Rumour: Nissan Terrano SUV price, image and variants leaked?

Earlier this month, Nissan India released a sketch of the Terrano, a badge engineered product based on the Renault/Dacia Duster SUV. Nissan India has maintained that the SUV is due for a launch by the end of this year. Today, a rumour tracing its origins to Motorbeam goes on to add the price, variants and launch time frame for the Terrano. The said website is also carrying an image purported to be a studio shot of the Terrano.

Right at the outset, the leaked image of the Terrano is not very similar to the sketch of the SUV released by Nissan. In fact, from the leaked image, it appears that the Terrano is merely a Duster slapped with the Nissan badges, grille and a new front bumper. As the Nissan Terrano was said to feature major changes in body panels, to make for a new look quite distinct from that of the Duster, the leaked image does not seem consistent with earlier reports.

The latest rumour goes on to claim that the Terrano will be available only with diesel engines, with Nissan choosing not to introduce a petrol version of the SUV owing to poor demand. The diesel engine that will power the Terrano is said to be the 1.5 Liter K9K turbo diesel unit, in 85 Bhp-200 Nm guise. Also, it remains unclear whether the 1.5 Liter diesel engine will be available in the 110 PS state of tune on the Terrano.

Notably, the Renault Duster is offered with three engine and two transmission options: a 1.6 liter petrol engine, the 1.5 liter K9K diesel engine with 85 PS-200 Nm and the 1.5 liter K9K diesel engine with 110 PS-240 Nm. While the petrol motor and the lower powered diesel engine get a 5 speed manual gearbox, the top-spec diesel motor is mated to a 6 speed manual gearbox.

The rumour adds that the Terrano's starting price will be pegged at 8.9 lakh rupees, ex-showroom Delhi, just 17,000 rupees higher than that of the the entry level Duster Diesel. This information is different from the reports on the interweb asserting that the Terrano will be priced about 50,000-75,000 rupees higher than equivalent versions of the Duster.

While earlier reports about the Nissan Terrano are inconsistent with the latest rumours, we've seen Renault re-badge and sell Nissan products with minimal differentiation, save for the cosmetics. Two instant examples that come to mind are the Nissan Micra-Renault Pulse hatchbacks and the Nissan Sunny-Renault Scala sedans. So, a minimally differentiated Duster sold by Nissan as the Terrano remains within the realm of possibilities.

The Terrano is said to be available in four variants: XL, XL (O), XV and XV Premium, with the official launch slated to happen in October 2013. All said and done, the veracity of the Terrano's image and leaked details remain in question. In that light, you're advised to consider these details with a pinch of salt.