NEW TERRANOTORIAL ARMY

2002/04/02

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

3 April 2002

NEW TERRANOTORIAL ARMY

There’s nothing soft about the Nissan Terrano.  As well as being the best selling medium sized 4x4 in Europe, the Terrano has established a reputation for being durable, practical as well as parkable, and great off road.  It’s now even better over the rough, as well as the smooth, thanks to the introduction of the Patrol GR’s powerful 3.0-litre Di engine.  The interior quality has been upped, as has safety.  And the exterior styling has been altered.  Subtly, for a change.

The 3.0Di powerhouse joins the Terrano’s existing 2.7-litre TD unit to give customers a choice of diesel engine – not many 4x4s offer that.  And you have to go up a 4x4 size to find a diesel engine as powerful as the 156PS 3.0Di which is also, incidentally, available with the option of automatic transmission.

The eight model range is on sale now at prices which are better value than the 2001 Terrano when added equipment is taken into account … not to mention the advancements made in interior design and quality.  The 2.7TD S 3-dr is just £17,395, for example.  It gains anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution, a passenger airbag and a CD player worth much more than the £400 change in price.  The 2.7TD SE is now priced at £18,995 in 3-door form or £21,595 as a 7 seating
5-door.  That’s an increase of £40 over the outgoing version yet Nissan has chucked in side airbags, active front seat headrests (neither of which you’ll get with a Mitsubishi Shogun Sport or Vauxhall Frontera), a CD player and steering wheel mounted audio controls on top of all the kit it had before.

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There’s a new top Terrano.  The outgoing SE+ is replaced by the SVE which also gains side airbags, active front seat headrests and remote audio controls in addition to the leather upholstery, electric sunroof AND aircon, 6CD autochanger, alarm and everything else the top Terrano boasted before.  The SVE is powered by the new
3.0Di engine only and costs from £21,695 for the 3-door to £24,295 for the 5-door.  That three-door SVE is unique – there’s no other diesel, short wheelbase 4x4 out there that’s as well spec-ed and as powerful.  Nissan expects it’ll go down very well with the young of Barcelona who bought the previous three-door in their thousands.  And you know how trendy they are.     

Another new recruit to the range is an automatic transmissioned SE 5-door priced at £23,595 with 3.0Di power.  A 3.0Di SVE 5-door automatic is also available at £25,295 – much better value than the less powerful, less well equipped and less parkable Discovery Td5 GS…

You might wonder why Nissan is expanding the Terrano range when its dealers have got enough 4x4s to offer, what with the revised Navara, X-TRAIL and monster Patrol GR.  Well, it’s what customers wanted.  Many use their Terrano as a working vehicle, often with a horse box or – shock – caravan hitched to its rear.  And the 3.0Di will tow even more (in manual transmission variety) than the existing 2.7TD – 3 tonnes, to be precise which is closer to the weight of a 3 bed detached with conservatory than a
2 berth caravan.  Terranies wouldn’t object to getting to the farm or school a little faster and the 3.0Di shifts to 62mph in 13.3 seconds if it’s a 3-door, or 13.5 seconds if it’s a 5.  You might think the pay off is a drink problem.  In fact the 3.0Di likes a tipple no more than the 2.7TD.

The bonnet’s had to be stretched to accommodate all that motor.  And the grille is now more angular just as it is on the Navara, say.  The 16” alloys, standard issue on SE and SVE, are a new design just because.  And the colour selection has been freshened.  The nose change means the Terrano’s grown 25 mm in length.  So what, you might say.  And its waist is still a slim 1755 mm making the Terrano trimmer and less of a bind on country lanes than even a Freelander. 

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Safety levels have been raised – important not least because Terranos are often loaded with a cargo of children.  So all models now have anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution.  From SE level up, they also get side airbags and active front seat headrests – these provide more head and neck support when the worst happens.

Inside, the seats have added support in all the right places and the door-trims look like they’ve been stolen from an Almera Tino – which they haven’t.  The new Terrano’s clever concertina rear parcel shelf has, though.  It not only hides what’s in the luggage compartment from nosy parkers but can also support things thrown onto it.  Okay it might bark at a dog’s weight but maps and other clutter can be laid out no problem.  The S and SE seat trim becomes Newquay surf-wear in style and the wood effect trim fitted to the SE and SVE dashboards has changed from shiny to matt.

Lovely new interior trim doesn’t reduce the Terrano’s fondness for the rough.  Selectable high and low ratio four-wheel drive, an ability to wade through 450 mm of water and climb a 39 degree gradient – amongst many other statistics – make it still one of the greatest true off-roaders around. 

The range is on sale now.  Last year the Terrano was the best selling fleet 4x4 in the UK being popular with everyone from company directors with extended families to construction engineers wanting to get to customers wherever they are.  With the added models, it may grab the top 2002 fleet sales hardhat.

ends…

FOR FUTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Wayne Bruce              Head of PR                             01923 899930

Email:                          wayne.bruce@nissan.co.uk

Gloria Maydew                        Senior Press Officer               01923 899937

Email:                          gloria.maydew@nissan.co.uk           

Linda Robinson                       Senior Press Officer               01923 899937

Email:                          linda.robinson@nissan.co.uk

30519/030402