Here, we list the top five reasons why you should buy a Nissan Magnite, along with five reasons why you should avoid it
Nissan Magnite was launched in India in December last year, and the SUV has been selling like hot cakes in our market. The high demand for the Magnite has pushed the waiting period up to 6 months in some cities! The manufacturer has already ramped up its production, in order to better meet the demand.
Are you wondering whether or not to buy a Nissan Magnite for yourself? Well, read ahead to discover the top five reasons why we believe you should and should not purchase one.
Good: Simple but sporty styling
Nissan Magnite has an extremely clean and uncluttered design, with sporty elements sprinkled throughout. The vehicle features sharp LED headlamps, boomerang-shaped LED DRLs, and a massive grille at the front. The black cladding all around, along with the roof rails, adds some muscle to it. The vehicle also gets a roof-mounted spoiler, faux skid plates on the bumpers, and 16-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels.
Bad: Fit and finish could’ve been better
The Magnite doesn’t feel robustly built, and the plastics employed in the cabin are extremely hard and tacky. Granted, all the SUVs in this segment are built to a price, but a few competitors, like Mahindra XUV300 and Kia Sonet, feel much more premium and sturdy in comparison to the little Nissan crossover.
Good: Turbo-petrol engine
Nissan Magnite is available with a 1.0-litre, turbocharged, inline-3 petrol engine, which generates a peak power and torque of 100 PS and 160 Nm (152 Nm with CVT), respectively. This powerplant is not only powerful and fun-to-drive, but fuel-efficient as well. The Magnite also gets a 1.0L, naturally aspirated, 3-cylinder petrol engine, which belts out 72 PS and 96 Nm.
Bad: No diesel engine
A few carmakers, like Maruti Suzuki, VW, etc., had discontinued their diesel before the BS6 emission norms came into effect. Nissan was also one of them, and currently, it doesn’t have any diesel engine in its entire lineup. The demand for diesel-powered SUVs is still strong in our market, and with fuel prices on the rise, it might grow stronger.
Good: CVT adds convenience to the package
As standard, the Magnite is offered with a 5-speed manual gearbox, but on the turbo-petrol models, an optional CVT is available. Automatic gearboxes are extremely convenient to drive, especially in start-stop city traffic.
Bad: Not a 5 seater
Nissan’s compact crossover has less width compared to most of its rivals, which limits the interior space as well. Seating three people at the rear is a tight squeeze, although two people can sit in comfort. Also, Nissan has opted to offer only two headrests for the rear seats, which means that the middle passenger would have to do without one.
Good: Lots of features on offer
Indian buyers love value-for-money products, and Nissan took that a little too seriously. The SUV is filled to the brim with features, like LED headlamps (and LED DRLs), 7-inch fully-digital instrument cluster, an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system (with wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto), 360-degree camera, automatic climate control, power-adjustable ORVMs, cruise control, etc. Nissan Connect (connected car technology) is also available here.
Bad: No sunroof
Although the Magnite comes loaded with plenty of premium features, Nissan doesn’t offer a sunroof on it. Buyers nowadays have been preferring cars with sunroof, and the lack of one on the Magnite could be a potential deal-breaker for many.
Good: Extremely affordable
The price of Nissan Magnite currently ranges from Rs. 5.49 lakh to Rs. 7.69 lakh for the NA petrol variants, while the turbo-petrol models are priced from Rs. 7.29 lakh to Rs. 9.89 lakh (all prices mentioned are ex-showroom, New Delhi). Affordability is one of the strongest suits of the Magnite, and it’s a great option for people on a tight budget.
Bad: Limited dealer network
Nissan’s dealer network is not very expansive in our country, despite having operated in India for a few years now. The Japanese carmaker has stated that it is working on expanding its reach in India, and it will be improving its aftersales support as well, in order to keep its customers happy and satisfied.