Nissan Terrano 110PS: 1000km Long Term Review

It’s no secret that the Indian SUV segment is growing by leaps and bounds. So much so, that these rugged and macho machines are fast taking over the ZigWheels garage. The latest addition is the stylish Nissan Terrano compact SUV. With my experience of the Renault Duster as a very efficient and dependable long term vehicle, my expectation with its first cousin – the Nissan Terrano was quite high.

Nissan adds more flair to the SUV with crisp body lines and Nissan’s family style chunky chrome front grille with sharper headlights. The side profile looks more elegant with the blackened B and C pillars along with a trendy set of alloy wheels. The multi-layered bootlid with edgier tail-lights and chrome accents differentiates the Nissan Terrano from the Renault Duster it is based on. 

On the inside, I’m greeted with a grey and beige interior with a piano black centre console which gives the Nissan Terrano a more upmarket feel. The seats are large, well contoured and feel quite comfortable. Without wasting any time, I synced my phone with the Terrano’s Bluethooth with ease. There’s also a USB port, but I wish it came with a better music system and had steering mounted audio controls. The outer rear view mirror adjustment button is located near the handbrake, which will take a while to get used to. Thankfully, it comes with the basic but very useful safety features like a pair of front airbags, ABS and EBD with BA.

The test car we’ve got has clocked 15,000km on the odometer already, so it’s not really in mint condition, but Nissan’s done a good job to bring this Terrano to top shape. Under the hood is a 1.5-litre dCi, one of the most impressive oil-burners available in our country. The 110PS guise comes mated to a 6-speed manual transmission, which make it perfect for highway jaunts. The strong mid-range and the gear ratios make it ideal in the city too, as the car can be driven in most parts in third or fourth gear even at low speeds.

In the last 1,000km, I have not got a chance to take the Terrano on a proper long drive, but am expecting it to be pretty efficient and hopefully would return 18kmpl on the highway. But it’s the Nissan Terrano’s suspension and ride quality which is my favourite. Being tagged as an SUV, this soft-roader is expected to tame bad roads without flinching, which it does, but it’s the sedan like driving dynamics sans the usual body roll which gives the Terrano its charming multifaceted character.

With a large 475-litre luggage space, an efficient and fairly powerful motor, a long journey is in the calling.