Nissan is expanding its lineup of body-on-frame vehicles as part of its “M.O.V.E to 2022” initiative to increase its frame-based sales by 40 percent by 2022. A major cog in the overall plan is this, the Nissan Terra. It’s a seven-passenger SUV based on the Navara pickup truck. In fact, the Terra is expected to share almost all its components from the Navara, including its frame and drivetrain. It is already clear the cabin and overall design theme is mirrored between the truck and SUV.

The 2018 Terra will make its official debut at the 2018 Beijing Motor Show in April, along with most of its details. Expect price and fuel economy to come later. Sales will begin in China this spring, with other Asian markets following soon after, including Australia.

Continue reading for more information.

Ashwani Gupta, senior vice president for Nissan’s frame and Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) business, said, “Nissan’s frame and LCV business is seeing steady growth, and with our ambitious midterm plan and growing product lineup, we’re confident that this growth will continue. It is an exciting time for Nissan. We have the Nissan Terra arriving soon, the award-winning Nissan Navara is now in 133 markets worldwide, and more drivers are purchasing our LCVs around the world."

Nissan’s LCV division has already witnessed a marked improvement over the last year. In 2017 alone, sales increased seven percent over 2016. Adding the family-friendly Terra SUV will certainly help keep sales trending northward toward Nissan’s 40-percent goal in 2022.

About the 2018 Nissan Terra

The Terra’s bones and design theme are clearly shared with the Nissan Navara pickup. That’s just fine as pickups and body-on-frame SUVs are extremely popular in the Asian Pacific market.

The Terra utilizes the Navara’s independent front suspension with MacPherson struts and the multi-link coil spring rear suspension holding a solid axle. The multi-link system will provide a smooth ride for on-road driving, yet offer good off-road capabilities and respectable towing and payload numbers.

The powertrain for China is expected to be the Navara’s 2.3-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder. The engine puts out 188 horsepower and a respectable 332 pound-feet of torque twisting between 1,500 and 2,500 rpm. Nissan will likely offer both the six-speed manual and seven-speed automatic transmission options, too. Rear-wheel-drive will come standard, with four-wheel drive optional.

Inside, the Terra’s cabin is basically a carbon copy of the Navara’s. The three-spoke steering wheel offers redundant controls, while dual-zone climate controls, push-button starting, and touchscreen infotainment system set comfort levels high. The Terra has a 2+3+2 seating arrangement, giving room for seven people across the three rows. Naturally, the second and third rows will fold flat for increased storage room.

The Ford Everest and Chevrolet Trailblazer SUVs will be the Nissan Tera’s biggest and most equal rivals. All three SUVs are based on one-tonne pickups popular in the Asian Pacific markets, with the Everest sharing its bones with the Ford Ranger and the Trailblazer sharing its underpinnings with the Colorado. Sadly, Nissan has made no indication that neither the Navara pickup nor the Terra SUV will make their way to U.S. shores, despite Ford bringing the Ranger and Ranger-based Bronco SUV. Chevy, like Nissan, seems to have zero interest in bringing the Trailblazer to North America.

Stateside, the Navara pickup would carry the Frontier nameplate while the Terra could easily be branded the Xterra. In fact, we’ve heard rumors Nissan is looking “very, very closely” at reviving the Xterra nameplate. In a story we published in December 2017, we quoted Michael Bunce, Nissan’s senior VP of product planning for Nissan North America, as saying:

is a great asset in terms of a name and a badge. It’s on the shelf right now, but it’s something we could utilize in the future. Through devices they’re becoming more isolated and they want to reconnect with friends, family, outdoors. And a vehicle is an expression, a way to do that. We’re doing a lot of work in the space to understand that customer very well.”

In other words, it seems Nissan is sincerely considering a body-on-frame SUV like the Terrain the U.S., and it seems incredibly feasible to make it happen.

Regardless of whether the Terra arrives here, the SUV will be incredibly important to Nissan’s future. Ashwani Gupta says, “Nissan’s frame and LCV business is seeing steady growth, and with our ambitious midterm plan and growing product lineup, we’re confident that this growth will continue. It is an exciting time for Nissan. We have the Nissan Terra arriving soon, the award-winning Nissan Navara is now in 133 markets worldwide, and more drivers are purchasing our LCVs around the world."

We will publish all the Terra’s details once the SUV officially breaks cover in Beijing this April, so stay tuned to TopSpeed.com.

References

Read our full speculative review on the 2018 Nissan Terra.

Read our full review on the 2015 Nissan Navara.

Read more Nissan news.