Nissan Magnite review Autocar India test drive

The Magnite is intended to give Nissan India a a great deal need shot in the arm.

Issue is, are we evaluating apples with apples listed here? Is Nissan’s Magnite just as attained as the level of competition in other regions, or is it a circumstance of getting a bit less car for a large amount less money? Let’s put Nissan’s make-or-split products, the Magnite, below the microscope. 

Nissan Magnite style and styling

It certainly seems to be the portion. The tall stance and generous 205mm of floor clearance give it a genuine SUV vibe. The huge chunky wheel arches and 16-inch wheels offer a lot of definition, and the Magnite also has a fairly stand-up cabin for that all-critical SUV silhouette. The thick ‘C’ pillar is nicely sculpted, the contrast roof and massive ‘split’ rear spoiler seems to be particularly upmarket, and Nissan has even used a chrome emphasize together the doorways very proficiently. Even the two-tone cladding at the rear is impressively put with each other.

The Magnite has the all-critical SUV silhouette.

The Datsun grille, built-in into the style of the nose, does stage to the reality that this compact SUV began existence below Nissan’s minimal-charge brand name, but listed here as well there are a lot of appealing thrives and facts. The dagger-like headlights are neat, the ‘L’ formed LEDs stand out, and there are a pair of desirable ridges on the bonnet as well. When the cladding in basic is put with each other with great precision and the roof rails are also nicely constructed, a couple hard-to-overlook panel gaps do exist, especially all over the area of the bonnet and the hatch at the rear.

Nissan Magnite platform

The Nissan Magnite is constructed on the Renault-Nissan alliance’s CMF-A+ platform. Greater and plainly extra sizeable than the frequent CMF-A platform that underpins the Datsun Redigo and the Renault Kwid, the ‘+’ is a great deal wider, extra robustly put with each other and lengthier in beam. The 1st car to be constructed on the CMF-A+ was Renault’s Triber, and the Nissan Magnite will be adopted by Renault’s personal compact SUV, the Kiger. Crafted on a 2,500mm wheelbase, par for the study course when it will come to compact SUVs, the Magnite is, nonetheless, marginally narrower than all other people in this course, at one,758mm. The Magnite’s front suspension arm has been optimised for larger balance, you can find a new trailing arm set up at the rear, and to counter the 205mm of floor clearance, you can find also a new anti-roll bar.

16-inch twin-tone alloys wheels shod in 195/60 R16 tyres.

Nissan Magnite one. turbo performance

With its mechanical torque converter equipped CVT or X-Tronic gearbox, a nutritious 100hp and only one,039kg to push all over, the computerized-equipped Magnite turbo is the decide of the vary. The three-cylinder engine does have a lumpy idle, partly owing to its soft engine mounts, and a bit of vibration filters into the cabin, as well, but just take off from rest and the engine smoothens up properly. What makes driving the CVT version significantly nice is that it responds to a faucet on the throttle really well. This makes driving it in traffic experience significantly easy push down a bit more durable, say to overtake, and acceleration improves in a linear way as well. In reality, at minimal and medium engine speeds, you never actually experience as well a great deal of the dreaded rubber band influence.

The Magnite’s one.-litre turbo-petrol engine makes 100hp, which is sufficient for this one,039kg SUV.

Even so, pull the CVT-equipped Magnite more durable, and with extra resolve, and the stretch and strain of the pulleys and belts can be felt. Now the boost in performance is no lengthier in sync with the boost in engine velocity, and whilst the gearbox does change in steps, the rubber band influence is evident.

Decide on ‘Sport’ on the equipment lever, which sharpens the CVT with distinctive steps to mimic equipment ratios, and you can immediately inform there’s extra punch and performance, with the CVT hanging on to a ratio somewhat than a set engine velocity.

At minimal and medium engine speeds, the rubber band influence is just not actually felt. 

