Rumoured to revive the Terrano name used on the first generation Duster, the newcomer will head a range of two Nissan-badged Renault products approved for South Africa.
Only seen in teaser image form thus far, the first of Nissan’s two incoming new SUVs has been spotted undergoing testing in India ahead of its market arrival next year.
Nissan by Renault
Reported in May as having entered the pre-production phase, the newcomer will be based on sister brand Renault’s new Duster, and produced at the Chennai plant for the local and export markets.
.@Nissan_India's upcoming C-segment SUV has just been spotted on test in India for the first time. Essentially a badge-engineered sibling of the Renault Duster, we can expect it to launch in India by the middle of 2026.
— Autocar India (@autocarindiamag) August 7, 2025
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The first of three Nissan-badged Renault models for India, the newcomer will ride on the same CMF-B platform as the Duster, and more than likely, have the same choice of engines.
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Based on the images posted by Autocar India, the main differences will, seemingly, be limited to the exterior and interior, the former comprising a Nissan specific grille, as hinted by the original teaser image last year, and what appears to be model unique headlights and different wheel arches.
While no interior images were obtained, anticipated changes are likely to be minor.
Engine conundrum
Up front, the line-up of engines will mirror those of the Duster, though in accordance with the options available on the Dacia Duster in Europe, different in displacement and power.
As a comparison, the Dacia can be had with a 1.2-litre mild-hybrid turbo-petrol or a self-charging 1.6-litre hybrid, while the Renault substitutes the latter with the normal 1.3-litre turbo-petrol co-developed with Daimler.
In India, reports have alleged that Nissan could retain the Terrano name used on the rebadged first generation Duster, however, nothing has yet been approved.
Remaining pair
Besides the Duster, the new Boreal will also morph into a Nissan and debut next year with seven-seats below the X-Trail.
Spun-off of the Dacia Bigster, both the Duster and Boreal models have been approved for South Africa, the former replacing the Qashqai, while the latter will take up station below the X-Trail instead of succeeding it.
Renault South Africa has since confirmed to iol.co.za that the Boreal is being investigated for South Africa in either 2026 or 2027.
“[These] products will be Nissan’s answer to the Chinese competition in South Africa. We believe [India] is a good source to bring competitive and technologically advanced response to the market,” Nissan Managing Director for South Africa and Independent African Markets, Maciej Klenkiewicz, told the media at the unveiling of the facelift Magnite in Cape Town last year.
Not destined for South Africa, for now, the third model will be based on the Renault Triber and could serve as the spiritual replacement for the Livina/Grand Livina should sales receive approval.
More later
At its stands, the pair of SUVs has been confirmed, and with development in India still taking place, expect details and more spy images to gather throughout the remainder of 2025.
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