Nissan Teana | A V6 Failure in India

Nissan Teana was coming out to as Nissan’s big bet for the Indian roads. The Japanese car manufacturer has never been able to check the pulse of the Indian market. Nissan did try tapping the lower budget market by bringing in models like the Micra but to no use.

The mid-2000s were the years of excitement, innovation and competition in the automotive industry in India. The international carmakers had taken their time and set their foot in the markets. Most of them were now showing what they had got.

The company started it’s India journey by launching the X-Trail via the CBU (Completely Built Unit) route back in 2005. Following the same route then came in the Teana in 2007.

The Nissan Teana was one big, luxury sedan. A car you won’t mind being chauffeured around or drive and play around with it. It had the aura of a luxury sedan and the excitement of a monstrous engine.

So, how did it go? Wasn’t the car attractive enough to woo the Indian consumers? Nissan didn’t have what it takes to tap the Indian markets? Let’s read more and find about this one hell of a car from Nissan which could’ve brought laurels to the company in India.

Engine | Nissan Teana

The engine of the car was totally worth the price. The 2500cc V6 petrol engine was all things peppy and sporty. However, the car didn’t rev or make a whole lot of noise. It was as silent as anything. V6 engine generated 182 bhp with a 228 Nm torque.

All these numbers allowed the Teana to clock 202 kmph flat out. There wasn’t a manual transmission for all the car geeks out there, but just a CVT automatic. The V6 engine delivered well on the performance front, but the mileage arena was simply not worth it. In city driving conditions, the car had a mileage of 8-9 kmpl, which increased minutely to 10 kmpl on the highways.

So, the car did have the brawn but the brains, not so much.

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Exterior | Nissan Teana

On the outside, the Nissan Teana was the best you can get. It was simply amazing. From afar it looked like an American Cadillac, with all the same properties. Long, bulky but yet seemingly sleek, and a road presence which made it low key stand out.

Coming to the dimensions, the car had plenty of it. A length of 4850 mm, having a width of 1795 mm, combined with a 1485 mm height, the car was simply a moving home on wheels. Paired with 17-inch alloy wheels, the car did know how to stand out in a minimal way.

At the front, the headlamps were a debatable point for some. Many felt that it didn’t have the required pizzazz as that in the Accord or the Camry. It simply was there. But there, in fact, were the admirers who wanted to acknowledge the simplicity of the headlamps. The grille of the Nissan Teana had a dominating and yet a subtle avatar.

Interiors | Nissan Teana

All the largeness you saw outside? Yes, it was replicated well enough on the inside.

The interiors were luxurious, spacious, full of beige all around and a plethora of features which made you feel cocooned in the lap of the Teana. Moving around in the Teana was like getting a massage while you’re in it. The car just floated over the bumps like leaves scattered on the roads.

At the front, the console seemed to be quite sweet and simple. The Japanese characteristics of the car were evidently visible at the front. Its buttons were simple and easy to use, with wooden finish in the gear deck and the upper console. There wasn’t any insignificant bells and whistles anywhere.

The rear passengers were the ones who were pampered the most. Rear seats could’ve given a tough competition to the most comfortable sofas around. The rear passengers were provided with AC vents and ashtray in the middle. Although, the bump in the middle made the car a little difficult for the middle passenger at the back.

The entire cabin had an airiness to it and was slapped with beige all around. But this beige slap felt real good once you got inside this luxurious beast.

Ride and Handling | Nissan Teana

The car was perfectly imperfect when it came to riding it around. Yes, the passengers seemed to be nestled in comfort while they sat in the car.

The only bumps that were felt inside the cabins were the sharp-edged ones. So, as a car in which you want to be chauffeured around, it was one of the best choices out there. But as a car to be driven, it wasn’t a practical choice at all.

But at the end of the day, it wasn’t something you can completely hate. The car was good and had all the aspects of a luxury entry-level sedan.

Also Read: 2021 Nissan X-Trail | Pictures Leaked

Conclusion

Nissan is yet another story of a globally acclaimed carmaker failing in India.

The carmaker, actually never had anything to lose in India. It’s manufacturing plant in Chennai is mainly for exports to countries around the world. Nissan’s Chennai plant has the annual capacity to make more than 400,000 units annually.

The company never tried to look at the Indian car market like the others did. Indulged in this complacency and not willing to take any risks showed what Nissan missed on.

Companies like MG, Kia, Jeep and many more benefited by tweaking their products for the specifications of the Indian markets. However, Nissan decided to test their outdated products in the country.

While the Teana could’ve done better, it didn’t. The same position which is enjoyed by the Honda Accord or the Toyota Camry was very much available to the Teana. All it can be termed it as a golden chance riddled in improper management.

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