Nissan Tekton Tekna Plus Variant Explained: Is The Top-end Trim Worth The Extra Money?
Does the Tekna Plus offer the most value over the just-below-top trim Tekna?
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Interested in buying the new Nissan Tekton? Here’s our Ultimate Buying Guide!
The compact SUV is the most competitive one in India, and Nissan is here with its very new contender, the Tekton, with rugged styling, premium interiors and a long equipment list. It is available in a choice of six variants: Visia, Visia Plus, Acenta, N-Connecta, Tekna and Tekna Plus. Indians are obsessed with features like a panoramic sunroof, ventilated seats, connected car tech and large infotainment screens, and the Tekton Tekna Plus fills all of that in one package.
Should you pay Rs 80,000 more for the Tekna Plus over the Tekna? Let’s take a detailed look at the Nissan Tekton Tekna Plus variant.
Exterior
Front
The Nissan Tekton gets an upright, bold fascia with a sculpted, chunky front bumper and the ‘TEKTON’ badging embossed on the hood. Yes, the front design reminds us of the Tekton’s elder sibling, the Nissan Patrol! From the N-Connecta variant onwards, the Tekton is equipped with a connected headlamp setup with C-shaped headlamps and DRL units.
Front parking sensors, front camera and DRLs are present; the lower bumper also gets a blacked-out skid plate extending over the bumper, adding to the rugged appearance of the SUV. There is a red strip running from one headlamp to another, giving a Nismo-like feel to the Tekton. Aesthetically, at the front, there are quite a lot of bits making the Tekton more connected with the appearance of the Nissan Patrol.
Side
In profile, the first thing that grabs our attention is the chunky, thick black cladding and the blacked-out B, C and D pillars, giving the SUV a rugged and sporty look.
The overall silhouette remains the same as the Duster, as the Tekton is based on it and gets identical doors with unique design elements, body-coloured ORVMs with integrated turn signals and sits on an 18-inch alloy wheel setup.
Rear
At the rear, the connected taillamp unit is a highlight, and of course, the rear looks identical to the Duster as the same connected taillamp design is carried over.
The bumpers are chunky, and the rear parking cameras and sensors are visible. The rear fenders look muscular and give the SUV a bold look. The integrated spoiler, shark-fin antenna and rear wiper with washer are also provided.
Colour Options
The Nissan Tekton Tekna Plus is available in Pearl White, Blade Silver, Onyx Black, Flare Garnet Red, Indigo Blue and Moonbow Gray. There are options for dual-tone shades too.
Our pick would be the Indigo Blue in the dual-tone configuration, which adds to the SUV's premiumness and ruggedness. If you want to know more about the variant-wise colour details, you can check our story here.
Interior
The interior theme of the Tekton Tekna Plus variant is welcoming with burgundy, beige and rose gold accents. A layered dashboard layout, dual screens, a three-spoke double-D-cut leather-wrapped steering wheel and leatherette seats add a premium touch to the interior. The steering gets tilt and telescopic adjustability as well.
A 10.1-inch infotainment screen and a 10.25-inch fully digital instrument cluster are provided. The AC vents are integrated below the infotainment screen, and the physical buttons are placed below the vents. Convenience features include a front-centre armrest with cooled storage space (for DCT trim) and a rear armrest with an integrated cup holder. You can also checkout how the lower-spec Tekna variant's dark upholstery compares here.
Features
The Tekna Plus comes loaded with everything that was in the Tekna variant. You get a panoramic sunroof, dual-zone climate control, a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment screen with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, ventilated front seats and a 6-way powered front seats with 2-way manually adjustable lumbar support, smart card key, adjustable front and rear headrests, 60:40 split-folding seats, paddle shifter (for DCT trim), 48 colour ambient lighting, cooled storage space (for DCT trim), cruise control, a wireless charger with cooling (for DCT trim), Type-C charging ports in the front and rear, connected car tech and a 6-speaker Arkamys sound system.
Beyond this, the Tekna Plus adds features such as a powered tailgate, connected car tech with more than 55 features, integrated Google Maps in the digital instrument cluster, Google Assistant and access to Google Play, making you focus on the vehicle instrument cluster rather than depend on the phone for the purpose.
We have detailed all of the Tekton's variants in this story.
Safety
As with the Tekna variant, the Tekna Plus gets safety features such as 6 airbags, level-2 ADAS (advanced driver assistance system), front, side and rear parking sensors with parking assist, ABS with EBD, electronic stability control (ESC), traction control system (TCS), cornering stability control, TPMS (tyre pressure monitoring system), hill start assist, hill descent control (DCT), ISOFIX child seat mounts and auto headlamps. In addition, the Tekna Plus variant gets a 360-degree camera and added ADAS features (15 ADAS features for the Tekna trim and 17 ADAS features for the Tekna Plus)
Powertrain
The Nissan Tekton Tekna Plus is available with both the 1-litre turbo petrol option and the 1.3-litre turbo-petrol engine option. Here’s a detailed look at the powertrain options:
| Engine |
1-litre turbo petrol (T160) |
1.3-litre turbo-petrol (T280) |
| Power |
100 PS |
163 PS |
| Torque |
166 Nm |
280 Nm |
| Transmission |
6-speed MT |
6-speed DCT |
| Fuel Efficiency (ARAI-claimed) |
19.4 kmpl |
18.5 kmpl |
DCT: Dual-Clutch Transmission
The Tekna Plus, being the top variant, is still offered with both engine options. However, enthusiasts will surely miss the 1.3-litre turbo petrol with a manual transmission, because after driving that combination with the Duster, we could surely say that it is a great driver’s car. But for most people, the convenience of an automatic is important, and the DCT gets the job done.
Price & Rivals
The Tekna Plus variant of the Nissan Tekton is priced at Rs 18.59 lakh (ex-showroom). It rivals other compact SUVs like the Renault Duster, Skoda Kushaq, Kia Seltos, Volkswagen Taigun, Hyundai Creta, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Victoris, Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder, Tata Sierra, Curvv, Honda Elevate and the MG Astor.
CarDekho Says…
The Tekna Plus brings together a complete Tekton experience, combining the SUV’s rugged styling and packing premium features such as a panoramic sunroof, ventilated front seats, a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment screen, a fully digital instrument cluster and safety features such as level-2 ADAS and a 360-degree camera, making it a great value buy.
The Tekna Plus is priced Rs 80,000 more than the Tekna (T280) DCT; for that amount, you get built-in Google connectivity, enhanced connected-car features, and Google Maps integration into the instrument cluster.
