The upcoming midsize SUV from Nissan will reportedly be positioned in a more upmarket manner compared to the all-new Duster
Renault & Nissan’s alliance is planning to bring in an assortment of new models over the next few years and four SUVs – two for each brand – have already been confirmed. It is no secret that an all-new Duster, based on the global model, is under development and its Nissan counterpart will also arrive sometime next year in India.
Both were teased a while ago giving us a sneak peek of what to expect as they are based on the latest design philosophies followed by each brand in the overseas markets. A recent report emerged on the internet indicates that the Nissan midsize SUV will be more upmarket compared to the forthcoming Renault Duster.
The Franco-Japanese partnership is making substantial investments to localise the CMF-B architecture in India and it will apparently underpin the new Duster as well as its Nissan sibling. They will likely be powered by as many as three powertrains: the 1.0L HR10 three-cylinder petrol, the 1.3L HR13 turbocharged petrol and the 1.5L NA petrol.
Both manual and automatic transmissions will be available but no diesel engines will be offered. The Nissan midsize SUV is said to pack more advanced features and technologies compared to the Duster and the sole 1.5L naturally aspired petrol engine could be sold only with the French model. The same strategy could be followed for their respective seven-seater iterations.
They are expected to launch in 2026. If the speculation turns out to be true, the Nissan midsize SUV could be pitched against more premium models like the Volkswagen Taigun and Skoda Kushaq while the Duster will take on Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Citroen C3 Aircross, MG Astor, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara and the likes.
The teaser image of the Nissan midsize SUV indicates the presence of L-shaped LED Daytime Running Lights and LED light bar. Both SUVs will be retailed in India and shipped abroad but the latter could target foreign markets specifically. Nissan is expected to launch the new generation X-Trail premium SUV in the coming months and it will be powered by a 1.5L turbo petrol engine. It will be brought into the country via CBU route.