The Renault Duster SUV will soon have a Nissan sibling, the Tekton, and its name was recently registered with the Australian trademark office.
Nissan has trademarked Tekton for use in Australia, days before confirming it will launch a new small SUV with the name in India.
Based on the Renault Duster – sold with Dacia badges in Europe – the Nissan Tekton will feature styling inspired by the new-generation Patrol Y63 to differentiate it from the model it is closely related to.
The Renault Duster launched in Australia in its latest, third-generation guise earlier this year, opening the door for a potential launch of its Nissan equivalent.
However, the Australian-market Duster is built in Romania, while the Nissan Tekton will be manufactured in India.
A Nissan Australia spokesperson was unable to confirm if the Tekton is coming to Australia, instead sharing a globally-relevant statement that the company will "share further details on its launch and market availability at a later date".
The Tekton is one of two Renault-based Nissan vehicles due to launch in India in 2026, joining a model related to the Renault Triber minivan, which is intended for developing markets.
Teaser images shared by Nissan show the Tekton has similar lighting signatures to the Patrol Y63, with full-width front and rear light strips, while it has a different tailgate compared to the Renault.
Nissan design boss Alfonso Albaisa said the Tekton "draws its design inspiration" from the Patrol, setting a "new benchmark in India and beyond," confirming it'll become available outside of the country where it'll be built.
"Further details, including confirmation of the specific export markets, will be provided in a future announcement," Nissan said in a media release.
An SUV based on the first-generation Dacia Duster was sold as the Nissan Terrano in India and Russia, with the Nissan Tekton following the same formula, but now based on the latest, third-generation Duster.
Terrano was also used as an alternative name for the Navara ute-based, body-on-frame Pathfinder SUV in the 1990s and 2000s, along with the Terrano II, which was offered in Australia between 1998 and 1999.
Jordan is a motoring journalist based in Melbourne with a lifelong passion for cars. He has been surrounded by classic Fords and Holdens, brand-new cars, and everything in between from birth, with his parents’ owning an automotive workshop in regional Victoria. Jordan started writing about cars in 2021, and joined the Drive team in 2024.
