The Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger are aggressively priced in the domestic market with a packed features list
The compact SUV segment has been on the rise in recent times as the shift in trend towards affordable small SUVs with good practicality and high ground clearance are taking the sub Rs. 10 lakh market by storm. Resultantly, we have seen some noteworthy sub-four-metre SUVs entering the domestic arena in the last two years to spice things up and some of them have really taken it to the next level.
While SUVs like Kia Sonet and Hyundai Venue are brimmed with premium features and technologies, Indian manufacturers like Tata and Mahindra have proved their competence with Nexon and XUV300 respectively by offering power-packed performance and five-star NCAP rated build quality. Recently, the segment has witnessed the arrival of the Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger.
Nissan really dug deep and launched the Magnite in December 2020 in a price range unforeseen previously as it had a starting price of around Rs. 4.99 lakh (ex-showroom). However, with the recent price increase, it costs between Rs. 5.49 lakh and Rs. 9.59 lakh (ex-showroom). The Renault Kiger followed up in February 2021 and is currently priced between Rs. 5.45 lakh and Rs. 9.72 lakh (ex-showroom).
Both the SUVs are based on the CMF-A+ platform, which is heavily localised helping them to be priced aggressively. They have plenty in common including the powertrain choices as the 1.0-litre petrol engine in naturally-aspirated and turbocharged guises are being utilised. The NA version kicks out 72 PS maximum power and 96 Nm of peak torque while the turbo develops around 100 PS and 152 Nm.
The Kiger is sold with a five-speed manual or a five-speed AMT in the NA variant while the Magnite is available only in a five-speed manual. The turbo engine equipped variants in both models are linked with either a five-speed manual or a CVT auto. The Magnite earned four stars in ASEAN NCAP making it one of the highly desirable SUVs in an affordable range and both have attractive design details too.
Despite sharing the same platform, the Kiger has a distinctive design evoking sportiness while the Magnite has a more aggressive road presence with upright elements. With a decently laid out interior, the features list offered by the Kiger and Magnite makes them almost irresistible compared to other compact SUVs, if the equipment and prices are weighed up.
Some of the key features available are an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Arkamys audio, seven-inch digital instrument cluster, keyless entry, push-button start, automatic climate control, ambient lighting, wireless charger, PM2.5 air filter, four airbags, ABS, rear-view camera, layered dashboard, chrome highlights, etc.