Nissan Magnite joins junior SUV league

Nissan has a new car on sale in SA’s popular small-SUV segment. The new Magnite is a 3,994mm long, five-passenger compact crossover in the mould of the Hyundai Venue, Toyota Urban Cruiser, Suzuki Vitara Brezza and many other alternatives.

It has a wealth of features too, with a 20.3cm touch screen infotainment system, wireless Android Auto & Apple CarPlay and an around-view monitor.

The interior has a rear armrest with two cup holders, 60:40 split foldable rear seats, a 10l glove box and boot capacity of 336l.

It is powered by a 1.0l turbocharged petrol three-cylinder engine with 74kW and 160Nm that can be linked to a five-speed manual or a X-Tronic continuously variable transmission (CVT).

Driving aids include a camera to assist parallel and perpendicular parking, a front-facing camera and a tyre-pressure monitor.

From a safety perspective the Magnite has driver and passenger airbags, vehicle dynamics control (VDC), hill-start assist (HSA) and ABS brakes.

It rides on 16-inch alloy wheels and a 205mm ground clearance, which should suffice for mild off-road driving, and has functional roof rails with 50kg load bearing.

The Magnite styling is spot on for the fashionable niche and features sleek LED bi-projector headlamps, LED lightsabre-style turn indicators and LED L-shaped daytime running lights. Square wheel arches and front and rear silver skid plates add to the striking look.

Pricing:

Magnite Acenta manual — R256,999

Magnite Acenta CVT — R280,100

Magnite Acenta Plus MT — R282,600

Magnite Acenta Plus CVT — R305,700

Prices include a three-year/30,000km service plan and a six year/150,000km mechanical warranty.