It’s now just a matter of demand.
Yesterday, Japanese carmaker Nissan revealed an all-new three-row seven-seater SUV, built on the ladder-frame of the Navara ute, offering greater practicality and family usability without compromising on off-road capability. Dubbed the ‘Terra,’ it those of us in the Philippines for the launch had only one question on our minds: When’s it coming Down Under?
It seems that Nissan’s local office is very keen on the Terra SUV, with no subtlety in the comments made by its managing director.
“Absolutely, no question about it [getting the Terra to Australia]. We’re quite confident with the product and the segment it occupies, that this would certainly be in demand from Australian customers.” — Stephen Lester, Managing Director, Nissan Australia
No specific timeline was offered, but Lester said that his intention is to bring the Terra to market “as soon as possible.”
In line with Australian-market tastes, the Terra would have to be reworked somewhat, differing from the model seen in Manila. The 2.5-litre turbodiesel available there would have to be exchanged for a Euro 5-compliant unit, which could be sourced from the existing Navara lineup. Further, autonomous emergency braking would have to be fitted to keep it competitive against class rivals, though that shouldn’t be too hard.
“[The Terra] is based on the Navara platform and we currently have a Navara in market. So the plan would obviously be that we would use the currently-homologated engine from NP Navara in Terra, to be able to bring it into the country. We make [Renault] Alaskan, and we make [Mercedes-Benz] X-Class. We have this technology everywhere [AEB], so it’s not that we can’t do it. The point is, when?” — Stephen Lester, Managing Director, Nissan Australia
With the launch in Manila, Nissan is claiming that the Terra offers “best in class cabin space,” as well as an array of intelligent driver aids like lane departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, Moving Object Detection, and a 360º around-view monitor. The Terra also packs Nissan’s new ‘Smart Rear View Mirror,’ which permits drivers to see out the rear windscreen unobstructed via a camera mounted at the rear.
All in all, the Terra looks like a very interesting proposition for the 7-seater, off-road-capable SUV market, taking on competitors like the Ford Everest, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, and Isuzu MU-X. Go on then Nissan, bring it in.
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