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It is not easy to beat the Hyundai Creta at its own game! Be it the Maruti Grand Vitara or the Kia Seltos, none of these highly competitive models managed to outsell the Creta in all these years. The newly launched Victoris from Maruti Suzuki is expected to put up a good fight against the Creta and fend off two more upcoming SUVs in the segment – the latest generation Renault Duster and the Nissan Tekton. 

Wonder what’s the Tekton? It is Nissan’s take on the Duster platform. Revealing the name alongside the design concept, Nissan India pins its hope on this semipremium compact SUV to bring in the sales figures and relieve the Magnite of the pressure of keeping Nissan alive in India. Although the teasers have been given out, Nissan is expected to bring this to the market in mid2026.

Nissan Tekton: What does this Cretarival bring to the table?

The name ‘Tekton,’ which translates to craftsman or architect in Greek, hints at the new design philosophy applied to the new vehicle. The Japanese automaker has confirmed that the Tekton’s exterior styling draws significant inspiration from the brand’s flagship fullsize SUV, the Nissan Patrol. Wonder where those squaredoff fender arches come from?

According to Ken Lee, Nissan’s senior design director, the Tekton is intended to be a “baby Patrol” in its visual appeal. This includes a tweaked version of the Patrol’s imposing grille, robust character lines across the body, and distinctive Cshaped lighting. Flared wheel arches and multispoke alloy wheels, however, are reminiscent of the Magnite. The vehicle’s upright tailgate and sporty, roofmounted spoiler at the rear contribute to its muscular, dualtone black and silver finished bumpers, giving it a commanding stance.

As far as the interiors are concerned, a teaser image offered a glimpse into the cabin, showcasing a sophisticated threetone dashboard theme. The interior could feature softtouch materials on the upper section, contrasted by a glossy black finish across other surfaces, and coppercoloured strips across the dash. 

Nissan Tekton expected launch date, price

Mechanically, the Tekton is expected to share a platform and components with the upcoming Renault Duster, thanks to the RenaultNissan Alliance. Hence, Nissan could manage to keep the price competitive by sharing the powertrain components. The new SUV will be manufactured at the RenaultNissan Alliance plant in Chennai, catering to both the domestic Indian market and selected international export destinations. 

The Tekton is rumoured to hit the showroom floors by mid2026, months after the Renault Duster is shown to the Indian audience.