For decades, Detroit has dominated the pickup truck market, and neither Ford, GM, nor Ram show any sign of relinquishing their dominance. But that hasn’t stopped the Nissan Titan from making a decent dent in Detroit’s market share, and with the new Cummins-developed 5.0-liter diesel, Nissan is hoping to make a play at the upper end of the truck market. To do so though, it will have to display the same capabilities of America’s best.

Nissan hopes to hit something of a sweet spot in the truck market with the Titan Diesel, slotting between half-ton models like the Ram 1500 and three-quarter ton trucks like the Ford F-250. With a towing capacity of up to 12,314 pounds when properly equipped, the Nissan Titan Diesel is well on its way to finding a pickup truck middleground, depending on which angle you view it from.

For comparison, the Ford F-150 tops out at 12,200 pounds for towing, the Chevy Silverado peaks at 12,000, and the Ram 1500 can haul just 10,650. Only the Ram offers a diesel engine, and it doesn’t even break into the five figures for towing capacity. However, with a GVW of about 8,800 pounds, the Nissan Titan Diesel is technically a heavy duty truck in the same vein as the aforementioned F-250, which boasts a towing rating of 16,600 pounds.

However, Nissan is hoping the Titan Diesel appeals to customers looking for a truck with more capability of a half-ton, without the drawbacks, or price, that committing to a larger truck requires. With just 310 horsepower and 555 lb-ft of torque, the 5.0 liter Cummins V8 is both smaller and less powerful than its competitors, but the 12,314 pound rating should be enough to handle all but the biggest jobs.