Set to Explore the World's Final FrontiersAccording to Nissan, everyone, no matter who you are, or what you do
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| Terranaut: For when the morning commute involves scaling the Andes. (Photo: Nissan Canada) |
for a living, should have a car that caters to your needs appropriately. It has done a decent job at it so far; if you look at its global range in Europe and Japan in particular, it probably has a vehicle for you, no joke. If you're an enthusiast, grab hold of a Nissan 350Z. Urban dweller? Try one of the eighty-five thousand different compact, subcompact and 'kei' cars that Nissan offers, like the funky Cube or clever Micra. Suburban mom? The Murano, X-Trail or Altima should suit your needs.
Today's
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| Murano is pretty wild as SUVs go, but it's rather tame in capability and appearance when next to the mighty Terranaut. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
Nissan, as you have probably noticed, has shifted away from the standard lineup of plain-Jane products, and moved on to vehicles that are hip, versatile and dynamic. For one, the brand aspires to be the world's largest purveyor of sport utility vehicles, and so far, in their Canadian range, they have five. That number grows even larger once you cross continents. And it's not as if the Japanese automaker is aiming at anyone in particular, but their range and appeal is so broad: Sir Edmund Hillary-types would fit nicely in an Xterra or Terrano, while Texan oil barons would be at home in the blinged-out Armada.
This brings us to a type of person who generally doesn't have cars built
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| Storm chasers... You can't forget the storm chasers. (Photo: Nissan Canada) |
specifically for their needs: scientists, and in particular outdoor scientists such as geologists, archeologists and storm chasers, the sort of people that spend vast amounts of time in generally inhospitable places like bond-dry deserts, polar tundras, or, judging by the looks (and name) of the Terranaut, Mars. Such people need vehicles to explore and, by doing so, report on what few remaining unexplored areas of this planet remain, and they need a vehicle that can withstand whatever Mother Nature should throw in their way. Is it any wonder that Nissan, of all automakers, has tackled this task? After all, they are the ones who supply the UN with Terrano diesel SUVs, which they have converted to ambulances and patrol vehicles.
For
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| Clam-shell doors make entry easy, when wearing those extra thick layers. (Photo: Nissan Canada) |
a three-seater, the Terranaut is absolutely huge, measuring 4,965 mm (195.5 in) in length, 2,100 mm (82.7 in) in width and 2,150 mm (84.6 in) in height. But then again the Saturn rockets that blasted astronauts into outer space didn't exactly have compact exterior dimensions either. NDE (Nissan Design Europe) styled the Terranaut around function following form, which means a big, boxy shape held up by big, chunky puncture-proof Goodyear tires that have the ability to inflate or deflate for additional traction and grip. One side affect of its pure functionality stance is the fact that the Terranaut looks like it was designed by a crayon-wielding six-year old child. Unlike most large SUVs, the Terranaut has a pair of 'clamshell doors' for easier access, and a third, single door for the front seat passenger.
