According to Automotive News, Nissan spokesmen are apparently staying firm on their deal with Chrysler that will see the ailing American manufacturer build Nissan’s next full-size pickup truck to replace the Nissan Titan, despite the American automaker’s bankruptcy and takeover by Italy-based Fiat. The Titan replacement will be based on the Dodge Ram.

“The project is progressing,” said Brian Carolin, senior vice president for sales and marketing at Nissan North America. “We’ve signed off on the final styling of the vehicle.”

Nissan was supposed to build a small car in Japan for Chrysler to sell in North America, in return for Chrysler building Nissan’s next-generation Titan alongside the Dodge Ram pickup, from 2011 onwards.

But in February, with Chrysler’s future uncertain, the automakers temporarily halted the projects. Chrysler is going to source small cars from Fiat now.

Nissan will end production of the current Titan after the 2010 model year, and convert the American factory for building smaller vans.

The Titan has struggled against all its full-size rivals, placed dead-last in the top ten sales charts among all pickup trucks.

Update: By the end of August 2009, Nissan and Chrysler announced the dissolving of the partnership.