The supply of new cars on our market is becoming more and more bizarre. How about a Chinese version of an originally Japanese pickup truck for the Southeast Asian market in the form factor of a real full-size SUV?
Where does our Paladin get its 18-inch wheels from? In 2014, Nissan introduced the Navara pickup truck for the Asian market, on the basis of which four years later a variation in an off-road body called Terra was built. Its production was carried out by the Chinese joint venture Zhengzhou Nissan, half owned by the Dongfeng concern. In the middle of last year, Dongfeng launched its version of Terra called Paladin. From that moment on, rumors began to spread about the prospects for sales in Russia. And suddenly, instead of the local Russian distributor of Dongfeng – the Motorinvest company – the SUV was brought to us by the Chinese concern with state participation Sinomach, specializing in industrial equipment, road, construction and agricultural equipment. So, instead of another Dongfeng, we got a car under the Oting brand.
Terra incognita
So, let’s figure it out: what is from Terra in the Paladin? Externally, the models differ only in small things like the Paladin logo on the headlights. Re-glue the nameplates and try to find ten differences. By the way, what are these four Chinese characters on the fifth door? I pointed the phone, and the online translator without hesitation said: “Zhengzhou Nissan.” It is noteworthy that all this oriental beauty disappeared from the product version, just as the model name disappeared from the “chrome” molding on the fifth door.