From left, Nissan and INFINITI Divisional Vice President and President, Middle East, KSA, CIS and India, Thierry Sabbagh, Nissan's Chief Performance Officer Guillaume Cartier and Nissan Motor India Managing Director Saurabh Vatsa and others during the launch of the new Nissan Tekton, in Mumba | Photo Credit: KUNAL PATIL

Nissan Motor India on Thursday launched the all-new Tekton midsize SUV at an introductory price starting ₹10.49 lakh (ex-showroom), marking its return to India’s high-volume C-SUV segment after the discontinuation of the Kicks. Bookings for the model opened today, with deliveries scheduled to begin on July 20.

Built on the Renault-Nissan Alliance’s CMF-B platform, the five-seater SUV will compete with the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder, Honda Elevate, Volkswagen Taigun and Skoda Kushaq. Manufactured at the company’s Chennai plant under Nissan’s “One Car, One World” philosophy, the Tekton will be sold in India and exported to markets across the Middle East and Africa, forming the centrepiece of the company’s India resurgence strategy as it seeks to broaden domestic volumes beyond the Magnite and strengthen its presence in a market where it currently holds around a 0.6-0.7% share.

“We are building a stronger and more competitive Nissan in India,” Guillaume Cartier, Chief Performance Officer, Nissan, said, adding that the Tekton reflects the company’s ambition to combine global product strength with deep local relevance.

Return to India’s biggest SUV battleground

The Tekton marks Nissan’s return to the midsize SUV segment after the Kicks exited the market in 2023, giving the Japanese automaker a fresh opportunity in one of India’s largest and fastest-growing passenger vehicle categories.

The segment, led by the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos, has expanded rapidly over the past few years with competition from the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder, Honda Elevate, Volkswagen Taigun and Skoda Kushaq, making it one of the industry’s most strategically important battlegrounds.

For Nissan, success in this segment is critical to building scale in India after relying largely on the Magnite for domestic volumes.

Building a second volume pillar

While the Magnite helped revive Nissan’s domestic business, the company remains a relatively small player with a passenger vehicle market share of around 0.6-0.7%.

The Tekton is expected to become Nissan’s second major volume pillar, expanding its addressable market, improving dealer throughput and strengthening the company’s domestic product portfolio.

Management described the SUV as the flagship proof point of Nissan’s India resurgence strategy. Thierry Sabbagh, Divisional Vice President, Middle East, KSA, India and CIS, said the launch accelerates Nissan’s resurgence journey and strengthens its SUV portfolio in India, while Managing Director Saurabh Vatsa said the vehicle reflects the company’s sharper product focus, network expansion and deeper understanding of evolving customer expectations.

India for India, India for the World

Beyond the product itself, Nissan used the launch to underline India’s growing importance within its global manufacturing network.

Manufactured at the Renault-Nissan Alliance plant in Chennai, the Tekton has been developed under the company’s “One Car, One World” philosophy and will be exported to markets including the Middle East and Africa. Management said the company intends to offer Indian customers the same global-specification vehicle that will be shipped to overseas markets, reinforcing India’s role as both a production hub and a growth market.

Massimiliano Messina, Chairperson, AMIEO Region, Nissan, said the Tekton demonstrates the company’s strategy of engineering global products through India for both domestic and export markets.

Premium positioning

Inspired by the legendary Nissan Patrol, the Tekton adopts a more upright SUV design and will be offered with fully turbocharged powertrain lineup, comprising the Turbo T160 and Turbo T280, producing up to 163 PS and 280 Nm. The range includes a six-speed manual transmission and a six-speed wet-clutch dual-clutch automatic transmission.

The SUV features Google built-in connectivity, dual digital displays, access to more than 200 Google apps, a panoramic sunroof, ventilated seats, a class-leading 700-litre boot, more than 17-plus ADAS functions, six airbags as standard and more than 40 standard safety features.

The road ahead

The Tekton is expected to be followed by additional locally manufactured SUVs as Nissan expands its India portfolio.

Industry analysts have indicated that, for the Japanese automaker, the success of the Tekton will be measured not only by its ability to challenge entrenched rivals in the midsize SUV segment but also by whether it can help transform Nissan from a niche player with a sub-1% market share into a stronger domestic contender while reinforcing India’s position as a key manufacturing and export base within its global operations.

Published on July 9, 2026