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- The Nissan Magnite has a turbocharged 1.0-litre engine.
- There are manual and CVT options available in the range.
- It features an 8-inch touchscreen with smartphone compatibility.
The hotly-contested crossover battle continues to evolve relentlessly, with frequent minor updates often required just to stay within striking distance of similar, modular alternatives. That's exactly what Nissan South Africa has needed to do with the latest Magnite, but is it enough to entice buyers away from the Kia Sonet, Suzuki Brezza and Toyota Urban Cruiser - to name but a few of our team's top picks?
It soon becomes apparent that Nissan has taken the path of least resistance with the latest Magnite. Considering that just last month, Nissan launched the limited edition Red Edition Magnite, we were expecting that to provide a firm stepping stone into more substantial changes.
READ | Coming in hot: Nissan's popular compact Magnite gets Red Edition limited model upgrade
Nissan claims they've refined the turbocharged 1.0-litre engine, but there isn't much evidence of that because the power and consumption figures are identical. For reference, that's 74kW and 160Nm for the manual version, while a CVT option, with slightly less torque, is also available.
As for exterior design, the Magnite remains one of the more eye-catching designs in the segment. It continues to look modern with its bold creases, daytime running lights and chrome trimmings while making clever use of a compact wheelbase. Ample ground clearance and a raised seating position are once again staple ingredients in this segment.
It's a similar story inside with no new juicy details to pore over. Excellent interior space is one of the Magnite's main drawcards, while technology is wrapped up by the 8-inch touchscreen, which is compatible with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
It appears that Nissan may have missed an opportunity here, and the lack of tangible updates has failed to raise the bar in ways that a customer would notice. That doesn't mean the Magnite has compromised its core strengths (namely interior space and design), but the underwhelming effort to reassert itself in a ruthless segment could prove costly over time.
