Nissan Terrano test drive
The crossover from acceleration dives into the river to the very roof. The frame did not work, but it did without a water hammer
“Why are you flying like that?” The worker grabs his heart, piling up mysterious communications next to the ford. "Fill in the candles." A photographer in rubber boots explains that the spray is more effective, and gestures to the driver of the Nissan Terrano: you need to go even faster. The crossover from acceleration flops into the ford, and the wave covers it along with the roof. The shot did not work, but it was done without a water hammer.
Terrano, which after restyling has acquired all-wheel drive in combination with a four-speed "automatic", easily storms small rivers and muddy slopes, but he also needs this kit in order to attack the market more conveniently. Last year, it sold four times worse than its sister Renault Duster.
The first and main reason is the surcharge for the Nissan brand and, as a result, different price categories. But, in addition, for the Terrano, all-wheel drive was only available with a manual transmission, while the Duster with four drive wheels and an automatic transmission has been on sale for the third year, and since 2015 it has also been equipped with a modernized two-liter unit developing 143 hp. and 195 Nm instead of the previous 135 hp. and 191 Newton meters. Nissan representatives explained the delay in the case of the Terrano by the need to adapt new components to the car - the Japanese crossover with this update received the same 143-horsepower engine as the Duster.
Terrano practically did not change in appearance either in comparison with the previous one, or in comparison with the Duster: from Renault it is distinguished by other headlights, lights, bumpers, plus a massive chrome grille. At the same time, the Nissan nameplate looks quite organic on it: not the locomotive of the new design concept, but not a foundling either. The Terrano is like a splinter of a previous era, when the Nissans were boxy and off-road. Now the Pathfinder has evolved into a giant soft-ride crossover, and the new X-Trail looks like an urban mod akin to the Qashqai.
But inside the Terrano has a minimum of Nissan: narrow central air ducts and a multimedia system with round handles. The height-only steering wheel, the air recirculation toggle switch and the ridiculous dinosaur bone-like DP8 automatic lever are a legacy of Renault's budget cars.
A Nissan owner is not used to this, unless he's moved into the Terrano from an Almera sedan and is unlikely to be comfortable in this world of paper clip austerity. In vain he presses on the center of the steering wheel hub, wanting to honk - the button is still located at the end of the steering column lever. The paradox is that this is a typical "renaissance" solution, which Renault Duster, unlike Nissan, has already got rid of. The seats are "Duster", but a little more comfortable due to different padding, and the new dashboard turned out to be more elegant than the pre-styling one.
Interior details remain important only in comparison with Duster - Terrano a priori should be more expensive and elegant. But in the Nissan lineup, it has a different challenge. In fact, the Terrano single-handedly replaced all the brand's SUVs: it has short overhangs, rounded bumpers, the approach angle is 28,5, the exit angle is 28,3. Qashqai loses, the angle of entry is only 18,2 degrees, the X-Trail with an elongated "lip" - and even less. In addition, the Terrano has more ground clearance - 210 mm, and the energy intensity of the suspension allows you to literally rush without disassembling the road. The main speed limiter is vibrations coming to the steering wheel from bumps.
The all-wheel drive Terrano, despite the same transmission mode switch washer with Qashqai and X-Trail, is simpler, it does not have so many sensors. In fact, this is the past generation of the "Nissan" system. Although the principle of operation is the same: the rear axle is connected in automatic mode. The Renault logo is stuck on the body of the multi-plate clutch, although the assembly itself is Japanese-made.
The crossover enters a hill of densely compacted sand without difficulty, even if one of the rear wheels is hanging in the air, but as soon as the front wheels slip on soft ground, the car is guaranteed to stop. An imitation of a differential lock helps out, allowing more traction to be redistributed to the rear axle than in automatic mode. The crossover can wallow for a long time in viscous mud without a hint of overheating of the clutch, and the "automatic" is equipped with an additional cooler for heavy conditions.
On the fast lane, the Terrano is not as good as in off-road assault. The rolls in corners are high, the suspension collects a lot of road trifles. It seems that there is a two-liter engine under the hood, but every overtaking performed by Terrano casts doubt on this. "Automatic" noticeably lags behind in shifting and arbitrarily changes gears even in manual mode. The machine with the "mechanics" is faster, but the 6-speed gearbox with short-cut gears takes some getting used to.
No matter how criticized this four-speed "automatic", it seems that there is no alternative to the DP8: Nissan CVTs are inferior on the road, and the Jatco automatic transmission, which is equipped with Datsun cars, is not designed for such a torque. Installing a more modern six-speed automatic transmission would be too expensive for the Terrano.
After the update, prices for the crossover increased by $680-$947 and now start at $11. The most affordable option with all-wheel drive and automatic transmission costs $801, while the most expensive costs $14. Thus, the Terrano is $511-$15 more expensive than the Renault Duster in a similar version, but one must understand that Duster buyers are often content with the most affordable manual version with all-wheel drive, while the audience for the Japanese crossover is more demanding.
In the Nissan family, Terrano now has a special role - it is the most affordable all-wheel drive and the brand's most suitable model for off-road assault. This is quite enough for sales growth, and apart from comparisons with its sister Renault, the numbers are already very good - 11,4 thousand copies sold in an extremely difficult 2015. And overtaking Duster in front of Terrano is not worth it.
Evgeny Bagdasarov
Photo: author and Nissan
