The name ‘Magnite’ is a portmanteau of the words ‘magnetic’ and ‘ignite’. Whereas ‘magnetic’ highlights the design and the product attributes that essentially attract customers, ‘ignite’ emphasises on the beginning of a new era that Nissan has successfully brought to India with products such as the Magnite.
Built on the philosophy of ‘Make in India, Make for the World’, Nissan India recently unveiled their much-awaited B-SUV with an AMT gearbox, in the avatar of the new Nissan Magnite EZ-Shift.
Earlier this month, we got an opportunity to get up close and personal with the Nissan Magnite EZ Shift. So buckle up and join us for the ride as we tell you everything you want to know about the new Nissan Magnite EZ-Shift AMT.
Design and Engineering
The Nissan Magnite EZ-Shift 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 help 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 while cruising in & around Kolkata and New Town. The sporty design of the alloy wheels adds to the style quotient and masculinity of the Magnite.
Interior and Comfort
On the inside, the Nissan Magnite EZ-Shift 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 centre-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 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 EZ-Shift is equipped with a 7-inch TFT meter with welcome animation and tyre pressure monitoring system and 8-inch infotainment display with full flush touch screen, 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.
The Nissan Magnite EZ-Shift is also equipped the Around View Monitor (AVM), which gives the driver a virtual bird’s eye view from above the vehicle. The Magnite boasts of a luggage room capacity of 336 litre and can comfortably accommodate three suitcases.
Performance and Handling
Nissan Magnite EZ-Shift is powered by the HRA0 1.0-litre Turbo petrol engine mated to a 5-speed EZ-Shift gearbox. The engine delivers maximum power of 100PS and maximum torque of 160Nm, while claiming to deliver fuel-efficiency of 20kmpl (ARAI figure).
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.
The only drawback is perhaps the 5-speed AMT gearbox which is slightly sluggish in gear shifts, resulting in delayed throttle responsiveness and slow accelerations making the Nisssan Magnite EZ-Shift not-so-fun to drive.
Safety
The Nissan Magnite EZ-Shift 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
The Nissan Magnite is well engineered products that ticks most of the right boxes and is scripting the success story for Nissan. With the combination of stylish looks, spacious interior, smart technology, good ride & handling and safety features, it is a car that has already gained immense popularity among the car buyers. And now with the convenience of the AMT gearbox, the Magnite EZ-Shift has become an even more attractive offering in its segment. The only negative in the entire package is sluggish gear shifts that lead to power lag which one has to adjust with. Apart from this, the Nissan Magnote EZ-Shift AMT seems all set to dominate its segment with increased propularity.
Photographs by Sourish Meryson
Power Drive 