In 2011, when the development of the D23 Nissan Navara started, Nissan was considering to develop an SUV based on the Navara as the successor of the Nissan Paladin. At the early phase of the development, Nissan executives aimed the car to the growing Chinese and Middle East market. However, the development of Terra was stuck in around 2014 and 2015 as the executives were undecided with the new SUV position in the segment, as the popular X-Trail sits very close to the aimed segment. Terra was planned to be launched in 2016, however there are several constraints in the development of the car that delayed the launch. In 2015, the competitors which are Toyota Fortuner, Mitsubishi Montero Sport/Pajero Sport, Ford Everest, and the Isuzu MU-X had the new generation launched, which in turn surprised Nissan's engineering team as the new iterations from the competitors were more advanced than they expected. The development team had to stop the progress to evaluate and improve the details of the Terra in order to compete. The development was also constrained by a new excise tax structure based on emissions introduced by the Thailand government, which forced Nissan to engineer the cleaner YS23DDTTdiesel engine from Renault to the Terra. As the result, the Terra release was delayed by two years. The official details of the vehicle were eventually revealed in 15 March 2018 and was unveiled in the following month. According to Pedro Deanda, chief product specialist that supervises the development of the car, the Terra shares the front door panels, front hood bonnet and the door handles with the D23 Navara. The chassis and suspension was re-engineered to be shorter for comfort and maneuverability.
Engines
The Terra has three engine options: a 2.5 L QR25DEI4petrol engine that produces at 6,000 rpm and of torque at 4,000 rpm, a 2.3 L twin-turbochargedYS23DDTT or 2.5 L YD25DDTi I4 diesel engines that both produce at 3,600 rpm or 3,750 rpm and of torque at 2,000 rpm or 1,500–2,500 rpm respectively. The engines are mated to a 6-speed manual or 7-speed automatic transmission. The ground clearance is measured at.
Markets
On 28 May 2018, the Terra was launched in the Philippines. It gets a 2.5-liter diesel engine option. Compared to the Chinese version, it is wider, longer and seats 7. It is offered in five trim options. The Terra was launched in Indonesia on 2 August 2018 at the 26th Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show. It has the similar specs as the Philippines version. The Terra was launched in Thailand on 16 August 2018. It uses the 2.3 L diesel engine option to comply with Thailand excise tax structure. The 2.3 L engine, YS23DDTT produces less CO2 pollution than the 2.5 L YD25DDTi engine, precisely 196 g/km which is lower than the 200 g/km limit regulated by the Thai government to get a 5% tax incentive. In Brunei market, the Terra was launched since early 2019. The car was offered in Mid, High and Premium models. The Terra comes with only 2.5-litre diesel engine, 7-speed automatic or 6-speed manual, tire-pressure monitoring system, around-view monitor, 18-inch rims, 17-inch rims, hill-descent control and 6 airbags for all trims.
