The Renault-Nissan alliance has been leveraging common vehicle platforms to quicken the process of ‘time to market’ and have together managed to build a fairly healthy portfolio for each other. The only problem in the past has been that unlike platform sharing vehicles from other global alliances that are distinctly different from each other, in this case, cars such as the Micra and Pulse, and the Sunny and Scala also share almost identical looks.

It has been a case of badge engineering where the cars don’t just share underpinnings, but all the body panels too. The next in line is the Nissan Terrano, the cloned version of the Renault Duster. Thankfully though, better sense has prevailed amongst the powers that be in Nissan and the Terrano can claim itself to be a fairly differentiated product, at least on the outside.

Better Designed

But that by itself is quite an achievement in Terrano. Nissan designers have taken the Duster and peeled off pretty much every panel of consequence and redesigned it with a fresh set of accoutrements that give the Terrano a wholesome and very different look compared to the Duster. I wouldn’t say that it is the best marriage between the sharp new edges of some of the Terrano’s elements and the rounded design of the Duster. But they are not clashing or fighting for attention either.

The only design element that really identifies the Terrano with the Duster is the squarish wheel arches. From the side the Terrano may look quite familiar, but even there subtle design elements such as the character line above the body base line attempt to offer a variation over the Duster. The front and the rear of the Terrano’s exterior, of course, is where all the changes have been effected.

The front has a lot of the classic Nissan V-design. The bonnet slab’s ridge lines and the headlamps and bonnet grille combination are clear Nissan signatures. In fact, the three-section bonnet grille clad in chrome seems to have been inspired by the larger Nissan Pathfinder. The oversized Nissan logo in the middle of the grille and the airdam below, with what looks like the base protector plate, also gives the front of the Terrano a big sports utility vehicle look.

The roofline and the window line remain the same so the overall shape and the dimensions of the Terrano match with the Duster, except some minor variations to the overall length and height. But considerable changes to the rear hatch door panel again manage to give this new Nissan SUV a character that is a lot different compared to the Renault’s. In the Terrano, the tail-lamps are larger and actually an extension over the puny lamps of the Duster. A triangular section of the tail-lamp that cuts into either side of the hatch door houses the reverse and fog lamps.

Small changes to the rear fender and the addition of a chrome trim above the number plate area are some of the other differentiators. The Terrano sports similarly sized 16-inch rims, that come shod with 215/ 65 R16 tyres. The top-trim variants are offered with a unique set of alloys.

Cabin

The cabin of the Terrano attempts a somewhat similar freshening up just like the redesigned exterior. But, the extent of change inside the Terrano is much lower than the outside. However, Nissan engineers have managed to still lift up the overall premiumness of the cabin, though this might be more evident in the top-trim variants. There is a slight variation in the interior colour theme, though the dashboard layout and major elements are mostly carry-forwards. There are a few changes such as the flip open storage box at the top of the centre stack. The combination of circular and rectangular aircon vents and the piano-black finish for the centre stack caught my attention in my test mule.

Faux wood door handles and the chrome bits all around the cabin are other elements that help boost the feeling of quality inside the Terrano. The rear aircon vents positioned between the two front seats (also found in the Duster) will be a blessing during the forthcoming summer. The steering wheel and the instrument cluster also see some modifications.

Performance

The Duster’s biggest advantage over the other urban compact SUVs or wannabe SUVs is its driveability and ride quality. It is the same feeling I get when I crank the engine and drive off a few winding roads around Udaipur, where I was testing the Terrano.

The Nissan SUV is offered with the same two 4-cylinder engines. The 1.6-litre petrol and the 1.5-litre diesel engines are carried forward from the Duster and the performance parameters also remain the same. The 1,598cc petrol engine develops a peak power of 104PS at 5,850 rpm and a peak torque of 145Nm at 3,750 rpm.

The 1,461cc dCi Renault engine is offered (similar to the Duster) in two states of tune. There is a lower powered 85PS version and a higher powered 110PS version. My test mule was the 110PS variant. Peak power sets in at about 3,900 rpm and the maximum torque available is 248 Nm from about 2,250 rpm. In the 85 PS version the peak torque available is 200 Nm available from a lower 1,900 rpm level.

Predictably, the performance of the engine is very familiar to that of the Duster. The tried and tested diesel engine is fairly quiet inside the cabin of the Terrano, though outside, the whine of the powertrain and the fans can get really noisy during idling. The Terrano also weighs only as much as the Duster. So, the performance gets even more familiar.

Torque available from the 1.5-litre diesel engine is delayed by just that tad bit of turbolag. After you push down the throttle and coax the needle past the 1,200 rpm mark, noticeable levels of torque start setting in and once the needle crosses the 2,000 rpm level, the torque available is healthy. There is a 1000 rpm range from here when the torque and power available are satisfying and can keep you engaged on the road. Power tapers off quickly once the needle is past the 4,000 rpm mark.

The diesel engine is really easy to work with and can be equally comfortable to use in urban and highway conditions. The gearbox offered with this engine is a 6-speed manual unit (carried forward from Duster) and this combination is what makes the powertrain really usable, even though really low-end torque is missing. The gearbox is a bit notchy just like in the Duster, but doesn’t interfere with your overall experience.

The petrol engine version and the 85 PS diesel versions are both offered with the same 5-speed manual transmission that is also offered with the Duster.

The claimed mileage of the Terrano petrol is 13.2 kmpl, the 110 PS Terrano diesel is 19.01 kmpl and the 85PS Terrano diesel is 20.45 kmpl

Bottomline

The Terrano’s ride quality is big plus when compared to the other vehicles in its class. The suspension soaks up bad roads really well, without allowing it to really rattle the car. There is just a tad bit of body roll that I can feel when I run downhill on a windy stretch of road and while flicking in and out of the corners. But that is to be expected from a suspension set up that is meant to accommodate and please.

Just like the Duster, the Terrano’s USPs are right there – a torquey, healthy engine, good ride quality, much better on-road poise at high speeds and around corners and the right size. But, in the Terrano what is different is the design, which compared to the current Duster, might be considered just that bit more modern and appealing.

The Terrano will be offered in one trim level with the petrol engine and about three trim levels each for the two states of tune of the diesel engine. Prices will be announced soon, expect them to be about 5 per cent higher than the comparable trim levels of the Duster.

muralidhar.s@thehindu.co.in

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