2022 Nissan Terra VL 4X4 Review: Long Distance Cruiser

Review Verdict: The 2022 Nissan Terra 4X4 VL has all the bells and whistles, making it a solid performer in the mid-size SUV segment in the Philippines. It’s one of the best long-distance cruisers you can get, thanks to its roomy interior, exceptionally smooth suspension, and superior on-board entertainment system.

Pros:

Incredibly smooth suspension
Superior onboard entertainment system
Fuel-efficient diesel engine

Cons:

Outdated platform
Pricey

2022 Nissan Tera VL 4X4 Specs Philippines

4-cylinder 2.5-L engine with w/ variable turbocharger
190 PS @ 3,600 rpm, 450 Nm @ 2,000 rpm
Fuel: Diesel
Transmission: 7-speed A/T w/ Manual Mode
Suspension: Independent Double Wishbone with Coil Spring and Stabilizer Bar (front), Multi-Link (5-Link) with Coil Spring and Stabilizer Bar (rear)
Brakes: Ventilated Disk (front), Ventilated Disk (rear)

The Nissan Terra is a midsize SUV first introduced in 2018. It received exterior and interior updates in 2021, making it still relevant in its ever-competitive segment. By sharing the same platform with the Nissan Navara, it offers a notably smooth ride that you usually don’t see with ladder-frame vehicles.

Exterior

The overall exterior design can be described in one word: masculine. This thing isn’t subtle or sexy: it’s big, brash, and has body contours that resemble abdominal muscles. Think of it as the American Bully of cars: it’s ripped, has an aggressive stance and has a look that tells everyone that you shouldn’t mess with it.

Fortunately, Nissan managed to fuse complexity as well as modernness to the herculean body of the Terra. It has quad-LED headlamps, LED tail lights, and LED daytime running lights. It also has a touch of chrome at the front, rear, and side. Just as shiny is the set of alloy wheels with 255/60/R18 tires which manage to blend with the overall muscular look of the car pretty well.

The Terra also comes with nice and functional extras such as rain-sensing wipers, roof rails, and step boards. According to Nissan, the new Terra is meant to come with characteristics such as sophistication, versatility, and boldness.

The color options include Nebula Metallic Red, Forged Metallic Copper, Lunar Metallic Gray, Galaxy Black, Brilliant Silver, and Aspen Pearl White.

Interior

Unlike the exterior, the interior has undergone a major update. In fact, there’s a night and day difference between the old and the new one. Despite the overwhelming new look, there’s no denying that Nissan was a bit more practical with the interior update.

While the interior looks classy, it’s obvious that Nissan went with plastic as the material of choice for most of it. There are touches of leather, highlighted in Burgundy, on the dashboard, door panels, and steering, but that’s about it. Everything else is made out of plastic, and unfortunately the plush leather seats boasting “Zero Gravity” don’t feel extra special. The lumbar support for the seat is not even adjustable.

The same goes for the 8-speaker Bose sound system. They don’t sound extraordinary. Perhaps, this has something to do with the speaker positioning, noise insulation, car stereo, etc. You will appreciate the wireless Apple Carplay connectivity though, as well as the wireless charging. Unfortunately Android phones, you users will still have to stick in a cable in their phones to use Android Auto.

Moreover, the Nissan Terra comes with a 7-inch drive-assist display where you can monitor your fuel efficiency, tire pressure, and 4×4 system. It also comes with a 9-inch infotainment system, together with an 11-inch flip-down rear monitor for next-level entertainment while in transit. These displays are nothing new, although Nissan made them bigger and better as part of the update.

2022 Nissan Terra VL 4X4 Review: The Best Long Distance Cruiser

As for the interior space, there is nothing to complain about as the headroom, legroom, and shoulder room are more than enough for an average-size Filipino. Also, the 60/40 split-folding second row and a 50/50 split third-row give plenty of cargo-carrying options.

Comfort and Driving Dynamics

Powering all variants of the Nissan Terra is a turbocharged 2.5L diesel engine producing 187 hp and 450 Nm of torque. This engine is mated to a 7-speed automatic transmission or a 6-speed manual. Meanwhile, the top-of-the-line variant comes with a shift-on-the-fly 4X4 system together with an electronic locking rear differential for some serious off-road capability.

Power-wise, the Nissan Terra is far from sluggish. It may not be quick and nimble but it can pull an overtake with ease. It doesn’t slack when fully loaded either. It has just the right amount of power which helps it achieve a good fuel economy–12 km/L city and highway combined.

As mentioned earlier, it sits on the D23 platform developed for the Nissan Navarra. The said platform utilizes a double-wishbone suspension setup at the front and a 5-link rear suspension setup at the back. This tried-and-tested combination has made both the Navara and Terra distinct for their exceptional ride comfort. However, this doesn’t come without drawbacks. For one, the Terra has a noticeable body roll whenever you’re doing a sharp turn. There’s also a bit of nose-dive during hard braking. It doesn’t feel sharp to drive and it’s kind of wavy.

As for safety, it comes with an all-disc brake setup, with anti-lock (ABS) and electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD), which is actually impressive and reassuring. In addition, it features an improved version of the Nissan Intelligent Mobility system, giving it access to forward collision warning, intelligent emergency braking, lane departure warning, driver alertness, blind spotting warning, hill start, and hill descent control. It also comes with 6 airbags inside.

Wrap-up and Verdict

The top-of-the-line variant of the 2022 Nissan Terra is complete with all the bells and whistles. It is a solid performer in the mid-size SUV segment. More importantly, it is the most ideal long distance cruiser as it has space for 7 passengers, exceptionally smooth suspension, and superior on-board entertainment system.

However, with the huge price increase–from Php 2,096,000 to Php 2,354,000, it is kind of hard to settle with just a refreshed model with basically the same ingredients. Especially considering the fact that most of its competitors are all-new from the ground up. Of course, you may find it very appealing with its macho and handsome design. In that case, you can’t go wrong with this one.

2022 Nissan Terra Review Price Philippines

In the Philippines, the 2022 Nissan Terra has the following price tags.