Nissan Magnite Review

Introduction

Magnite is a portmanteau of the words “magnetic” and “ignite”. Whereas magnetic highlights the design and the product attributes that will attract customers, ignite emphasises on the beginning of a new era that Nissan wants to bring in India.

Built on the philosophy of ‘Make in India, Make for the World’, Nissan India recently unveiled their much-awaited B-SUV, the all-new Nissan Magnite. This is the company’s first ever product under the Nissan NEXT strategy for the Indian market, scheduled to be launched on December 2, 2020.

This year has been imperative for Nissan, right from the concept teaser to the global unveil to experiencing the SUV in the production state to now gearing up for the price and booking announcement.

The all-new Nissan Magnite is a testimony to Nissan’s global SUV DNA of innovation, technology, and Japanese engineering. It features latest technology as a part of Nissan Intelligent Mobility (NIM), the company’s vision as to how vehicles are powered, driven, and integrated into society.

In November, we got a chance to get up close and personal with the Nissan Magnite before its market launch. So buckle up and come for the ride with us to find out what we discovered.

Design and Engineering

The all-new Nissan Magnite boasts of a futuristic and dynamic design. Set your eyes on the Magnite and the first thing that will catch your attention is that dominating front chrome grille which makes a bold statement and helps the Nissan Magnite to stand out as you drive-in anywhere.

Its muscular lines and dynamic styling ensure that the Magnite looks macho yet agile. Nissan has also added substance to the Magnite with the full Beltline Chrome strip running on the side below the windows.

The car has sleek headlamps assembled with lightsaber-style turn indicators, L-Shaped Daytime Running Lamps (DRLs) and LED fog lamps which helps the Magnite to make style statement and effortlessly lights up the carriageway in the dark. The rear too looks stylish with the sporty and sharp wide split signature tail lamps.

Bold square design of the wheel arches add to the dominating SUV look of the Nissan Magnite. The wider gap between the fender and the wheels helps reduce the bumpyness inside the cabin while driving through rough roads and uneven stretches. The 205 mm ground clearance of the Nissan Magnite ensured that we didn’t kiss even a single speed breaker in and around Delhi NCR. The sporty design of the alloy wheels adds to the style quotient and masculinity of the Magnite.

The Niassan Magnite is available in nine body colours, which includes five monotone and four dual tone to suit customer tastes. However, the one that the folks at Nissan has been highlighting is the Flare Garnet Red (Tint Coat) – a colour that depicts passion and desire is surely going to draw a lot of eyeballs.

Interior and Comfort

On the inside, the all-new Nissan Magnite is both spacious and premium. Nissan has achieved a good balance of packaging and seating comfort. With 60-40 split foldable rear seats that offer flexibility, it is a spacious B-SUV, which has a decent ‘couple distance’ (distance between the driver and side passenger) of 700mm + rear knee room of 593mm + rear headroom of 76mm. The front seats are designed to create an open interior space, delivering the spaciousness that one would experience while sitting in the rear, also known as the ‘one-class-above’ knee room. The seats are well bolstered and even after a long drive, one wouldn’t experience any fatigue.

Intuitively designed, the interface and information cluster and the center-stack are well-thought out for better accessibility without you having to take your eyes off the road. Its horizontal instrument panel structure double deck console makes it wider, spacious and provides plenty of functional storages. Along with that, the all-new Nissan Magnite also has a tech pack which has a wireless charger, air purifier, puddle lamps and ambient /mood lighting, premium speakers (JBL powered by Harman).

The Nissan Magnite is equipped with a 7-inch TFT meter with welcome animation and tyre pressure monitoring system and 8-inch infotainment display with full flush touchscreen, Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and built-in voice recognition. It also comes with Nissan Connect that offers 50+ features (geo fence, roadside assistance, smart watch connectivity etc.) to transform the car as per customer needs.

A first in its segment, the all-new Nissan Magnite is also equipped the Around View Monitor (AVM), which gives the driver a virtual bird’s eye view from above the vehicle. The all-new Nissan Magnite boasts of a luggage room capacity of 336 litre and can comfortably accommodate three suitcases.