There are no paddles, nonetheless, and you can find no manual intervention, but with the assist of an intense just take off, the Magnite CVT did control to do the -100kph dash in twelve.8sec. No direct comparison can be built, as this swift test was not conducted to Autocar requirements still, for reference, the Location one. turbo DCT will take eleven.9sec to 100kph. When the gap continues to be very similar when kickdown acceleration is examined from twenty-80kph, the Magnite is a great deal nearer when 40-100kph periods are when compared.  

Activity manner will help the CVT gearbox hold on to ratios lengthier.

The five-velocity manual equipped Magnite one. turbo is a fair bit more rapidly versus the clock. Once more, acceleration periods are not to Autocar requirements, but for now, the manual provisionally did the -100kph dash in an amazing eleven.16sec. Which is more rapidly than the XUV300, Ford EcoSport and also the Location one. manual, which will take eleven.24sec to a hundred. The one. turbo engine with the manual gearbox does get 160Nm of torque, vs . 152Nm for the CVT, and it pulls nicely all the way from all over one,800rpm to past six,000rpm in a single extended, clean up sweep. This solid, prolonged push when you are on the throttle is really pleasing, but you still do pass up the turbo coming in with a hurry, especially the gratifying phase up in power when this occurs. And past five,000rpm, there is a bit of a growth and a thrum.

The manual version is possible to be more rapidly than the XUV300 and Tata Nexon.

Development, as you get on and off the throttle in traffic, nonetheless, is sleek, as opposed to automobiles like the Nexon and Location, and the engine even pulls moderately nicely when off enhance.

The five-velocity manual gearbox, nonetheless, is just not the slickest unit all over. The gate is nicely described and the gears slot in nicely, but you do need to give the equipment lever a bit of an further push. The clutch is a touch significant as well and has a sharp launch stage, which can make engagement a bit snappy.

The five-velocity manual demands a bit of effort and hard work to slot it in equipment.

Nissan Magnite handling, balance and ride consolation

Using on tall and rigid springs, the Magnite’s suspension set up is a bit on the firm facet, which functions nicely at velocity. Straight line balance, as a consequence, is decent and the weighty steering provides you a fair amount of assurance. The Magnite isn’t going to experience anxious or hop all over when you brake tricky both. Agility, nonetheless, is just not its forte. Switch in to corners is a bit lazy, and you need some further steering enter at periods to get the Magnite well into a corner. So, it is just not actually an SUV that enjoys carving up corners.

Straight line balance is superior but it can be a bit lazy in the corners.

A lot more critical, nonetheless, is the reality that the steering is easy to twirl at metropolis speeds, the brakes are properly ‘servoed’ for metropolis use and the Magnite feels at household in the city ecosystem, which is frankly the place it will invest a greater part of its time. 

The ride, nonetheless, is a bit revealing. The Magnite feels unsettled at minimal speeds about inadequately paved patches, the ride is busy for the most portion, and then, ever so often, you get a loud ‘thwack’ from the suspension as you run about a massive or medium-sized pothole. When the suspension does take in some of the more substantial bumps far better at velocity, you plainly are informed of the floor under, and you can find even a fair amount of road sound, especially about coarse surfaces.

The ride is on the stiffer facet.

Nissan Magnite house and consolation

When the Magnite is the narrowest car in its course, there plainly is a lot of house and legroom on the within. The seating situation is really upright, which functions nicely for house effectiveness, the extended 2,500mm wheelbase liberates a large amount of house, and then Nissan has finished a superb occupation of packaging the cabin. The front seats are nicely bolstered and present superior thigh and shoulder assistance, and it can be really easy to obtain a at ease driving situation, inspite of the reality that the steering isn’t going to modify for achieve. Even so, the lumbar assistance is a bit too much, and in variants without seat peak modify, the higher sprint could impede the perspective out for shorter motorists (and front travellers).

It can be really easy to obtain a at ease driving situation.

