level quality, and you're looking at a truck that could be hard to argue against.