Nissan Terrano

The interiors are the only thing we didn’t like too much in the Terrano. It is quite comfortable, but there should have been a bit more rear seat headroom and legroom. Also the quality of the materials on the dashboard and the doors are not to best, not to mention the rear AC vent is a hindrance as it is too big and gets in the way of the middle rear seat passenger. The ergonomics are still spot on but the dashboard could have been a bit more attractive.

The Terrano comes with the same engine found in the Duster, which is an 85bhp diesel unit that is mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox and the 108bhp diesel unit mated to a 6-speed manual transmission, but both outputs come from the same 1461cc 4-cylinder diesel engine. The petrol engine is a 1598cc 4-cylinder unit that produces 106bhp. This petrol engine is mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. All the engine and transmission setups are very well built and highly refined.

The best thing about the Terrano is that it performs just as well as it looks. The 110bhp engine is simply brilliant and there is plenty of power and torque to provide and nice and linear fast pick up. The engine does sound and feel a little rough, but it is in fact very well engineered and responds perfectly to the throttle. Gear changes are rather easy and the handling is also very good and responsive. The best part of the car’s performance is that it has the best ride quality that a car could offer in its price range. It literally has the ride quality of a sedan and the suspension setup is just fantastic. On the highway the car is brilliant and in the cities it is very manageable. Even off-road the Terrano is no slouch and can take on some pretty tough roads and this is where its high ground clearance gives it an advantage over other cars and SUVs.

The 110bhp diesel mill would provide a fuel economy of around 15kmpl while the 85bhp unit would give about 17kmpl. The petrol unit on the other hand would provide around 12-13kmpl.

The Terrano comes with power steering, power windows, air conditioning, an audio system with steering mounted controls, keyless entry and a media navigation system with Bluetooth.

Safety features include Dual front airbags, ABS, EBD, Brake Assist, central locking, and reverse parking centre.

The overall build quality of the Terrano is very decent and the car looks good, but on closer inspection you can tell the materials are not the best and the finishing touches also could have been better. The interiors are the perfect example of the use of cheap materials. But overall it’s a very sturdy and powerful car with good suspension setup and very nicely built engines.

The Terrano is a very good car and it comes with modern technology and some very nicely crafted mechanical parts that make it a great performing car. It is compact, but provides more than you think it can. If you don’t want the added features then the base trim variants are well worth your money.

The Terrano actually doesn’t have a direct competitor because it is the first in its segment. The closest competitor it has is the Ford EcoSport, but the Terrano has a great performance oriented engine and superb ride quality, plus it looks a little more muscular than most other SUVs. If you don’t require too much space in the inside, this is one of the best urban and recreational vehicles out there.