3 reasons to buy the Nissan Tekton and 3 to avoid it

The Nissan Tekton joined the ever-ballooning midsize SUV segment in July 2026, becoming the third model in the Japanese brand’s India line-up. Priced between Rs 10.49 lakh and Rs 18.59 lakh (ex-showroom), the Tekton is Nissan’s flagship offering in the country. As a direct alternative to its platform sibling, the Renault Duster, does the Tekton offer compelling reasons for you to seriously consider it? Let’s find out.

Reasons to buy the Nissan Tekton

Polished dynamics

The Tekton strikes a great balance between ride and handling

If you are someone who loves getting behind the wheel of your midsize SUV but doesn’t want the ride quality to be compromised, the Nissan Tekton is a worthy candidate. Even hitting large potholes does not unsettle this SUV, merely registering in your ears. The ride remains supple and forgiving, absorbing road imperfections without complaints. There’s also no underlying, uncomfortable firmness to the Tekton’s ride at city speeds either.

Once you get going, you realise that the Tekton likes changing directions – its eagerness to turn does not come at the cost of uncontained body roll. The ‘Light’ and ‘Heavy’ steering modes work as intended, making the wheel feelsome and precise. Then there are the brakes, which offer plenty of stopping power, while the pedal itself feels natural too. All of these factors inspire confidence and let you push the Tekton a bit more. 

Well-designed and tech-rich cabin

Stepping inside the Tekton reveals a premium-looking and well-equipped space

Combined with the classy-looking leatherette padding on the dash and door pads, plus the burgundy, gold and light cream colour scheme, the interior of the top-spec Nissan Tekton looks upmarket. The driving position is great and provides excellent all-round visibility, while the seats themselves are comfy enough to be occupied even over long-distance drives.

Apart from good under-thigh support and backrest angle, the rear seats offer plenty of space under the front seats, allowing the outer two occupants to stretch out and get comfortable. Furthermore, those at the back have access to USB charging ports, a centre armrest with cup holders and AC vents, with higher variants also benefiting from a panoramic sunroof.

The well-designed digital instrument cluster with its multiple display modes is easy to figure out and use on the move. Coming in handy is tech such as powered front seats with ventilation, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, built-in Google apps and voice assistance, dual-zone climate control and Level 2 ADAS. Sorted ergonomics make reaching various switchgear and controls an easy affair. There are enough storage cubbies on offer, too.

Spacious boot

The Tekton’s boot can handle family outings or airport pickups

The square shape of the Nissan Tekton’s boot makes it easy to load cargo. Moreover, its 518-litre luggage capacity is the best in the segment – whether you are planning a long road trip or have to shuttle to and from the airport, space won’t be a constraining factor. What’s even more impressive here is that the Tekton’s boot also houses a full-size spare wheel. This alleviates concerns surrounding a flat tyre, should you encounter one.

Reasons not to buy the Nissan Tekton

Sub-par engine performance

Base engine isn’t apt enough, while the larger engine isn’t ideal either

The base 100hp 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine featuring multi-point fuel injection lacks grunt and isn’t particularly refined, with usable power only good enough for city commutes. The turbo lag is evident till you go past 3,000rpm, requiring the driver to shift gears regularly to keep the engine on the boil. The 6-speed manual transmission (MT) on duty gets shorter gearing to help matters, but you’ll need to slip the clutch to tackle steep inclines, which will be an inconvenience. The gear shifts aren’t as slick as those of a comparable Hyundai Creta or a Kia Seltos.

Moving up to the larger, 163hp 1.3-litre turbo-petrol engine with direct injection doesn’t alleviate all of the issues either. Despite this engine’s higher output than the smaller mill, its weak bottom end can leave the Tekton struggling to get up and go on steep inclines, especially with the engine stop-start function enabled. While it offers more refinement and performance, there’s still noticeable turbo lag below 2,500rpm.

The 6-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT) shifts between cogs smoothly, but its responses aren’t as quick as one might expect from the type. It upshifts early, perhaps in a bid to boost efficiency, but this makes it feel less responsive. This means you’ll have to take manual control by using the paddleshifters if you want to execute an overtake in a hurry. There’s also no Sport mode to quicken gear shifts – only Comfort and Eco modes are provided. While we are yet to put the Tekton through our rigorous performance tests, the performance on hand is unlikely to impress some buyers.

Lacklustre fuel economy

The Tekton will not be setting mileage benchmarks in the segment

Since the powertrain is mechanically identical to the Duster’s, the fuel economy of the Nissan Tekton in the real world is unlikely to impress. For reference, the Duster with the 1.0-litre engine and 6-speed MT returned 10.98kpl. Meanwhile, the 1.3-litre version recorded 10.47kpl and 10.64kpl with the DCT and MT gearboxes, respectively.

Some features lack execution

The Nissan Tekton has a few shortcomings when it comes to the quality of some of its features. The 360-degree camera system, for instance, is lacking in outright resolution, which hampers its usability under certain conditions. While the ADAS suite is comprehensive, the lane-keep assist isn’t good at keeping the SUV centred in a lane. Even the adaptive cruise control has its shortcomings – it doesn’t accelerate the Tekton back to its set speed once the traffic starts moving.

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from Autocar India https://ift.tt/ZYtEjIh