Nissan has already made a lot of news when it unveiled the compact Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) Terrano in the Indian auto market and auto enthusiasts are now eagerly waiting for its launch. It is being learnt from sources that the company has even started taking bookings of the car well in advance. The Japanese auto maker has officially commenced the booking procedure for Terrano and numerous dealers across the various parts of country have started taking orders for the upcoming model. Besides, pre-bookings can now be made on Nissan India’s official website. Customers need to fill in their details on the website and an option of exchanging the current vehicle with Terrano is also available.
With this development, the launch of Terrano could soon follow and according to industry experts, the car might make its headway in India by October 2013. Sources close to this development said that Nissan might be banking on the upcoming festive month in order to boost sales of Terrano initially, as the demand for new vehicles will be comparatively high in this month.
The diesel version of Terrano is expected to be rolled out with a 1.5-litre K9K engine, which is available in differently tuned options of 83 bhp and 108 bhp with the Renault Duster. On the other hand, the petrol variant shall be offered with a 1.6-litre engine mated to a five-speed manual transmission. It is said that Terrano will be manufactured in Chennai plant of Nissan India. The upcoming model of Nissan is presumed to be available in four variants, namely XL, XL+, XV and XV Premium. As far as the pricing is concerned, the base variant of Nissan Terrano could be priced at a much higher than Renault Duster at Rs. 8.39 lakh while its top end diesel variant could be offered for around Rs. 13 lakh (all prices are expected to be ex-showroom Delhi).
It must be noted that Nissan Terrano happens to be a re-badged version of Renault Duster. The compact SUV of Renault has enjoyed huge success in the Indian car market, owing to its attractive pricing and performance oriented engine. Now with scheduled launch of Nissan Terrano, which seems to be equipped with more features, it might make things harder for Duster. The upcoming model of Terrano features a re-styled tailgate and masculine bonnet as opposed to Duster. In the front fascia, Terrano is provided with a chrome grille and elongated headlamps mounted on the broad bumper, which provides a distinct identity to the car from its sibling.
After the launch of Nissan Terrano, the compact car segment will get all more competitive. Presently the respective segment comprises models like Renault Duster, Ford EcoSport and Mahindra Quanto. What seems interesting to see is the rivalry shared between Terrano and its sibling Duster, and the car experts are eagerly waiting for the launch of Nissan's SUV so as to see how it fares when pitted against the already established car of the French auto maker.
On closely examining the competition of Terrano with Duster, the upcoming model can cut in the sales of Duster, which looks quite basic as compared Nissan's car. However, a major advantage that rests in the hands of Duster is its low pricing and a trusted image amongst the Indian car buyers.
