2021 Nissan Magnite 1.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol review, first drive

It’s been just over a yr since the Nissan Magnite was introduced in India and shook up the compact SUV section. We have previously driven the completely loaded turbo-petrol version, and it left us fairly amazed. But now we get to practical experience the much more economical, naturally aspirated version for the initial time. Is it as straightforward to endorse as its costlier turbocharged counterpart? That’s what we are listed here to locate out.

Nissan Magnite one. B4D: engine and performance

Let us get started with the engine, which is the most important adjust on this variation of the Magnite. Underneath the hood lies a one.-litre, a few-cylinder naturally aspirated (NA) petrol engine, codenamed B4D. As you would anticipate, at 72hp and 96Nm, it is considerably down on both the power and torque of the turbo-petrol engine (by 28hp and 64Nm). Nonetheless, to Nissan’s credit, the Magnite one. feels fairly easy when you pull absent from a standstill and the power is delivered in a linear fashion.

 

That said, this engine is not the punchiest unit out there, especially presented that peak power and torque occur in fairly superior in the rev selection. This effects in the Magnite emotion fairly lethargic when caught in the mid selection, and in order to get the best out of the engine you have to do the job the gearbox a truthful bit. Revving it too superior also has minimal impact, ensuing in a whole lot of sound without too a lot progress. Stay within the engine’s comfort and ease zone, on the other hand, and you will locate there is enough performance on present for the day by day commute. At freeway speeds, on the other hand, the Magnite one. NA feels strained and a bit out of its element.

Speaking of the gearbox, we drove the 5-pace handbook version. This unit is not the slickest in procedure and what doesn’t also assistance is the biting position of the clutch, which can take some obtaining employed to. Additionally, though the Magnite does share its powertrains with its sibling – the Renault Kiger – it misses out on the AMT automatic gearbox that is provided with the one.-litre NA in the Kiger. This hampers its charm as a city motor vehicle to an extent, as much more and much more buyers are opting for the ease of an automatic in the urban environment. 

Nissan Magnite one. B4D: trip and managing

In the trip division, this iteration of the Magnite is fairly related to the turbo-petrol variant. There is a company edge to the trip, which will work very well when travelling at pace as it smoothens out almost all the imperfections that occur its way and feels fairly steady. Although, on the flip aspect, at reduced speeds the trip is a contact on the choppy aspect, thanks to this underlying firmness, and much larger potholes do filter in. Cabin insulation is also not great, and on terrible patches of road, aside from a truthful amount of money of tyre roar, you can hear the suspension functioning absent. This offers a sense that the suspension isn’t as strong as it really is.

 

There is another positive to the a little company established-up, and that is the managing. The Magnite’s physique roll is fairly properly contained and it handles the twisty roadways very well. The steering doesn’t present a whole lot of responses, nor is it very rapid, although it feels nice and light at reduced speeds.

Nissan Magnite one. B4D: exterior, inside and capabilities

Structure wise, Nissan has held both variations of the Magnite similar, with their badging becoming the only way of discerning them visually. This is a very fantastic issue, considering the Magnite seems very smart and very well-proportioned. The modern headlight, hexagonal grille and ‘L’ shaped DRLs give it a exclusive and very recognisable identity. In profile, you can also see the sharp creases and pronounced cladding all around the wheel arches that include character to the Magnite. The rear seems very neat and I rather like the clean strains of the sculpted tail-lights and boot lid.

 

Step inside the cabin and you will be greeted by a very well laid-out dashboard with a contemporary seem. There are some neat design and style touches like the hexagonal AC vents that seem like they could belong in a Lamborghini, the climate manage screens that are very well included into the rotary adjustment dials, the 7.-inch electronic instrument cluster and the no cost-standing 8.-inch infotainment (which by the way is fairly responsive and straightforward to use).

 

There are also some nice capabilities on present like keyless entry and go, automatic climate manage, the 360-diploma camera (which isn’t the clearest), and wi-fi Android Car and Apple CarPlay connectivity (which is a bit temperamental to use). There are also a selection of practical storage spaces all around the cabin, such as a big glovebox and significant cup holders, although the mounted front centre armrest feels like a missed prospect for another storage room. The way the dash is recessed and the central console is put reduced also give a great sense of room for a motor vehicle of this dimension.

An region in which the Magnite is missing is top quality of elements. Though they are for the most part satisfactory for the selling price, there are rivals in the market place that not only feel superior appointed but also superior screwed alongside one another. Items like the exposed steering rack in the driver’s footwell also never assistance the perceived top quality. One large exception listed here is the denim-like fabric Nissan has employed on the numerous elbow rests all around the cabin – it’s a top quality emotion contact in an otherwise boring and lacklustre cabin.

The front seats present a fantastic perspective out and are very well cushioned, giving fantastic quantities of comfort and ease. Rear seats are also fairly comfortable, giving plenty of room (even for taller travellers) and fantastic levels of less than thigh assistance. 

Nissan Magnite one. B4D: selling price and verdict

 

One of the most important appeals of the Magnite one. NA has to be its selling price. Starting off at Rs 5.seventy one lakh for the base XE trim and likely up to Rs 7.85 lakh for the top rated-spec XV Top quality trim (ex-showroom, Delhi), this iteration of the Magnite offers some authentic bang for your buck. There are handful of hatchbacks that can present this amount of kit and room for the identical selling price, allow by yourself compact SUVs. Nonetheless, this naturally aspirated engine definitely struggles to present powerful performance. This doesn’t matter as a lot when on the lookout for a day by day commuter to use in the city, on the other hand, as an SUV to use for very long length travelling, it is a limitation. The lack of an automatic gearbox selection with this engine does also hurt its probable as an urban runabout, but if it’s sheer worth you are after, the Magnite B4D is challenging to beat.