Nissan’s sub-compact SUV to be called the Magnite – Could this change Nissan’s fortune?
The Nissan Magnite is expected to compete with the Hyundai Venue and Maruti Brezza and in order to trump them, the Magnite will have to bring out its A game
Nissan is restructuring their range of cars in India, and this may not be a bad thing. Recently they discontinued the Micra, Sunny and Terrano (Confirmed! Nissan only offers the Kicks and GT-R as it’s vehicles on sale on their Indian website) and this was expected. The sales that this trio have returned have been dismal, and by scrapping them, Nissan could make way for new models.
Talking about new models, Nissan has been working on making a compact SUV, one which would take on the formidable Brezza and Venue, and from the way it seems, they have could have a winner on their hands.
The Magnite will be the latest offering by Nissan, and the Japanese automaker has been quite sneakily sharing teaser photos of the car, without providing us with any definite details. The Magnite will be taking on the B segment market, and this segment is the most competitive segment, where the Brezza and Venue have maintained their position as sales leaders. However, if Nissan manages to get the pricing right, the Magnite could be an effective game changer.
The design
The Nissan Magnite will be sharing the CMF-A+ platform with the Renault Triber, however, it will be a much taller riding vehicle. Nissan could not have chosen a better time to launch the Magnite, the Brezza has just been updated (a rather bland update in my opinion), and there is quite some before the Venue receives a facelift.
On seeing the teaser photos, the first thing I felt was that the Magnite looks quite aggressive. The design lines running across the body and high wheel arches portray a very sporty image and this would surely turn a lot of heads once it hits the roads. The headlamps and taillights are believed to incorporate LED lights, and that would only further make it a better looker. Apart from this, the Magnite will be available in dual tone colours with a slick set of alloy wheels, and in terms of looks, I would give it 8/10 for sure.
The Features
In a market as competitive as the B segment, every automaker needs to provide their vehicle with the oomph factor which sets it apart from the others, and in terms of features, Nissan seems to have done just that. A 360 degree camera, connected car technology (much like Hyundai’s Bluelink present in the Venue), touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, automatic climate control, semi digital instrument cluster, and many features of convenience will be available in the Magnite.
The powertrain
The Magnite will be borrowing the 1.0 litre petrol engine from the Renault Triber, and this engine provides a humdrum total horsepower of 72. This engine will be coupled with a 5 speed manual, and an automatic could be available as an option. The more fun to drive engine will be the HR10 turbo petrol 1.0 three cylinder, which would churn out 95 ps. The more powerful engine will be mated with either a 5 speed manual or a CVT automatic transmission.
The price tag
Now this is where things get really very interesting, as Nissan is apparently going to price the Magnite at 5.25 lakhs. Even the range topping CVT turbo-petrol variant could be priced around the 6 lakh mark, and if Nissan does manage to deliver on this pricing, the Magnite would steal a majority of the sales from the Brezza and Venue. The Maruti Brezza, Hyundai Venue and Tata Nexon are priced above 6.70 lakhs, and if the Magnite really is priced at 5.25 lakhs, the Magnite could see itself as being a segment sales leader. (all prices being ex-showroom)
Expected launch
Nissan intends on launching the Magnite by August, this year, however, we must take this with a pinch of salt, thanks to Covid 19, because of which several launch events have been delayed. However, if Nissan does manage to launch the Magnite this year, they would make Hyundai and Maruti very nervous. I do not mean to dent Nissan’s hopes, but a more premiumly priced Kia Sonet is also set to be released this year, and with the momentum that Kia seems to have, things could really heat up in the compact SUV B segment
