2006 Nissan Terranaut Review

Specifications

Set to Explore the Worlds Final Frontiers

According to Nissan, everyone, no matter who you are, or what you do 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 youre 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.

Todays 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 worlds largest purveyor of sport utility vehicles, and so far, in their American range, they have four. That number grows even larger once you go north of the border or cross continents. And its 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 doesnt have cars built 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 a three-seater, the Terranaut is absolutely huge, measuring 195.5 inches in length, 82.7 inches in width and 84.6 inches in height. But then again the Saturn rockets that blasted astronauts into outer space didnt 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.

Where Buzz Aldrin and company were packed tighter than sardines in a tin, theres plenty of space for the Terranauts occupants to move about. The layout of the Terranaut includes two cushy, breathable bucket seats up front and a third chair which faces a 360-degree workstation; more on that later. Driver and passenger have a great, unobstructed view outward thanks to thin pillars, plenty of glass and a simple but cool dashboard layout. The interiors tactile interface of touch-screens and big, chunky knobs and buttons are brought to life in neutral but warm grays and browns for a slightly more humane environment than is often the case amongst SUVs.

After fulfilling needs of driver and passenger, the rest of the Terranauts cabin focuses on the on-board laboratory. The scientific specialist gets the hot seat, sitting on board in a special 360-degree swivel chair that faces a wrap-around desk with integrated keyboard and controls, plus a huge screen that rotates about the desk. This portion of the car, inspired by Star Wars, Star Trek and Wing Commander displays all sorts of environmental and geological information, most of which would confuse the everyday SUV owner. Overhead, providing a skylight is a bubble-shaped pod, which also doubles as an escape hatch should any troubles arise.

I can only imagine the kind of fun that NDE had when coming up with the design list for the Terranaut; some of its details are so wild, yet others make perfect sense. Take for example the built-in sample storage box with air-lock, which pops out the back of the tailgate, or the integrated cookware station and lightweight tent and sleeping bags which sit in individual bins, latched onto the doors. And, if youre wondering what happened to its trunk space; its been put towards refrigerated storage allowing those on board to stay on the job for time durations upwards of one week.

And then there are the toys, of which the Terranaut has quite a few. Theres a satellite dish mounted atop the roof, which swivels in true sci-fi style, linking this mobile laboratory to home base, sending and receiving data. Theres also a night-vision camera attached to a robotic arm, which allows those inside the Terranaut to see the world around, even when its pitch black outside. And seeing that geologists and the like are prime targets, Nissan has given the Terranaut headlight and taillight lenses that mimic polished gemstones.

Eventually, Nissan will bring out a production version of the Terranaut, sans all the mobile-laboratory gear; it will act as the replacement to the global Terrano/Patrol, which is about as old as the fossils that the geologists driving them from dig to dig are currently pulling out of the ground.

Interestingly, Nissan hasnt disclosed information pertaining to the powertrain and off-roading gear the Terranaut is equipped with, which is slightly ironic, considering these are the foundations of any true exploratory vehicle. A high-displacement (4.0 liter) turbodiesel six cylinder engine, an automatic gearbox and a true, proper low-range transfer case as standard equipment will be included at no charge, no doubt, showing that even as science evolves, with the appearance and content of the off-roader, the basics havent changed.