Nissan Magnite to start at a very tempting price tag
The upcoming Nissan Magnite is going to be the make or break product for the Japanese carmaker's Indian arm. After discontinuing the ageing Micra and Sunny, Nissan India is currently hanging on from two products - the Kicks and the Terrano - and the likes of the new Creta, Seltos and the Hector have only made life difficult for these two. If Nissan wants to survive in the Indian market, it is going to need a product that is polished, refined and priced so well that it makes the competition rethink their strategy. The Magnite could do just that.
Nissan India's fortunes literally depend on this one product. We hear that there is no other product that the carmaker has in the pipeline, which means all research, development, sourcing and planning is focussed on the Magnite alone. It is based on the CMF-A platform that also underpins the Renault Triber and the upcoming HBC compact SUV which will be the Magnite's closest relative. But we are told that Nissan has been safeguarding its upcoming baby away from Renault even, to ensure that the Magnite is the blue-eyed boy with an upper hand in features, pricing and packaging.
In terms of the features, the Magnite will run a different infotainment system - an evolution of the system seen in the updated Datsun Go twins. Connectivity and infotainment are, in fact, going to be big talking points for the Magnite, but we don't expect to see internet-based functions on this one.
As for the pricing, Nissan India is trying its best to have the entry point under Rs 5 lakh for the Magnite. To put things into perspective, the compact, SUV-aping cars like the Maruti Suzuki S-Presso and the Renault Kwid top out at around Rs 5 lakh, while the Mahindra KUV100 lies in the range of Rs 5.6 - 7.3 lakh. The KUV100 is the natural rival for the Magnite, but the Nissan has the Suzuki Ignis in its crosshairs, and hence the sub-5-lakh starting price. The Ignis is currently priced between Rs 4.9 - 7.3 lakh and with its recent facelift, Maruti Suzuki has been classifying it as a compact, urban SUV. Magnite could bear a similar price range, if not lesser.
Compared to the Ignis, the Magnite will wear a more SUV-ish design, while a higher ground clearance will give it the required stance too. The face will have a bit of a Nissan Kicks inspiration to it, but the grille is expected to be closer to Datsun's hexagonal shape, than the converging V-motion grille signature seen on most new Nissan cars.
The motivation for the Magnite will come purely from petrol options - a 1.0 naturally aspirated engine good for 72PS and 96Nm and a 1.0 turbo-petrol capable of delivering 100PS and 160Nm.
Nissan will launch the Magnite in India by August 2020.