Nissan Tekton revealed as a Renault Duster with thin layer of Patrol

The Nissan Tekton has been unveiled in India, but the small SUV seems unlikely to make its way Down Under despite being a Renault Duster in a new suit.

It's built in Chennai, India, and based on the third-generation Renault Duster, which started production in India earlier this year. Compared to the Duster, the Tekton has a completely new fascia with a more angular design, a taller grille, headlights similar to those on the new 'Y63' Patrol, and its name emblazoned across the bonnet.

Along the side, the sills and lower door trim have been simplified, and there's now a set of fake vents on the leading edge of the front doors inspired by the new Patrol. Out the back you'll find new tail-light graphics, more oversized Tekton badging, and a different rear bumper.

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Like the made-in-India Duster, the Tekton features a classier and more luxurious-looking interior than the one found in Dusters built by Dacia in Romania, and sold in Europe and Australia.

Nissan has tweaked the Duster's interior to include a new trim piece on the dashboard ahead of the front passenger, more piano-black plastic, especially around the vents, and a different mix of trim and upholstery colours.

In the centre of the dash there's a 10.1-inch infotainment touchscreen with built-in Google apps, and this is linked visually with the 7.0- or 10.25-inch instrumentation display via a slab of glossy black plastic. 

Safety features include six airbags, adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, and blind-spot monitoring.

In India the Tekton is offered with two drivetrains. Entry-level models have a 74kW/160Nm mild-hybrid 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, while higher-spec variants come with a 120kW/280Nm 1.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine.

The Tekton misses out on the 1.8-litre hybrid offered in the Indian Duster range.

In India, the new Tekton will be one of only four models offered in Nissan showrooms, alongside the Gravite (a rebadged Renault Triber small people mover), the Magnite (a sub-4m SUV originally designed for Datsun), and the fully imported X-Trail.

The Tekton will also be sold in 50 markets across Asia and the Middle East. Australia-bound Renault Dusters are built by Dacia in Romania, and feature a different rear-end design, interior, and drivetrain options compared to their Indian counterparts.

Although the bonds between Nissan and Renault have weakened since the arrest and ouster of then-CEO Carlos Ghosn, the two automakers still collaborate on individual vehicles, like the Renault 5-based Nissan Micra sold in Europe.

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