Nissan Magnite Turbo CVT vs Renault Kiger Turbo CVT

Are they two peas in a pod? I mean both the Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger are basically the same underneath. Based on the Renault-Nissan Alliance’s CMF-A+ platform they share the same engine and same gearbox and roll off the same production facility. This pair has kicked up a storm in the sub-four metre SUV segment since their arrival with their overall package as well as undercutting pricing. But how similar or different are the Magnite and Kiger from each other?

A casual bystander who has no idea about their shared pedigree would be hard-pressed to come to terms that both are the same under the skin. It’s surprising how the underpinnings’ hardpoints – like where the suspensions are mounted, pillar placements and where all the hinges/bumpers/axles are connected – are in the same place yet the other parts and panels designed around them are made in a way to lend individual personality. Looking at the Magnite and you’d notice its sharp design approach with sleek angry-looking headlamps, edgier creases with a much cleaner approach at the back. The Kiger looks more bulbous and more rounded in comparison which also makes it appear bigger than it actually is.

Kiger’s design has flamboyish sheet metal work which might be likeable from certain angles and not so much from others. On the Magnite, we’d have loved to see the Nissan’s V-Motion grille instead of Datsun’s mesh design to complement its sharp-looking vertical LED-clad lower bumper. Overall, if you look at both finer details, there are a lot of distinctive elements on their exteriors, for instance, the door handles, roof rails, side skirting, cladding design, bonnet creases and how the nose dips more in the Magnite and more upright in the Kiger. More importantly, the window line on the side is different on both.

We whipped out the measuring tape and found that the Nissan Magnite offers a larger window glass area on the doors. Even the ingress section of the Magnite is more than what you get in the Kiger. Here are the figures for better understanding –

Similar to the exterior, the cabin of both the Magnite and Kiger are poles apart from each other. The similar elements are the panel with buttons for hazard lights and door lock, the three dials for air-con control and the smartphone pad jutting out in the middle which also houses the start/stop button. That’s about all the similarities between the two. The dashboard layout, centre console and instrument cluster on both these sub-four metre SUVs are unique to themselves.

In the Kiger, you get a huge centre console with sliding storage resembling premium cars. Even the handbrake position is different to Magnite’s to accommodate it in the protruding console. This console also accommodates a circular dial for drive modes. Along with it, there’s an ambient lighting button which seems unnecessary. With the absent centre console in the Magnite, one has slightly more moving space for their elbow or knee. There’s a use of less grainy plastic on the centre dash and cloth on the door pads. It’s an all-black cabin here as well but contrast silver inserts on the Magnite’s steering, gearlever, door pads and the dash make a huge difference. On the Kiger, the same effect is achieved by using white coloured A-pillar, piano-black finishes and some hint of chrome.

If you notice carefully, the Kiger’s dashboard is taller and it has thicker A-pillars compared to the Magnite. It’s subjective whether you like a floating display of the Kiger, or an integrated one like on the Magnite, but both are easy to reach and operate.

Moving to the instrument cluster, both have all-digital units and we found them both to be slow to react. The Magnite’s unit has better graphics with more information and feels livelier compared to the Kiger’s display which is dominated by a circular dial and other information thrown in and around it. Also, it automatically resets to the same screen after a few minutes despite changing it to display other information, which is not the case with Magnite’s.

Design aside, the space on the inside of the Kiger and Magnite are evenly matched is what we had assumed. But the Magnite has inched ahead in terms of cabin space although by a small margin. There’s more than ample headroom upfront in both the cars, and even the shoulder room isn’t too tight either. Thanks to the clever use of plastic on the inside, the Magnite has squeezed out more space, especially in terms of cabin width.

Moreover, the Kiger’s centre console feels more of a hinder than convenience and makes the seat space feel snuggish. It prevents you from putting on the seatbelt easily (or quickly). As for the seats, they are large enough and offer the right amount of support. The Magnite’s seat padding is noticeably softer than the Kiger’s seats.

Ergonomically, the controls are easy to reach and even the tactility on them both isn’t half bad. In terms of practicality, there are large door pads to hold a big water bottle. There are two cup holders in the Magnite for front passengers, but none in the Kiger. And sadly, in the Kiger, the space below the phone panel is hard to reach owing to the enclosed access. But there’s a dual glove-box in the Kiger and the sliding storage bin in the centre console is surprisingly large and offers clever space to stow away your knick-knacks.

Moving to second row, the ingress access is larger in the Magnite. Then the Kiger’s rising window line for the rear door hampers the visibility and makes the space appear more confined. The Magnite window line also has a rear-quarter window letting in more light and aiding visibility. Where the Magnite’s door pads have a soft touch (cloth insert) above the armrest, the Kiger gets it (leatherette insert) on the armrest. Lastly, the boot space is an important criterion for a compact crossover. Of the two, the Kiger offers a larger boot space thanks to its deeper bay.

