Recently, crossovers have gained great popularity in Russia. Now many German, French and American manufacturers produce products of this class. The Japanese are not far behind. So, a couple of years ago they released the updated Nissan Terrano, designed to be the main competitor for the Duster. In today's article, we will try to compare the Nissan Terrano and Renault Duster and answer the question of which car is better.
Design
That "Terrano", which was produced in the 90s, remained in the past. The Japanese got rid of dull rectangular shapes. Tempting design is now a priority. After all, it is on the exterior that buyers are now paying the most attention.
The car was built on the famous Nissan B0 platform. This is a mid-size crossover that has received a corporate, Nissan style. So, the front end is very reminiscent of the “Navara” of the late zero years. The car has massive wheel arches, a wide chrome grille and a pronounced side line of the body.
Now let's move on to Duster. It's no secret that the car was positioned as the most affordable crossover in its class. Therefore, Dacia Logan was taken as a platform. It was stretched in size, added clearance and put huge wheels. In front, the “Duster” is very attractive: multi-component optics, tightened feed and a huge grille with a company logo.
But the back of the car looks awful. What is the design of lights? These disproportionate forms have caused a wave of bewilderment among many motorists.
Differences
If you compare these two SUVs externally, then what are the differences? Renault Duster and Nissan Terrano, despite the similar size and class, are markedly different in appearance. The design of Terrano is more attractive and aggressive. What can I say, Nissan looks an order of magnitude more expensive than its French competitor. Many motorists agree with this. If we talk about the fundamental differences, then this is the shape of the bumper, wider wheel arches and pleasant rear optics. Although the front looks no less harmonious. If not for the design of the rear, the “Frenchman” could compete with the Japanese “Terrano”. In the meantime, “Duster” is losing to him in all respects.
Salon
Despite the fact that Renault Duster and Nissan Terrano cars belong to the budget class, inside they are very different. Take a look at the interior of the French crossover.
Since the platform was taken from Logan, many Romanian parts “migrated” to the salon. Among them - mediocre sound insulation, hard and rattling plastic. Yes, and the architecture of the front panel looks very dull. This is often confirmed by the reviews of the owners. Like it or not, the French have notably saved on interior design. Round deflectors, a rather simple steering wheel, a center console "strewn" with plugs - all these are the features of the budget Renault Duster crossover. Now let's move on to the Japanese SUV.
Salon looks much richer. The steering wheel is three-spoke with silver accents. The center console has a climate control unit and a small radio screen. There is a glove box on top. There are also niches in the door cards and on the passenger side (a deep slot above the glove compartment). In light colors, Nissan looks much more expensive than its price. The seats have a pronounced support and are distinguished by an abundance of adjustments. The quality of sound insulation is an order of magnitude higher than that of the "Frenchman".
As for the boot volume, in the standard version up to 475 liters of luggage is placed here. There is a function for folding the rear seats. This allows you to increase the usable volume up to 1635 liters. If you compare the Nissan Terrano and Renault Duster, the boot volume of the latter is an order of magnitude less. In the all-wheel drive version, it is 408 liters. And with the seats folded down - only 1,570 liters.
Specifications
We have already compared the design and interior of SUVs. Renault Duster or Nissan Terrano - which is better? While positive impressions remain only from the "Japanese". However, in terms of the variety of power plants, Nissan is noticeably inferior to Duster. The latter has as many as 8 engines in the list, among which there are both diesel and gasoline units. However, only four of them are available for the Russian market. The base is a 102-horsepower petrol unit with a volume of 1.6 liters. Naturally, this power is not enough for such a curb mass. And if “Logan” still somehow “digested” this torque, then things are different. This motor is clearly not for active driving.
Also in the lineup there is a 114-horsepower gasoline engine with the same displacement. But, as noted by the reviews, this crossover lacks power. In order to somehow realize the potential, you need to choose a two-liter engine that develops 135 horsepower. The diesel unit officially delivered to Russia has simply ridiculous characteristics. With a volume of 1.5 liters, it develops 90 horsepower. Naturally, he is not going anywhere with this engine. Acceleration to hundreds - almost 16 seconds. The maximum speed is 156 kilometers per hour.
According to reviews, Nissan Terrano and Renault Duster are very similar in technical terms. Japanese has almost the same line of units. Right, she’s a little cut. There is still a 90-horsepower diesel engine and a half liters, as well as two gasoline units. The first with a volume of 1.6 liters develops 103 horsepower, the second - 137 with a volume of 2 liters.
Gearbox
As for transmissions, both cars have the same gearbox line. Among them, the mechanics are five- and six-speed transmissions. There is only one automatic gearbox (both for Duster and Terrano) - a four-speed one with a torque converter.
Test Drive: Renault Duster and Nissan Terrano
How do these crossovers behave on the go? From a technical point of view, this is the same car. All-wheel drive scheme, motors and transmission of the same type. As for the suspension, these are two absolutely identical crossovers. Suspension fulfills the pit hard enough. The steering wheel is also heavier in the parking lot (although the power steering is present in both). But at speed, it becomes easier. You have to periodically taxi. In terms of acceleration dynamics, cars have similar characteristics. True, the Nissan is almost 100 kilograms heavier. Therefore, he will slightly lose to Duster. Owner reviews do not recommend buying a diesel engine. And if a 110-horsepower unit is available for the foreign market, which at least somehow goes, then in Russia you can buy a motor with only 90 forces. Due to the high curb weight, he can not cope with the loads. The same goes for low-power gasoline engines. It becomes clear why the fuel consumption of the 1.6- and 2-liter versions is almost the same. In terms of cross-country performance, both are not full-fledged SUVs. As shown by the test drive, Renault Duster and Terrano on the front-wheel drive are simply powerless on the roads. A pluggable rear axle can fix this. But there are no hard locks. Therefore, the main element of crossovers is asphalt.
Price
So, we got to the decisive factor - cost. The initial price for "Duster" in the minimum is 630 thousand rubles. This will be a car on front-wheel drive, a mechanical "five-step" and a 1.6-liter engine. Terrano with the same configuration will be 260 thousand more expensive. As for the maximum configurations, the “Duster” with all-wheel drive and a two-liter engine costs exactly 1 million rubles.
The same "Terrano" is available at a price of 1 million 167 thousand rubles. However, the cost of options from the Japanese is cheaper. For example, four-wheel drive costs 58 thousand rubles. At "Duster" - 8 thousand more. Already in the middle configuration, Nissan is equipped with a stabilization system, which significantly increases the cross-country ability. On Renault, this function is available only as an option (even in the maximum configuration).
Total
So, Renault Duster or Nissan Terrano - which is better? If you have a beautiful design and interior as a priority, it is definitely worth choosing a Nissan. If you don’t see any reason to overpay for appearance, then definitely take “Duster”. Otherwise, the Nissan Terrano and Renault Duster are very similar cars.