Nissan Tekton 1.3 Turbo Petrol DCT First Drive Review

Our first drive of the Nissan Tekton wasn't on the smooth expressways around Delhi or at Nandi Hills outside Bangalore. Instead, it was a three-day, 700km-plus road trip from Chandigarh to Leh. The route took us through Manali, over some of the highest mountain passes in the country, into the breathtaking Zanskar Valley, and finally to Leh. It was the kind of drive that exposes every strength and weakness a car has.

The Tekton wasn't travelling light either. There were four of us onboard, including two cameramen carrying enough filming equipment to fill the boot to its brim. Between camera bags, suitcases, jackets, and backpacks, the Tekton spent almost the entire drive fully loaded. Throw in smooth highways, broken mountain roads, steep climbs, countless hairpins, river crossings, and high-altitude terrain where engines often struggle to breathe, and it quickly became clear that this wasn't going to be a regular first drive.

By the time we reached Leh, the Tekton had answered most of our questions.

The moment you see the Tekton in profile or from the rear, there's no hiding its correlation with the Renault Duster. The proportions, stance, and silhouette are unmistakably familiar, but Nissan has done enough to ensure the Tekton has its own personality.

The front end is where the biggest changes have come about. Everything from the grille, the lights, the bumper and the bonnet has been redesigned. The Tekton has a more upright nose, and I also prefer the look of the headlamps over what you get on the Duster. Similarly, the design of the alloy wheels here seems much nicer than the all-black wheels that Renault is offering. The rear, however, is largely unchanged and doesn’t work with the entirely different front-end, so it’s a mishmash of sorts, if you ask me.

The basic design and layout of the Tekton’s cabin is the same as the Duster, although Nissan has worked on giving you different upholstery, new trims, and door pad finishes to give the interior a different identity. The result is a cabin that looks slightly more premium but also flashy at the same time. The lighter colour combinations help the cabin feel more spacious, while the overall fit and finish is pretty much the same as the Duster. With four adults travelling for three consecutive days, everyone had enough room to remain comfortable. The front seats offer ample support, which became especially evident during the eight-hour driving days through the Himalayas. Even after hours behind the wheel, fatigue wasn't something that constantly reminded us to stop.

Rear-seat passengers get generous legroom and headroom, making the long distances considerably easier to manage. The upright seating position offers a commanding view outside, something that's particularly enjoyable when the scenery keeps changing every few kilometres. However, this car doesn’t feel particularly wide, and the overall sense of space that one must get in a car of this size is missing.

The infotainment system is easy to use, with crisp graphics and quick responses to inputs. Wireless smartphone connectivity worked seamlessly throughout our drive. On a route where Google Maps became our constant companion, that convenience was genuinely appreciated. Speaking of Google Maps, the Tekton has that feature built into the infotainment system so you don’t really need to rely on your phone’s connection to input your destination. The digital instrument cluster is equally straightforward, displaying information clearly without overwhelming the driver. Other feature highlights include powered front seats, a large panoramic sunroof, dual-zone climate control, electric mirrors, ambient lighting, multiple airbags, ESP, and of course, ADAS functions.

High altitude regions are often the ultimate test for naturally aspirated engines since they rely entirely on atmospheric pressure. Turbo engines, on the other hand, can compress thinner, high-elevation air to maintain proper oxygen levels for combustion. The Tekton's 1.3-litre turbo-petrol proved exactly why turbocharging makes sense for this kind of terrain. It didn’t feel like it was struggling to climb or overtake slower traffic even with all the load we were carrying. On long highway sections, we were able to cruise at triple-digit speeds quite comfortably.

What impressed us most wasn't outright performance, but consistency. The engine delivered from Chandigarh all the way to Leh despite the dramatic increase in altitude. It didn’t feel breathless, or become noisy or hot under sustained climbs.

Unfortunately, not everything about the powertrain is equally polished.

The dual-clutch automatic transmission is good enough for the majority of driving situations. Gearshifts are smooth, quick, and largely unobtrusive while cruising. However, steep Himalayan hairpins exposed one characteristic that repeatedly became frustrating. Approaching very steep uphill bends at low speeds, the gearbox often hesitated before delivering power. There were several occasions where simply squeezing the throttle wasn't enough. Our car would pause momentarily before finally moving ahead, forcing me to press the accelerator pedal all the way. It's a common trait among many dual-clutch transmissions, which are designed to protect the gearbox from excessive clutch slip under heavy load.

The ride quality is one of the Tekton’s standout attributes. Nissan has retained the Duster's well-judged suspension setup, and that's no bad thing. It has enough compliance to absorb broken roads without constantly unsettling the occupants, yet it never feels overly soft or floaty. Even on some of the rougher stretches between Manali and Zanskar Valley, where the roads are anything but forgiving, it remained composed albeit ever so slightly firm.

Then there's the steering, which turned out to be one of my favourite things about this car. It's a bit heavy at parking speeds, but once you are up to speed, it weighs up naturally and offers a good sense of connection. Through the endless corners leading towards Leh, the front end responded cleanly to steering inputs, and that allowed me to place the front wheels exactly where I wanted. There is body roll, of course, but it's progressive and never feels excessive.

Wind noise is well controlled at highway speeds, while road noise remains well isolated, given the variety of surfaces we encountered. There is some engine noise that filters into the cabin when you push it, and although this engine isn’t as sweet-sounding as some of the other turbo petrol engines in this class, it isn’t too bad.

For the longest time, Nissan's India portfolio has basically been one car, i.e., the Magnite, and while the recently introduced Gravite adds another option to the showroom, the Tekton is the product that finally gives this brand a serious contender in the compact SUV segment. More importantly, it's a product with the potential to bring customers back to Nissan dealerships.

As a family SUV, the Tekton leaves a positive first impression. It is built on an already proven foundation, and that's perhaps its biggest strength. If you have driven the new Duster, you will quickly realize the core qualities here. The Tekton looks good, its 1.3-litre turbo-petrol engine is strong and refined, and the steering and chassis make it one of those rare family SUVs that's genuinely enjoyable to drive.

That said, the Tekton also inherits some of the Duster's shortcomings. While the cabin is practical and comfortable, it doesn't feel quite as spacious as some of its rivals, particularly in terms of overall cabin width and rear-seat ambience. Then there's the ownership experience to consider. Nissan's dealership and service network remains significantly smaller than what Hyundai, Maruti Suzuki or even Kia offer. Even so, if driving pleasure and long-distance touring ability rank high on your priority list, the Tekton makes a strong case for itself. It's a car with a proven mechanical package, and one that gives Nissan a genuinely strong product to compete with once again.

Pictures by Kaustubh Gandhi