A few months ago, we got word that Nissan Philippines, Inc. was having several new models approved. That’s how we found out that the Livina was coming to the Philippines, among many others.

But there are more, and one that we spotted could be none other than the new Nissan Z. The 3.0L gasoline engine was a giveaway of that. However, another one had us scratching our heads.

It seems Nissan is preparing to launch another series of vehicles with a 2.5-liter turbodiesel engine. We initially thought it was going to be an update to the Urvan that also uses that engine and has a 3.4-tonne maximum weight, but our insiders tell us that it won’t be an updated Urvan. That leaves only the Terra and the Navara unless Nissan was working on an Innova-like MPV… which they aren’t.

We had scratched off the Navara and the Terra because Nissan has just updated those models in 2021; a 2023 update seems way too soon for both of those models given the model refresh timelines carmakers generally follow. Yet it seems Nissan isn’t following normal conventions.

Our insiders have told us that the model we’re referring to is not the Urvan or the Navara. What we’re looking at is the Terra.

Yes, that seems very strange that Nissan Philippines is preparing to launch updates to a model they upgraded less than two years ago. There will be changes to the model, but they will be fairly minor as we’ve been told.

What we can expect are some new colors and new exterior design elements for the 2023 Nissan Terra; as to what exactly, we can only guess because the model hasn’t even been revealed in Thailand yet. One change we do hope comes about is the removal of that chrome “unibrow” on the tailgate; it just looks strange in our opinion.

As to mechanical changes, we don’t expect any of those. As for features, probably not either, but it would be nice if Nissan included some new smart features like their ProPilot system (e.g. adaptive cruise control). We’ll just have to wait and see what it comes with.

What is really unusual is that carmakers have to apply for these approvals for new models with the government with any kind of change. If there was a change with the exhaust, the engine, or the transmission, that’s understandable. But even if the changes are minor and have zero bearing on emissions, they still have to apply.

We’ll see what Nissan does with the Terra in due time.