Nissan are currently looking at turning around their India operations, which at the moment look very stagnant. As a result, the automaker will be rolling out a handful of models during the next couple of years. The one set to start the revival will be the Nissan Magnite compact SUV, which is not far away from its launch.
In fact, the Nissan Magnite is scheduled to come here on January 2021. The Magnite will mark Nissan’s entry to the hotly contested compact SUV segment. Recently, images of the patent filed by Nissan are doing the rounds on the internet.
The leaked images give us a hint of how the Nissan Magnite would be looking like when it finally rolls out of production. On first glance, the front end of the Magnite looks quite similar to the Redi-Go facelift, which was recently launched by Datsun. The rear has sweptback tail-lamps and a high tailgate, which reminds us of the Kicks.
The patent images look quite similar to the Nissan Magnite concept which came out only a month ago. It also shares some similarities with the Datsun Go Cross, which first got unveiled during the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show. Datsun also showcased the concept car here during the 2016 Auto Expo.
It was slated for a release in 2017 which of course did not materialize. Since its unveil, there has been little to no news coming out regarding the Go Cross. It now appears that the project may have been shelved owing to the lack of production going on inside Nissan here.
Coming to the Nissan Magnite, it will be underpinned by the modular CMF-A+ platform, developed jointly by Renault and Nissan. This platform is used for emerging markets such as India and ensures high levels of localisation. All of this in turn results in an affordable final price coming out for the vehicle.
On the engine front, Nissan have not yet mentioned about the possible powertrains coming on the Magnite. It is reported that there is a new 1.0 litre turbocharged petrol motor under the pipeline. This motor is said to be in its production phase and could make its debut alongside the Magnite in early 2021.
Coming to its specifications, the engine could be producing in excess of 100 BHP power and 160 Nm torque. It will come mated with both manual and automatic transmission options, which are also set to be revealed later. When launched, the Magnite will remain the most affordable product coming from the Nissan stable here.
It is expected to be priced at around Rs. 7-12 lakh (ex-showroom, India). The Nissan Magnite will rival the Hyundai Venue, Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Tata Nexon, Mahindra XUV300, Ford Ecosport and the relatively new Kia Sonet. Nissan will be having high hopes and expectations on the Magnite, thus it remains to be seen whether the compact SUV will repay them the faith put on it or not.
To read more on Nissan’s India SUV, Click here
Also see: Nissan Magnite starts road-testing, launch in 2021
