Nissan to revive the Terrano SUV

Off-road enthusiasts will remember the Nissan Terrano II as a boxy, rugged and relatively affordable body-on-frame SUV that made a quiet exit about a decade ago.

Now Nissan has announced that the Terrano is making a comeback, albeit as a more car-like offering based on the unibody Dacia Duster and built-in India. That said, it will be more than just a badge-engineering stunt as the official sketch you see here shows that the Nissan version will have unique styling traits that lend it a family resemblance to the rest of Nissan’s SUV range.

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Although, there is no word on specification as yet, the Terrano is expected to be mechanically identical to the Duster, which is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive guises. The four-wheel drive system on the latter features three modes, including a ‘lock’ function, and this – along with its 210mm ground clearance – is said to make it a fairly competent off-roader.

The Duster is offered with a choice between two engines: a 77kW/148Nm 1.6-litre petrol unit and a 79kW/240Nm 1.5-litre turbo-diesel. Wearing a Renault badge, the Duster is expected to arrive in South Africa by the end of this year. South Africa is the hub of most African imports including Nigeria.

Either way, the Nissan is expected to be more expensive than its Renault/Dacia cousin, due to an agreement between the two brands which states that the ‘source’ model must be cheaper.