Sun, 23 Feb 2003

New-series Nissan Terano comes up bright

Arief Hidayat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Japanese automaker Nissan Motor entered 2003 by releasing its latest Nissan Terano series. Only minor facelifts have been applied to the new series, but it manages to appear fresher than the previous versions.

This time, Nissan, through PT Nissan Motor Indonesia, has launched three new versions of the Terano: the Spirit S1, an upgraded version of the previous Terano spirit; the Grandroad G1, the latest version of the Grandroad XTR; and the Kingsroad K1, to replace the Kingsroad F2.

Although these vehicles are still based on their previous generation, the New Terano has a fresher look, particularly the fenders, which are painted the same color as the body, and the grille, which looks like a beehive.

The headlights have been upgraded by using complex surface reflectors, which enables them to shine more brightly without hurting one's eyes. The new rear light clusters look trendier than the previous ones.

The Terano Kingsroad K1 is the most luxurious of the three models. The seats are upholstered in real leather, in a deluxe design. Several parts of the dashboard have wooden panels, of much better quality than those in earlier models.

On the New Terano, the color combi meter is this correct? is replaced by bright, gold Champaign do you mean champagne?.

To add to the comfort, the Kingsroad K1 audio system is equipped with a JVC double din (radio, tape, single CD and remote control) and six loudspeakers to guarantee optimal sound resolution.

The vehicle also has a more roomy trunk as the spare wheel is not stored there.

The Grandroad G1 does not have as many accessories as the Kingsroad K1 but it is still more exclusive than the Spirit S1.

Its spare wheel is placed outside the trunk, and it does not use a front guard what is this?, as in the Kingsroad K1.

Despite the facelift, the price of the New Teranos is only Rp 1 million more than the Terano 2002 series.

All the New Teranos use the same power unit: the type-Z24, four-cylinder, in-line, SOHC (Single Overhead Cam) 2389cc, water- cooled engine, which can produce up to 118 PS of power at 4800 rpm. It uses premium gasoline, which is both affordable and accessible.

Although this type of machine is considered obsolete -- it still has a carburetor rather than fuel injection -- engine maintenance is easy and the engine is known for its toughness.

Most Nissan Terano users are satisfied with engine performance, especially because of lower maintenance costs.

With a light clutch pedal, the Terano is zippy in heavy traffic, while robust enough for off-road use.

Nissan has targeted its products at young couples who like a combination of outdoor adventure, easy maintenance and reliability.

With the new vehicle line, Nissan hopes to maintain its top position in the sports utility vehicle (SUV) category. At present, Nissan has sold 11,000 Teranos of various types.