NISSAN TERRANO RETURNS

Some exciting news coming out of India today is that Nissan is bringing the Terrano name back. Terrano, if you are under 30, was a compact SUV that, if I recall, was one of the first, if not the first of its kind to come to Mzansi. It was discontinued after a while, but is now looking like a sure-thing for our market as well.

Revealed in India where the compact SUV market is growing in leaps and bounds, the new Terrano features Nissan’s bold new face and look that includes chrome finishing on the powerful front grille, and sharp headlights. The rear is also quite imposing, with massive rear lights and an integrated rear bumper. Terrano fits into the sub-premium compact SUV category that includes vehicles like the Hyundai ix35, Kia Sportage and Honda CR-V.

“Terrano marks our entry into the compact SUV segment, which is one of the fastest growing segments in the Indian market today,” said Kenichiro Yomura, President Nissan India Operations. “It follows the same design language as our renowned Pathfinder and Patrol SUVs and makes a strong statement, which is a key differentiator in this segment. We are confident that Terrano will appeal both to existing real SUV lovers and consumers looking to graduate to SUVs.” 

Nissan SA has not said a word about the Terrano, but we believe it would fit in quite nicely into their product mix. Should they give it the go-ahead, it would arrive here in 2014. Actually, it’d be nice to see it at the 2013 Johannesburg International Motor Show (JIMS) in October. So, how’s about it Nissan?