The Nissan Magnite is an affordable sub-4-meter SUV that significantly boosted Nissan's presence in India by meeting consumer demands for higher seating, premium feel, and value pricing, though its value proposition is now challenged by competitors in markets like the UAE.
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This car single-handedly saved Nissan as a brand in a country that I call home. The last time I saw
a similar design were in Lamborghinis. Can you see that? Wow, not bad. That's a first
This is the Nissan Magnite, the most affordable SUV in Nissan's portfolio. And the interesting
fact is that this car single-handedly saved Nissan as a brand in a country that I call home,
which is India. Yep, you heard that right. You see, back in 2020, Nissan was losing its grip
in the Indian market. See, even though their cars were built strong and had a good reputation when
it comes to reliability, people gravitated towards more features, a more affordable price point,
and of course, a car that sat a little higher from the ground. And that's when Nissan launched this,
the Magnite, and it ticked all the boxes. It had a higher seating position,
the cabin felt a lot more premium and most importantly it was launched at a price that
was roughly equivalent to 25,000 dirhams. But this is the UAE. Nissan is known for
cars like the Patrol here. So what is this doing here? And that's what we are here to find out.
Let's begin with the design. First things first, it's not really a big car. In fact, the Magnite
was intentionally engineered to sit under 4 m in length. Why? Because in markets like India,
that keeps it in a lower tax category, which means more value for buyers. Now, looks wise, the
Magnite definitely holds its own ground and if you are a Juke owner, I'm really sorry, I feel like it
looks better than the Juke, and that's primarily because it's got a more sophisticated appearance
in my opinion. Up front, you have a very upright nose and for the grill, you get a honeycomb design
that's finished in black. It is worth mentioning that the model we are testing is the base variant.
So, some features like the signature L-shaped DRLs and the LED headlamps are missing here. In
profile, you get integrated turn signals on the side mirrors, a full wraparound black plastic
cladding, and the Magnite rides on 16-in wheels as standard. Steel on the base variant and alloys on
the higher trims. At the rear, the design stays simple and finishes off the entire look with
C-shaped LED tail lamps. But here's what really caught my eye. The rear spoiler. Look closely.
Does it remind you of something? No. What if I show you the design of the AC vents inside them?
Now, do you see it? The last time I saw a similar design were in Lamborghinis. Elsewhere around the
interior, it is quite evident where Nissan has tried to cut corners in terms of budget
because the materials used here are pretty budget friendly. You can of course get leather especially
with the upholstery with the higher end trims specifically the top of the range models. Now
when it comes to features since we are on the base model we are a little short in features
but we'll list them down right here against the mid tier models and the top tier variant.
Feature-wise,
here's a quick rundown of what you get in this base variant. The driver's display includes a
7-in semi-digital instrument cluster, and you still get steering mounted controls for both
media and cruise control. Over on the center, there's space for an 8-in infotainment system
that's reserved for the higher trims. But again, even in the base variant, you still get essentials
like Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Below that, you have digital dials for the climate control,
a slot where the wireless charger goes in the higher variants, and extra storage
underneath it for bigger accessories. You also get a traditional manual handbrake,
large door pockets that can easily fit a 500 ml bottle, and usable space inside the armrest. And
another feature that I want to talk about is that the headrests are quite supportive as well. And
that kind of wraps up the whole experience of the front seats. Let's move to the back
and talk about that for a bit. Rear seat comfort is honestly one of the Magnite's strong points.
The upright seating position gives you more leg room than you'd expect from a sub-4 meter SUV,
and the dual AC vents at the back are a welcome addition, especially in the UAE. Storage is
practical, too, with usable bottle spaces and enough headroom for taller passengers. Now,
Nissan claims that the Magnite can hold up to 336 L of luggage in the boot. But if you want more,
you can always fold down the rear seats and get up to 690 L of storage capacity. But the
real surprise isn't the space. It's how this little SUV behaves once you start driving it.
Nissan only offers the magnet with a 1 lit turbocharged petrol engine. It's a 999cc
3-cylinder motor that produces somewhere between 90 to 99 hp and 152 nm of torque,
which doesn't really sound like much on paper. Why so little, you ask? For a sake of fuel efficiency,
Nissan claims around 17 to 20 kmpl in ideal conditions, which means this engine is tuned
for economy than outright performance. Now, since we are on the subject of power, why don't we try
the 0 to 100 test right now? Now, Nissan claims that the Magnite can do the 0 to 100 km sprint in
12.8 seconds. So, that's the magic number to look out for. All right, let's keep the theme going,
right? So, I'm going to time it with my watch. So, foot on the pedal, build up the revs, and go.
So, the number is quite accurate to be honest. Yeah, 12.8. Can you see that? Wow. Not bad. That's
a first. Now, I must say that the speedometer is very accurate. When compared to other cars,
there's always a couple of kilometers of buffer range, but in this, it's barely a kilometer.
Now, I admit performance is not a strong suit on this car. And the power figures obviously dictate
that as well. But what it is good at is handling. See, the steering is very light and it stays light
throughout even when you're on higher speeds. But when you're in city conditions, it is a delight to
drive around. It is very responsive. It's almost immediate. It's like a go-kart kind of feeling.
Now, I do have a couple of gripes with the car. Firstly, the car lacks any USB ports anywhere. The
only thing you do get is a 12V adapter. It feels very stable even when you're cruising on triple
digit speeds. Again, which is quite surprising because it's a very light car. You do realize
how light the car is when a large truck passes you by and you get that wind that blows you to
one side of the lane. So, these are all quiet reminders that even though the car doesn't feel
out of place on the highways, it feels more at home in the city. So, if your lifestyle includes
running errands, commuting to work, and school runs, then this car would fit it perfectly. The
only way I can sum up the Magnite is by saying that it's a proper workhorse car. It's perfect
for buyers who were looking for a second car for the family or even for first time SUV buyers.
It's a simple, no nonsense, easy to handle car. Much in keeping with the reputation that Nissan
has built over the years. But the trouble for the Magnite is that the competition is also following
a similar philosophy and beating it at its own game. You see, with the second generation Magnite,
Nissan has upped the starting price to about 59,000 Dirhams. Now, if you look at cars like
the Renault Duster, it comes with a similar price tag, but with a bigger engine and more
tech and makes it feel like you're getting more car for the money that you're paying. That's why
I would recommend that you rent the Magnite out rather than buying it outright. And you can do
that simply by downloading the Selfdrive app. And that's our time with the Magnite. If you
like this video, do remember to subscribe to the Otodrive channel and do share it with your friends
and family. Until we see you next time with a brand new video, this is Philip signing off.
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