Performance and Handling

Nissan Magnite is powered by the all-new HRA0 1.0-litre Turbo petrol engine which is available with a choice of either a 5-speed manual or an X-TRONIC CVT gearbox. The engine delivers maximum power of 100PS and maximum torque of 160Nm, while claiming to deliver fuel-efficiency of 20kmpl (ARAI figure).

The HRA0 1.0-litre Turbo engine adopts “mirror bore cylinder coating” technology from world-class sports cars such as the Nissan GT-R that reduces resistance inside the engine, thus delivering smooth acceleration and efficient use of fuel. The HRA0 1.0-litre Turbo engine is responsive and delivers quicker acceleration making the Nisssan Magnite fun to drive.

With Nissan’s X-TRONIC CVT gearbox, Cruise Control and wider gear range, the all-new Nissan Magnite delivers seamless performance even in peak city traffic. Its D-step logic control computer software uses dynamic inputs like vehicle speed, accelerator pedal position and application speed to determine the ideal gear ratio needed to deliver an exhilarating drive and smooth cruises on the highways.

With a maximum power of 72 PS and maximum torque of 92 Nm, the all-new Nissan Magnite will also be available with the B4D naturally aspirated petrol engine. Paired with Nissan’s dual VVT system that delivers maximum response at all revs and ensures optimum acceleration, the B4D is the ideal choice for those looking for an engine that is easier to maintain.

The Nissan Magnite’s suspension set up is well tuned to tackle Indian road conditions. It handles both good and bad roads with equal ease. We tested the car over certain broken stretches and the suspension absorbed the undulations without sending much jerks to the passenger cabin resulting in a plush ride quality.

Handling of the Magnite is impressive. The steering feels feather light while trying to maneuver the car in city traffic, but when you push the car on the highway, the steering begins to weigh up giving strong feedback to the driver. Body roll is well contained and cornering even at high speed seemed confidence inspiring with the Magnite remaining firmly planted to the ground.

Safety

The all-new Nissan Magnite is equipped with safety features such as Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Hydraulic Brake Assist (HBA), Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC), Traction Control System (TCS), Hill Start Assist (HSA), speed sensing door lock, central locking and SRS dual airbag system with pretension & load limiter seatbelt for driver and passenger.

Nissan’s unique Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) system increases the all-new Nissan Magnite’s stability, allowing the driver to have better control, especially in poor weather conditions. Additionally, the Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) helps improve the driver’s braking ability while maintaining control of the vehicle in an emergency.

Verdict

For the majority of the car buyers, there are usually three important questions at the top of their mind. Is the car impressive to look? Is it fun to drive it around? And how much does it cost? In my opinion, Nissan India has hit the ball out of the park with it latest product offering.

To address the first question, the Nissan Magnite sports a futuristic and dynamic design that never fails to grab attention. When we took the Magnite for a spin in and around Delhi NCR, I was quite amazed to see the reaction of people on the road. Many even stopped by to enquire about the car and praised it appearance. This bears testimony to how well the general public, many of whom would also be future car buyers, have liked the design of the Nissan Magnite.

Moving onto the next important question, is the Nissan Magnite fun to drive? The answer is a resounding yes! The 1.0-litre turbo petrol that we tested was punchy and very responsive. With adequate power on offer, overtaking other vehicles, whether in the city or on the highway was a walk in the park. All you needed to do was to put the pedal to the metal and linear power delivery and quick acceleration will leave you impressed.

For the final question about the price, we have to wait till December 2. I sincerely hope that Nissan India’s management has devised an aggressive pricing strategy, because that can often make or break the product. Given that the segment is pretty competitive with products such as the Hyundai Venue, Tata Nexon and Kia Sonet, Nissan India could consider under-cutting the competition with their introductory price to give the Magnite that extra edge. The Nissan Magnite is a well packaged product that ticks most of the right boxes and got what it takes to bring home the numbers for Nissan but would need a little push in terms of the right price to get a fair shot at success.