It has been reported by Autocar India, that Nissan is going to flex its alliance with Renault to spin off a Duster of its own. Just as it did with the Sunny, Nissan will resurrect the Terrano nametag, a moniker once used for the Pathfinder when it was introduced way back in 1993 and discontinued in 2006. The new model will feature unique sheetmetal to give it a look similar to other Nissan SUVs. But the interior as well as the powertrain is expected to be the same, meaning there will be a range of gasoline and diesel four-cylinder engines with both manual and automatic gearboxes and front- or all-wheel drive. However, the Terrano is expected to be priced Rs. 50,000- Rs. 75,000 more than the Duster, unlike other Nissan models which are priced lower to their Renault counterparts.
This has to do with an agreement in the Renault-Nissan Alliance. When Renault badge engineers a Nissan car, the Renault version has to be priced higher than its Nissan donor and vice versa. This is why the Nissan Sunny is cheaper than its badge-engineered compatriot, the Renault Scala. In this case, since Nissan will be the one borrowing the Duster, the Terrano will be priced higher.
The car will come with a new bumper, tailgate, headlamps and tail-lights. The badge-engineered Terrano is expected to be launched by the end of this year.
[Autocar India]
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