Nissan Terrano 110 Long Term Review – Initial Report

Nissan Terrano 110 Diesel Long Term Review

The Nissan Terrano loves munching miles and can withstand a lot of abuse thrown at it

“Oh damn, what have I gotten myself into?”, exclaimed I when I jumped from our long term Tata Bolt to this Nissan Terrano 110 DCi XV. The Bolt has a very light clutch, is loaded with a lot of features and has awesome quality on the inside. Compared to this, the Rs. 16 lakh Terrano is completely the opposite. In a span of two months, I’ve developed a proper love-hate relationship with the car. What do I love about the Terrano? What do I hate about it? Read on to find out.

The Nissan Terrano is a rebadged Renault Duster and hence a lot of styling cues are similar between both the SUVs. The front of the Terrano looks very aggressive and imposing and the large chrome grille also adds a lot of character to the car. The smoked headlamps also look good but the highlight of the 110 XV that we have here are easily the alloy wheels which look so good and they make the 110 PS version look so much better than the 85 PS model.

Interiors have some niggles which take time getting used to in today’s time

The insides of the Nissan Terrano are an absolute revelation. While the exterior is really good looking, the interiors are exactly the opposite. The dashboard feels very basic and the quality isn’t great either. The equipment list is nothing to write about and the compact SUV comes with all of a spartan audio system with unsatisfactory sound quality and a manual air conditioning system. Heck, there aren’t even audio controls on the steering wheel.

The AC on our test car isn’t that great and takes time to cool the cabin. The rear AC vents are quite useful though. There are no other features on offer and the car even misses out on speed sensing door locks. The instrument cluster is also pretty basic but it does show a lot of useful information. The seats feel comfortable while all round visibility is excellent. The boot is extremely large and you can stuff in quite a lot of luggage in the car. Having done around 33,000 kms, our test car makes a couple of squeaks from here and there. The driver’s seat also never remains firm in its place and the back rest keeps moving back and forth which becomes really annoying while braking.

The engine is very powerful and the 6th gear is useful for cruising peacefully

Moving to the powertrain, the Nissan Terrano comes with the same 1.5-litre DCi diesel engine that also powers a lot of other Nissan-Renault vehicles. The engine is offered in two states of tune – 85 PS and 110 PS. Our test car is the higher tune and the engine feels very punchy. A lot of turbo lag is evident but once the turbo starts spooling around the 2000 RPM mark, the vehicle gains momentum pretty swiftly. Due to so much turbo lag and the sudden surge of power, there is a lot of torque steer too so one needs to keep a firm hand on the wheel.

The Terrano is a heavy drinker though. Drive with a light foot all the time and the vehicle will return 13-14 km/l while a heavy foot also results in heavy fuel bills with the efficiency hovering around the 9-10 km/l mark, I suspect this trend is due to the car requiring service which we will verify once we get some oils changed. On a long highway cruise, we did manage to extract 17 km/l once but that drive was one that tested a lot of our patience. The brakes on the Terrano are supposed to be decent enough but our test car seems to have worn out brake pads which need to be replaced now. The pedal has started lacking bite and ABS also kicks in very quickly. Another point worth mentioning is the extremely heavy clutch which makes the Terrano a pain to drive in city traffic.

Ride quality is something that really impresses and the suspension feels supremely capable of tackling any sort of terrain. The suspension soaks up nasty bumps with much ease and even while driving fast on broken patches on tarmac, the Terrano feels fun to drive. Talking about fun, handling is another forte of the car. Don’t expect sedan-like handling and the Terrano will impress. The steering is excellent and even though it is a bit heavy, it is just a matter of being used to. I’m a complete fan of the Terrano’s driving manners and I love to chuck it around on soft-road tarmac.

The Nissan Terrano is a very fun to drive car but if you’re looking for something that will provide you with creature comforts and a gazillion gadgets, you know you need to look elsewhere. If all you need is a rugged vehicle that can easily take a lot of abuse without a fret, the Terrano makes for a strong product. However, the high price that you pay for a relatively low kit and the heavy clutch can easily be deal-breakers for a lot of people, who would rather buy the now updated Renault Duster 110 which offers more features for a slightly lesser price too.

Further Reading –

Nissan Terrano 85 Long Term Review – Final Report
Nissan Terrano 85 Long Term Review – Initial Report
Nissan Terrano Test Drive Review
Nissan Terrano First Anniversary Drive
Renault Duster vs Nissan Terrano – Shootout
Ford EcoSport vs Nissan Terrano vs Renault Duster – Shootout