Ingress into the rear is easy, thanks to a vast door aperture, and within you can find a lot of legroom even for six-footers. The seatback is a touch upright (to accommodate a bigger boot), but no issues about thigh assistance, which is really superior. Headroom, as well, is extra than sufficient, and due to the fact you can find only a smaller hump in the ground, a third passenger can be accommodated really very easily. Even the centre armrest is properly positioned and the slot for a massive mobile cellphone in advance of the cupholder is a good touch. You also get adjustable rear headrests at the again, there are rear air-con vents, and even though you can find no USB socket at the rear, you do get a 12V charging socket.

Rear seat shoulder room, legroom and headroom are extra than ample.

The Magnite also presents a fair sizing boot, although the Sonet, Location and Nexon present more substantial ones. The tailgate lifts to expose a deep 336-litre luggage area and you can find also the option to break up the rear seat 60:40, should really you need extra house.

The rear seats break up and fold to liberate extra room.

Nissan Magnite interior and characteristics

Stage into the Magnite and you are immediately informed that Nissan has put a large amount of effort and hard work and expense into the style and execution of the cabin. Certainly, the prime of the sprint is built of tricky (but matte) plastic and the band of piano black that operates throughout the sprint is just not to everyone’s taste, but there are still items that catch your eye and impress. These incorporate the Lamborghini Urus-like vents, the massive frameless eight.-inch touchscreen with metal surround, the properly constructed air-con knobs with the mini shows inset, the deconstructed centre console, the wireless cellphone charging method, the TFT display in the instrument panel that can be cycled via numerous modes, and even the double-stitched ‘denim’ on the door pads and elbow rest seems to be interesting. Then there are the quilted fabric and leatherette seats, a large 10-litre glovebox, and even the steering wheel feels properly put with each other.

Sprint receives a frameless eight.-inch touchscreen. 

Segment-1st characteristics incorporate wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Vehicle, which experience an complete deal with to use together with the wireless charger, and this is the 1st car in this course to get a 360-degree reversing digicam and exhibit. When the reversing cameras are not of the greatest resolution, and the touchscreen is just not as superior as the a single on the Hyundai Location or the Kia Sonet, the method is very intuitive and useable. Nissan Connect and smartwatch connectivity is also readily available as an option on the turbos. There’s no sunroof, but you do get other kit like puddle lamps and a six-speaker audio method. When the Sonet still continues to be the finest equipped car in this course, the Magnite receives a large amount of kit, especially when you aspect in its selling price.

The Magnite receives a segment-1st wireless Android Vehicle and Apple CarPlay.

Wherever the Magnite lags at the rear of its rivals, nonetheless, is construct good quality. Numerous of the plastic bits in the cabin are not as robustly constructed as they should really be, the fit in regions is less than ideal, and we even experienced a couple buzzes and rattles on the go from at the rear of the dashboard. When the construct energy is a great deal enhanced about some of the early Datsun products, there plainly is still some way to go.

Nissan Magnite safety products

Major variations of the Magnite appear with driver aids like Auto Dynamic Manage, traction management and hill get started support, and also attribute ISOFIX boy or girl-seat mounts at the again. Abs with EBD, twin airbags and rear parking sensors are normal throughout the vary, and on some variants, you also get a tyre strain checking method and brake support. The centre passenger in the rear, nonetheless, only receives a lap-belt, not a three-stage inertia reel seat belt.

Ought to you obtain a single?

With its disruptive pricing, the Magnite is all set to bring in hordes of potential customers. On present is a sharp and modern day-looking compact SUV that is at ease on the within, nicely equipped and is easy to push. Even so, it could not have the most supple ride, it is just not as entertaining to push as some of its rivals, and it plainly is not constructed as robustly as other automobiles in this course. And then you can find Nissan’s seller community, which wants to strengthen as well.

Magnite undercuts all compact SUVs on selling price by a huge margin.

However, if you are in the market for a compact SUV, and never mind getting a little less car for a large amount less money, retain your eyes glued to the Magnite. This just could be the most disruptive SUV to hit showrooms in a extended, extended time. Level of competition, brace for the effects.

Also see:

Nissan Magnite launch on December 2, 2020

Nissan Magnite vs rivals: Options comparison