Nissan To bring 2 New SUVs To India; Duster-Based 5-Seat, 7-Seat SUVs Most Likely Candidates | V3Cars

Renault Duster-Based SUV Likely From Nissan

Since the Duster still has a strong brand recall in India, it would be foolish for Renault to try and name the SUV something else entirely. With that in mind, we should expect the Nissan SUV to be a Duster-based version with distinct Nissan design language.

In my opinion, the best strategy would be to bring the Duster first while Nissan soon follow up with their 7-seat SUV version. Since the Renault Duster is a valuable nameplate, it should come to market as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the 7-seat version from Nissan could begin carving out a market for itself. This way, neither of the 2 SUVs will step on each other’s territory and they’ll both get some breathing room as well.

Have you seen the Seltos and Creta or Sonet and Venue getting a major update in a short time frame?

Also Read: Hyundai Creta Waiting Period – March 2024

2024 Hyundai Creta N Line Launched At Rs. 16.82 Lakh

Note: If You Want to Buy a New Car, Calculate Car Loan EMI with V3Cars

Nissan SUV Launch Timeline — 5-Seat, 7-Seat

In terms of timelines, the top level representatives were extremely vague and didn’t give us even a rough timeline for their launch. This suggests that the project is completely new and recently conceived.

Since they are planning to Indianize the cars, we expect a lot of fresh R&D inputs coming from their Indian engineers. This could take well over a year to between conception and market launch. We should start seeing the first of these 4 upcoming SUVs arriving in market by the end of 2025.

Nissan Upcoming SUVs — Expected Engine Specs

Since Renault Nissan Alliance don’t have any engines currently in production in India to serve these SUVs, it’s difficult to speculate what powertrain and drivetrains we could see in these cars. The 1.3L turbo petrol and the 1.5L normal petrol are the most likely candidates. However, neither have a strong-enough USP to warrant any attention.

Nissan SUV 2025 — Verdict

So, Renault and Nissan are in a tough spot as far as engine options go as their current engine options in the international portfolio aren’t suited to help their SUVs stand out in India. Moreover, the upcoming Tata Curvv and Citroen Basalt will also have entered the space and (probably) found their audience. The Renault Duster is likely to have an easier time because of the strong brand recall but the Nissan SUV doesn’t even have that going for it. Their 2 attempts at establishing themselves in the C-SUV space failed miserably with the Kicks and Terrano. It’s unlikely that they will be able to make any splash but if they are looking to survive, then the new strategy may help with that.

Also Read: Mahindra Bolero CSD Price List — Price Comparison w/ Ex-Showroom

Note: Calculate Car Fuel Cost with V3Cars for India and Other Countries