Nissan Terrano SUV to be unveiled in India on August 20th

Nissan will unveil the Terrano SUV in India, on the 20th of August, 2013. The Terrano, which is a badge engineered product, is based on the Renault Duster SUV. Therefore, the SUV will share the production line with the Duster, in Renault-Nissan's joint manufacturing facility at Oragadam. 

The Terrano features styling that's different from that of the Duster and Nissan revealed styling details of the SUV a couple of weeks ago, by releasing two official sketches. The Terrano is expected to be priced and positioned above the Renault Duster, a typical practice that Renault and Nissan follow when they badge engineer each others' cars.

Meanwhile, Nissan CEO, Mr Kenichiro Yomura, has noted that the Terrano will be the last badge engineered product in the Indian car market, as far as Nissan is concerned. The Terrano's launch should come well in time for the Indian festive season, giving Nissan enough breathing space to align production levels to meet demand.  

Rumours floating about on the internet suggest that the Terrano will be offered with three engine options, which the SUV will borrow from the Renault Duster. The Duster is available with a 1.6 liter-102 Bhp petrol engine and a 1.5 liter K9K turbo diesel engine in two states of tune: 85 Bhp-200 Nm and 108 Bhp-248 Nm.

The Duster's variants are outfitted with 5 speed and 6 speed gearbox options, and these transmissions are expected to be carried over to the Terrano as well. While the Duster sold in India is front wheel driven, Renault India does build a four wheel drive model for the export markets.

As Nissan is expected to launch the Terrano in India at a price greater than that of the Duster, a four wheel drive option for the SUV could be a differentiating factor. However, the addition of a four wheel drive option to the Terrano could push the price well and above Mahindra XUV500 territory. 

With the Ford EcoSport crossover changing the pricing dynamics of the Indian compact SUV market, it would be interesting to see how Nissan walks the pricing tightrope for the Terrano. Better interiors and a richer feature set are two major expectations that prospective buyers will have from the Nissan Terrano, especially if the SUV is priced above the Renault Duster.