2026 Nissan Tekton: 10 Things You Need To Know About The India-Bound SUV
Nissan has partially revealed its next big launch in the Indian market- a mid-size SUV called the Tekton. Expected to be out in the second quarter of the calendar year 2026, it will form an important part of the company’s revival journey here. With time left for its market entry, here are 10 things to know about the Nissan Tekton.
1. What’s In The Name?
When we think of a C-SUV from Nissan, we automatically tend to associate it with the Terrano. Launched in India in 2013, it enjoyed huge acceptance here. Nissan, however, has chosen to call the new SUV ‘Tekton’. Yes, it sounds (awkwardly) new!
The name derives from the Greek word tekton (τέκτων), which means artisan or craftsman. The name intends to signify the sheer (Japanese) craftsmanship that has gone into the design of this vehicle. It has, in fact, been designed by the same team that designed the latest generation Nissan Patrol. Also, the Tekton comes with multiple easter eggs in various areas of its design.
2. Looks Like A Mini-Patrol
The Patrol has always remained Nissan’s most aspirational SUV. The Tekton tries it best to look like the Patrol. The front fascia borrows a lot of its cues from the big SUV. The upright stance, C-shaped LED DRLs, connecting light bar, flat nose, sleek LED headlamps, a wide trapezoidal grille with twin Chrome bars, and a bold front bumper.
The boxy silhouette will also invoke faint memories of the Patrol’s side view. At the rear, the Tekton gets connected tail lamps, just like what you see on the flagship SUV.
3. The Platform
The Tekton will be underpinned by the CMF-B platform, co-developed by Renault and Nissan. The Renault Clio, showcased at the Geneva Motor Show 2019, was the first model to be underpinned by this architecture. The Renault-Nissan alliance started developing this at its Guyancourt Technocentre in 2014.
This flexible, modular platform was conceived and designed to be future-ready and supports electrification as well. The new-generation Renault Duster is also based on the CMF-B.
4. The Engine Pool Will Be Shared With The Duster
Like the platform, the engine options too will be shared between the upcoming Duster and Tekton. Nissan hasn’t revealed the powertrain details yet. However, the Duster is expected to offer a 1.3-litre EDC turbo-charged petrol (the same that was found on the previous Duster/Terrano on sale here) and a 1.2L mild hybrid initially.
Strong hybrid engines are likely to roll out later. The Tekton is known to borrow this same set of powertrains. Both manual and automatic transmissions will be available.
5. Will Be Petrol-Only
A 1.5L diesel engine used to be offered on the Terrano that was on sale here. It came in two states of tune- 84hp/ 200 Nm and 110hp/ 245 Nm. Both five-speed and six-speed manual transmissions were available. The Tekton, however, will be a petrol-only offering. Adios diesels...
6. Will Be Built In Oragadam
The Tekton will be manufactured at the Renault-Nissan plant in Oragadam, a suburb of Chennai. Operational since 2010, this facility is situated at a strategic location that provides ample logistics, infrastructure, and cost benefits. Even shipping is smooth, as the region has good connectivity to international ports.
7. Will Get A 7-Seater Sibling
Yes, Nissan is known to be working on a longer, seven-seater version of the Terrano. Slides from the carmaker’s previous presentations on future product roadmap showed the silhouette of a 7-seater. Plus, the upcoming Duster will get a seven-seater version, a year after its launch here.
In global markets, the three-row form of Dacia Duster is called the Bigster. Renault’s version will have the name ‘Boreal’. Nissan could base its three-row SUV on the same. When launched, this will compete with the likes of the Hyundai Alcazar here.
8. Interior Design To Be Revealed Soon
The carmaker hasn’t yet revealed the Tekton’s interior design or feature list. It has, however, shown off some interior trims, which look premium and seem to have good detailing. We expect to get our first look at the Nissan C-SUV’s cabin in the coming weeks.
The vehicle will likely share a lot of its features with the Duster. It will then have the likes of a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a 7-inch digital instrument gauge cluster, automatic climate control, rear AC vents, a push start/stop button, keyless entry, electrically foldable and operable ORVMs, Type-C charging ports, and a 360-degree camera. It will also come with a six-speaker audio system. The safety suite will have up to six airbags, ESP, hill start assist, and level 2 ADAS.
9. The Second Product In Nissan’s ‘One Car, One World’ strategy
The Tekton will be the second product under Nissan’s ‘One Car, One World’ strategy. The Magnite was the first. Just like this SUV, the Tekton too will be manufactured at the Chennai plant, shared with Renault. This facility has an installed annual capacity of 480,000 units, divided equally between the two brands. This means that Nissan has an installed annual production cap of 240,000 units.
According to a report by ET Auto, the alliance is now utilising just around 50% of this. Since Nissan makes just the Magnite, its share of utilisation is minuscule. In the fiscal year 2024-25, these numbers stood under 1 lakh, 99,000 to be precise, including both domestic dispatches and exports.
With Tekton rolling out, this could increase significantly. Even on the upcoming C-SUV, there will be a strong focus on exports. It will help Nissan to stretch production numbers. It aims to operate its production lines at 80-90 percent capacity by 2027.
Upcoming Nissan products like the seven-seater version of the Tekton, and the (rumoured) rebadged version of the Triber MPV will also contribute to this. Utilizing more of the installed capacity will translate to higher profits for the manufacturer, making Nissan’s Indian business sustainable in the long run.
10. What You See Is The Production Version!
And finally, what you see in these pictures isn’t a pre-production prototype or concept, but a production car, the same one that will reach showrooms next year. In another event, Nissan has already shown it to dealers. The product reportedly impressed all of them and even got new entrepreneurs to express interest in becoming Nissan dealers. It looks like the carmaker finally has a promising product in hand....