Two body styles are available, King Cab and Crew Cab. Each is available in three trim levels: XE, SE and SC. King Cab and Crew Cab models offer a choice of three engines: a 2.4-liter four-cylinder, a 3.3-liter V6, and a supercharged 3.3-liter V6. Each is available with two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. Desert Runner 4x2 V6 models are also available.
King Cabs offer front bucket seats and additional seating for two passengers in fold-down rear jump seats. King Cab beds are 74.6 inches long (6 feet, 2.6 inches).
Crew Cab Long Bed models are the biggest news for 2002. The long bed adds a 74.6-inch full-size bed (6 feet, 2.6 inches) to the full-size cabin with four forward-hinged doors.
The standard Frontier Crew Cab offers a 56.3-inch bed (4 feet, 8.3 inches).
Crew Cabs are available in XE, SE and SC trim. Frontier Crew Cabs are built on the heavy-duty four-wheel drive Frontier chassis, but are available in 2WD or 4WD. All Crew Cabs use the 3.3-liter SOHC V6 engine, with the SC having the factory-installed supercharger made by Eaton, a company with a lengthy history designing and building superchargers.
Desert Runner models are also available. Essentially a 4x2 King Cab V6, a Desert Runner is modeled after specially prepared off-road race trucks used to pre-run Baja and other big desert races. Desert Runners are two-wheel drive, but feature the same heavy-duty chassis, ride height and stance as the rugged Frontier 4x4 models. At roughly 500 pounds lighter than a 4x4 Frontier King Cab V6, Desert Runners offer the best power-to-weight ratio of any Frontier pickup. Desert Runners come with fender flares, skid plates for the engine and fuel tank, a full-size spare and four-wheel ABS (4-channel/3-sensor). Special badges distinguish Desert Runner models, which are available in XE, SE, and S/C models. The S/C model includes a supercharged 3.3-liter V6 engine that produces 210 horsepower, with 246 foot-pounds of torque with automatic transmissions or 231 foot-pounds-feet of torque with five-speed manual gearboxes.
XE trim comes standard with the 143-horsepower 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder engine. Five-speed manual and four-speed automatic transmissions are available.
Frontier prices start at $12,799 for a base 2WD King Cab with a four-cylinder engine and five-speed manual. You may want to add another $1199 to that figure, however, for the Basic Gear package that includes air conditioning, an AM/FM/CD stereo. The base model comes with 15-inch wheels. XE starts at $13,799 and offers a slightly higher level of trim.
SE adds cruise control; tilt steering wheel; in-dash six-disc CD changer and steering wheel audio controls. Leather is optional with the SE, not available on XE; the SE comes with 16-inch wheels.
S/C models come with 17-inch wheels and that supercharged engine delivering more horsepower and torque.
The top King Cab model, with supercharger and four-wheel-drive, is $22,949. The Crew Cab starts at $18,199 and the supercharged, long-bed 4WD version is $26,349.
Most buyers (about 70 percent) are opting for the Crew Cab, according to Nissan, with half of those buying the short bed, half buying the long bed.