Both the Magnite and Kiger get the same 1.0-litre turbo-petrol motor which is available either with a five-speed manual or a CVT automatic transmission. The Kiger also offers an AMT though which the Magnite doesn’t. And since it’s the same 999cc engine, the power output in both is 99bhp at 5000rpm and 152Nm at 2200rpm. Surprisingly, this powertrain feels quite refined for a three-cylinder. All the unwanted vibrations and noises of three-pot engine are practically absent at idle or low revs. Even when wrung hard it doesn’t make a typical imbalanced whine. Off the line, both the Magnite and Kiger feel eager and peppy. Even the CVT gearbox paired to this engine is smooth shifting with a non-existent rubber band. It feels like this engine was originally designed around the CVT itself and the manual was more like an afterthought.

In the Kiger, there’s a drive mode with three modes – Eco, Normal and Sport. In the Eco, the acceleration and throttle response is subdued to a point where it feels lethargic. On a contrary, the Normal and Sport modes are more enthusiastic and the change in throttle response in both is noticeable like day and night. Over in the Magnite, there’s no dedicated drive mode selector but you do get a separate Sport mode, with a button hidden in the gearstick. When put against the VBox, the Kiger was able to put down better figures. It completed the 20-80kmph sprint in 5.94 seconds and 40-100kmph in fourth in 7.79 seconds. The Magnite, on the other hand, recorded slightly slower times at 6.22 and 8.38 seconds respectively. Even the sprint from standstill to a 100kmph was achieved in Kiger in 10.72 seconds and Magnite did the same in 11.14 seconds. These figures might be fractionally different from each other, but generally, these times are quite quick.

With petrol engines, the fuel economy plays a vital role. Being smaller displacement motors with a turbo, the 1.0-litre motor in both is quite sensitive to fuel efficiency. But more importantly, Kiger’s drive mode which is alters throttle response correspondingly affects the fuel economy figures. Over the same course, at the same time and conditions, the Kiger managed to return a city and highway fuel efficiency of 10.38kmpl and 17.38kmp, respectively. Meanwhile, the Magnite proved to be more frugal with 12.74kmpl in the city and 18.24kmpl on the highway. However, the claimed fuel efficiency figures for the Kiger are slightly higher than that of the Magnite, yet in our tests we achieved higher FEs in the Nissan.

Both the Kiger and Magnite are evenly matched in ride and handling departments. With the tiny dimension, both are easy to drive around the tight confines of the city. Even though the steering response isn’t lightning sharp, it’s predictable and light. Even at highway speeds, it’s also equally receptive. Spending long hours behind the wheel won’t be uncomfortable. As for the ride, both soak up bumps and irregularities quite well. Even over bad or non-existent road surfaces, the pair manages to plod over without complaint. On the flip side, over deep, sharp-edged potholes or road joints, the suspension makes a jolting noise as the damper decompresses. It’s the same in both and sounds like the suspension have taken a bad hit, but it’s just the noise and the suspension is working just fine. Lastly, despite their lightweight – both tipping scales at 1060kg – highway stability is good even when consistently doing triple-digit speeds.

2nd

Renault Kiger RXZ Turbo CVT Dual Tone

Final Score: 381/600

Price: Rs 12.29 lakh, on-road Mumbai

And we thought both are the same cars underneath and should be the same at the end of our 600-point detailed comparison. But the reality is far from it. Although the difference in the overall point score is marginal, it’s a difference nonetheless. And Kiger finished second owing to minor differences in ambience and slightly lesser fuel economy. It’s one up in terms of driving dynamics owing to better acceleration performance but lost some crucial points in in-cabin space and comfort. Even some features (like a 360-degree camera, wireless charger and traction control) and a slightly higher price tag prevented the Renault Kiger from bagging this comparison by a slim margin.

1st

Nissan Magnite XV Premium Turbo CVT Dual Tone

Final Score: 384.5/600

Price: Rs 12.02 lakh, on-road Mumbai

The Nissan Magnite scored better on our point sheet thanks to its in-cabin feel, higher fuel economy, more features on offer and of course pricing. However, it cannot be ignored that Renault’s sales and service network is better than Nissan’s and could turn out to be a decisive factor when you are looking to buy either of the two sub-four metre SUVs we have here. But the Magnite turns out to achieve more of what it set out to do. In its cut-throat segment dominated by many fierce competitors, the Magnite offers a good value proposition and could be a viable buy if you are looking for a small SUV that’s good to drive, is decently decked up with features, is safe, looks handsome and is easier on your pocket as well.

Pictures by Kapil Angane and Kaustubh Gandhi

Keyword: Nissan Magnite Turbo CVT vs Renault Kiger Turbo CVT