Engine and Gear Box
As with the Renault Duster, the Nissan Terrano gives you 3 engine options to pick from- the 1.6l Petrol, the 1.5l Direct Injection Diesel engine with a fixed geometry turbo and the same 1.5l Direct Injection Diesel engine but with Variable geometry turbo. The 1.6l MPFI unit produces a max power of 104Ps@5850 rpm and max torque of 145Nm@3750 rpm. The diesels, in their different states of tune, produce 85Ps@3750rpm with max torque of 200Nm@1900 rpm and 110Ps@3900rpm and max twist of 248Nm@2250 rpm respectively. Sky rocketing Petrol prices and the rise of new age diesels mean that consumers will have lesser audacity to opt for the Petrol engine-d Terrano. Nissan has made the 110 Ps available across XL/XV/XV Premium variants. But which one drives better? Let us find out.
Since the Terrano is essentially a Duster under the skin, it is hard to resist comparisons every now and then. The overall experience should be similar to the Terrano`s donor car then. Or is it the case? Read on.
We started off from the Maharana Pratap Singh Airport ( Udaipur ) and were allocated the 110 Ps XV. As soon as we drove off, the turbo lag was evident in the traffic. The mildly clattery 110 Ps K9K mill produces peak torque from 2250 rpm. Anything below it and the car feels sluggish. However, once the turbo spools up, the Terrano becomes a zestful performer pulling away with a lot of gusto. The engine pulls clean and strong up to 4000 rpm after which the power quickly fades off. Overtaking, brisk highway cruising and in city driving is thoroughly enjoyable when the revs are maintained between 2500-3000 rpm.
The clutch on this version is a wee bit heavier than the one on the 85 PS sibling and can be a slight bother in stop and go traffic over sustained durations. The 110 Ps version comes with a 6 speed manual transmission with the 6th cog being the overdrive for relaxed highway cruising while the engine spins merrily at ~2200 rpm and the needle showing 100kph. Unless in absolute hurry, downshifting isn’t required to build speeds in the Terrano. , However, if given the stick, the 110 Ps can manage the 0-100 burst in less than 13 seconds. The engine`s eager revving manners were however played down once we made way through the ultra-narrow lanes of Udaipur, leading to the Lake Pichoula. The well spaced out gears however up the overall driving experience. The gears slot in perfectly and seem to be tuned for the city in conjunction to the power delivery of the engine. The turbo lag became the highlight while traversing through inclines and needed a healthy dose of revs to avoid jack rabbit drive. If you are an off road enthusiast, in our opinion you should seriously consider the 85 PS version which had plenty more drivability to it.
The 85 Ps version makes max torque at 1900 rpm and comes mated to a 5 speed gearbox, however in a true diesel fashion has the typical torquey feel right from the word go. Mild off roading is what we tried with the 85Ps Terrano and it happily obliged. This spec comes with a fixed geometry turbo however it outclasses the 110 PS versions when it comes to spike free and lag free drive. While the 85 Ps spec starts running out of breath over 140 kph at the same time it never feels underpowered. Driving the car around in city traffic isn`t a hassle and it manages to drive well on the highways too. We managed to get to 100 kph from a standstill in about 15 seconds; hence the 85 Ps is no slouch as the power output figures may suggest.
Coming to the off road test that we put the Terrano through, it came out with flying colours. The engines drivability impressed us which coupled with well-matched ratios as well as minimal turbo lag makes this an eager vehicle on the beaten roads. We threw some steep gradients peppered with large rocks at it and the Terrano gobbles everything in its path thanks to a fantastic package comprising of suspension setup, engine, gearbox, tyres and ofcourse the ground clearance.What’s surprising is that the Terrano is still not a 4 X 4, so as long as one exercises humanly gifted wisdom, this car will emerge out from the worst terrain.
Go to next page to read about the ride and handling
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