Nissan have revealed an all-new compact crossover bearing a never-before-used nameplate, ‘Magnite’. Back in September, Nissan showed the Magnite Concept, but now a more production-ready spec has been showed. The Nissan Magnite will be the smallest, and least expensive crossover SUV offered by Nissan. It will be built in India, likely for domestic and some export use. It’s worth noting that the Datsun brand was recently discontinued for a second time. The Datsun brand was reintroduced back in 2013 as an ultra-budget friendly marque for developing nations like India and Indonesia.
Despite being an affordable vehicle for developing markets, the design and testing of the Magnite was carried out in Japan. The priorities in designing the Magnite was to give it a bold exterior, a roomy interior, a powerful turbocharged engine and advanced safety features – all in an affordable package.
The Magnite will feature full LED lighting at the front, an edgy new grille design along with Nissan’s latest logo revision. Inside, there’ll be an 8″ infotainment system complete with Android Auto and Apple Carplay along with a 7″ digital instrument cluster.
Powering the Magnite will be a 1-litre turbocharged petrol motor, likely the same or a very similar motor that’s found in the new Almera. Will this mean the Magnite will be brought into Malaysia too? Too early to tell. From what we’ve heard, our market will get the slightly larger, slightly more upmarket Nissan Kicks.
Here’s the press release with more.
PRESS RELEASE
Nissan today unveiled the all-new Nissan Magnite SUV, combining powerful performance, a striking exterior and advanced technologies to help customers tackle any urban environment.
Built on the philosophy of “Make in India, make for the world,” the Nissan Magnite is Nissan’s first SUV in the sub-4-meter Indian market category and signifies another milestone in Nissan NEXT, the company’s global transformation plan. The model is scheduled to go on sale in India early next year and in other markets later.
Designed in Japan, the Nissan Magnite has been crafted to suit the unique requirements and aspirations of customers across India. With its bold exterior, roomy interior, powerful turbocharged engine and advanced safety technology, it’s built to be the perfect city adventure companion.
The name “Magnite” is a combination of the words magnetic and ignite, evoking the spirit of a new era in India and other growing markets around the world.
Bold, fresh styling
The Nissan Magnite’s exterior sets itself apart thanks to bold, fresh design that gives it a confident and agile stance while still appearing vibrant and youthful. The all-LED front light package includes noticeable L-shaped daytime running lights that sit below the stylish slim LED headlamp. Together with the edgy grille, featuring Nissan’s new brand logo, it gives the Nissan Magnite a striking SUV presence.
On the inside, the spacious layout includes a high seating position and wide shoulder space between the driver and front passenger. Rear passengers enjoy a level of knee room usually found in vehicles one class above. An 8-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto joins the first-in-class 7-inch thin-film-transistor instrument screen for a premium feel.
Function and safety
The Nissan Magnite is powered by an all-new, 1.0-liter turbocharged engine that is one of the most powerful in class. Built for urban adventures, the Nissan Magnite features 205 millimeters of ground clearance, Hill Start Assist technology, silver front and rear bumper skid plates, and functional roof rails. Nissan’s 360-degree Around View Monitor technology enhances safety by helping spot obstacles around the vehicle.
To ensure it can handle the rigors of any road, the Nissan Magnite has been tested at Nissan’s Tochigi Proving Ground in Japan, where vehicles like the Nissan GT-R and the upcoming Nissan Ariya crossover EV have been put through their paces.
