New 2013 Nissan Terrano review, test drive

The Nissan Terrano comes with the same 1.5-litre dCi diesel powerplant in two states of tune – 84bhp and 109bhp. There’s also a 1.6-litre petrol engine mated to a five-speed manual gearbox, as is the 84bhp diesel. The 109bhp diesel comes paired with a six-speed manual gearbox. 

 

There have been no mechanical changes from the Duster and this means, the Terrano more or less drives similar to the Renault.  The clutch on the 109bhp diesel is a little on the hard side, which can get a bit tiring for your left foot during stop and go traffic. It pulls really well past 2500rpm, and will carry on until around 4000rpm, after which the power tails off. The engine has strong midrange which means overtaking on single lane roads is not much a problem. It’s also a very good highway cruiser. We did notice a bit of turbo lag initially, but once the motor hits the sweet spot, the Nissan Terrano pulls strongly. 

 

We also drove the petrol Nissan Terrano, and here too, it’s just as we experienced with the Renault Duster. The engine is smooth for the most part, and the power build-up is linear. You feel it get into its stride from around 2000rpm and keeps going till about 4500rpm. It will rev to a 6400rpm redline, but the power tails off at about 5000. It also sounds harsh at this point, and you feel a lot of vibration through the steering wheel and the pedals. The five-speed gearbox is light to use, but it does feel a tad notchy. Continued..