Nissan Terrano XV AMT First Drive Review

The Nissan Terrano XV AMT – the top-spec Nissan compact SUV now with automated manual transmission. While we all love our SUVs, we now want them to be convenient and economical and that is where the AMT comes in. The Terrano was launched in 2013 and since then has been largely untouched. A few things did change with consecutive model years but nothing that would stand out.

The Terrano still is one of the handsome looking SUVs and that is because of its elegant straight lines. The fascia gets its dose of chrome to look premium with the large trapezoidal grille and twin-barrel headlamps. The high stance, chiselled body lines and the muscular wheel arches add the much needed brawn and despite the lack of changes, it looks fresh. The petal alloys, roof rails and bash plates both fore and aft make it look sporty.

The Terrano feels dated as you step in. The dashboard design is simple with the 2-DIN music player without a colour display screen and manual air-conditioning. The instrument console is new and comes straight form the Renault Duster with its three-dial setup – tachometer, speedometer and the right-most one gets the multi-function display. Vitals like distance to empty, average and instantaneous fuel economy, trip meters, average speed can be toggled through the push-button on the wiper stalk. It gets airbags in the front for both the driver and the passenger.

The cabin is roomy and the feels spacious with beige leather upholstery. Even large people fit easily in the driver seat thanks to the generous amounts of legroom and headroom. The seats are comfortable but lack lateral support and being an automatic, the driver gets an armrest but the co-driver doesn’t. Three passengers in the back is not a squeeze as the foldable rear armrest does not jut out. One of the selling points of the Terrano is its large 475-litre boot which can be expanded further by folding flat the rear seatback.

The quirky French connection is clearly visible in the cabin and ergonomics. The speedometer reads odds instead of evens, the electric mirror adjuster is still under the handbrake and the indicator stalk on the wrong side. Power window switches on the front doors eat into the knee room. Though it is practical with a large boot, the storage spaces could have been managed better. The front gets door pockets and stowage spaces but the rear passengers will have to make do with the seat pockets and the parcel tray behind.

The AMT is a cost effective option for manufacturers but also has its share of drawbacks. However, the torquey engine of the Terrano meant we expected the AMT to perform well and it did, most of the times. If you are a performance freak, stay away because it will take forever to shift at full clip. But the majority that opt for AMT choose it for convenience over performance and convenience is what it does perfectly. In city traffic, the AMT feels smooth and effortless but still doesn’t have the seamlessness of torque converters or dual-clutch gearboxes. One the highway, the difference is evident. It also gets a creep function which is very useful when you have to inch about in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

At part throttle, the gears shift at 2200rpm giving you the perfect blend of economy from the 108bhp turbocharged four cylinder K9K 1.5-litre dCi engine. The engine develops 245Nm of torque that drives in seamlessly from almost 1700rpm. The gearbox is tuned to use this linear, wide torque spread and hence doesn’t down-shift unless absolutely needed. The gear-shifts feel smoother at part throttle in both manual and automatic modes.

At full throttle, the AMT will just drop a gear and sit tight for the torque to kick the speedometer needle over. But if you are in an overtaking manoeuvre, the dip in torque while shifting might be unnerving. The time taken to shift is quite a bit even in manual. Over time though, you will get used to planning your moves by building up the power before you make the manoeuvre.

The 2-valves per cylinder dCI is not the most refined of the lot. It becomes vocal at high revs but has the go. It is tried and tested though and for the efficiency freaks, there is an ECO button under the AC console. It stifles the power delivery for a few more paces per litre, but the deficit is hardly recognisable. The Terrano cruises at 100kmph in the sixth gear at about 2200rpm as the on-board fuel economy hovers in the 14-18kmpl range. In manual mode, the AMT is seemingly faster. The engine braking also feels better in manual than the freewheeling nature of the automatic mode.

Here comes the best part. The Duster/Terrano chassis and suspension setup is one of the best in business for driving dynamics. It is setup on the stiffer side which makes it stick through corners with manageable body roll. The straight line stability is effortless at all speeds and it holds firmly over bumps even at high speeds. The steering is nice and precise and does give you feedback. It still kicks back over mid-corner bumps which is scary. The brakes are good and feel progressive but could have done with a bit more bite for the automatic.

I have to be nit-picking to say the ride feels a tad jiggly, especially on concrete surfaces like the Mumbai-Pune expressway. At low speeds, articulated potholes might throw you around a bit. But overall, it is an excellent mile-muncher as well as city-crawler.

The Terrano XV AMT costs Rs 13.75 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi. At this price, it doesn’t get touchscreen display or navigation, no steering mounted audio controls, no electrically folding mirrors either. No push-button start, no rear armrest, no steering mounted audio controls. It gets rear parking sensors though. And an excellent driving package with a stability program, traction control, hill-hold et a

By itself, the Terrano is a good car – it looks good and drives great. But it misses out on the feature list which is more or less the basic criterion for making the choice. With the AMT coming in, Nissan might have ditched the bells and whistles to keep the price tag in check. But as a customer, you have options.

The Terrano AMT, at Rs 13.75 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), competes with the Renault Duster AMT and Hyundai Creta diesel AT. The Duster gets a robust feature list with the exact same mechanicals as the Terrano and is about Rs 80,000 cheaper, ex-showroom. In case of the Creta, it costs Rs 80,000 more but it is the benchmark of build, interior quality, features and ride quality in the segment and commands that price.