Nissan’s new SUV
It took years for Nissan to come up with a pickup-based SUV rivalling the likes of the Toyota Fortuner. It seems the wait has been worth it
Pickup-based SUVs are quite popular in Thailand because they are relatively inexpensive to make and receive preferential excise taxation from the Thai government. Equally, buyers like them because models like the Toyota Fortuner offer large seven-seat packages, proven pickup know-how and reasonably attractive prices when compared to car-based SUVs such as the Honda CR-V.
While most pickup brands in the country have been selling the SUV body style for quite some time already, Nissan has been rather slow to the party. It was only in April this year did they premiere the allnew Terra SUV in China which is basically a spin-off from the Navara NP300 workhorse that is set to go on sale in Thailand in the next few months.
It’s not that Nissan has no expertise in SUVs with body-on-frame underpinnings. In fact, they have made quite a number of models over the past 50 years or so. The last one to ever have graced Thai showrooms on an official basis was the Terrano and Xterra almost 20 years ago.
And since Nissan is the last among Thai pickup brands to sell an SUV variation (Mazda has confirmed that it has no plans of making one based on the BT-50), they’ve tried their best to make the Terra class-leading. Well, it’d better be the case.
And from first impressions gathered from a driving trial held in the Philippines recently, it’s safe to suggest that Nissan has come up with a pickupbased SUV that has the potential to beat practically all of its competitors.
The first highlight is the package itself. Nissan claims that the Terra is the longest and widest vehicle in its class with tallies of 4,885mm and 1,865mm accordingly. The wheelbase, as well, measures a generous 2,850mm.
While those stats may seem impressive on paper, it doesn’t feel immediately outstanding when you see the vehicle in real. Yes, there’s plenty of legroom for the first two rows, but the third-tier seats still appear more suitable for toddlers.
Versatility-wise, the Terra is amply capable. The backrests of the second and third row of seats can fold down to create an even load bay.
Moreover, the middle perches can tumble forward either manually or via buttons on the centre console up front. This leaves the Fortuner as the only SUV in its class to have a draconian style of tucking away the chairs, especially those in the last row.
The fascia design is basically Navara fanfare, although it’s the details that make the Terra more upmarket in feel and appearance. Like the exterior appearance, the interior may not be to all tastes but works well in functional terms.
Probably a major selling point in the Terra is the way it drives. Like in the Chevrolet Trailblazer and Isuzu MU-X, there’s a rear multi-link beam suspension in a bid to enhance the handling and ride balance.
And the good thing is that the Terra seems to better both of its rivals, particularly in yielding a stable and taut ride. The fine level Nissan has given to the Terra in suppressing external noise, vibration and harshness is also worthy of praise, be it on- or off-road.
The Terra handles generally well, although the steering can feel a touch heavy at low speeds which slightly takes away some driving intuition in urban areas. If it’s about outright driving manners, it still appears the Ford Everest is the one to go for.
Powering the Terra for the Philippines market is the 2.5-litre diesel-turbo and seven-speed automatic transmission; both rear- and all-wheel drive is available to choose from with the latter getting low-range gears and differential lock. Performance certainly isn’t lacking, although you can feel the sheer body weight the Terra has to cope with. Thais will be getting a newer version called ZS23 (see sidebar). Nissan engineers pointed at that the Thai-spec Terra may (or may not) get a slightly different suspension tuning because, unlike the Filipinos, who usually need off-road ability in pickup-based SUVs, Thais rarely venture off the sealed tarmac.
Whether the Terra’s ground clearance of 225mm will be reduced (to enhance on-road grip) remains to be seen as well. The same goes for the Terra’s rear drum brakes since all of its rivals now feature the disc type on all four wheels.
Nissan is boasting some driver-assist tech for the Terra like blind spot recognition, lane departure warning, rear traffic alert and a useful rear-view mirror (a first for the segment) that can visualise what’s happening around the vehicle when parking.
However, these features are only expected in the range-topping model that’s slated to cost around 1.7 million baht. Front, side and curtain (and possibly knee) airbags will be available in the Terra.
What we have here, in the end, is a highly credible new player in the pickup-based SUV market. The Terra’s road manners appears to conceivably better those seen in most competitors, bar the Everest.
To rub shoulders with the established brands is already an achievement, which is why the Terra is a surprisingly decent pickup-based SUV. Yes, it certainly is better than it looks.