- Nissan Magnite
- Powertrain and performance
- Standard equipment
- Price and value proposition
- The competition
- Renault Kiger
- Toyota Urban Cruiser
- Facts and figures:
The budget compact crossover segment continues to gain momentum within the local market and the Nissan Magnite has been one of the products spearheading the challenge along with the Renault Kiger and Toyota's Urban Cruiser. Which one would we choose, though?
Compact crossovers are slowly overtaking the humble hatchback as the vehicle of choice for consumers in the crucial R250 000-R400 000 price bracket locally. The Nissan Magnite finds itself in a tough segment then, but it has the styling, efficiency and price point to make it worthy of consideration. The Renault Kiger and the Toyota Urban Cruiser are both popular options and are available at the same price point, so we will be comparing the Nissan with these key rivals to determine which is best.
Nissan Magnite
Powertrain and performance
Powering the Magnite is a 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine that produces 74kW and 152Nm of torque. The engine is paired with a CVT gearbox that sends power to the front wheels, allowing for a 0-100km/h time of 13.4 seconds and a claimed fuel consumption figure of 6.0 L/100km.
Standard equipment
The Magnite, in Acenta guise, gets 16-inch alloy wheels, 2 airbags, outer rear ISOFIX child seat anchor points, airconditioning, a multifunction steering wheel, a colour screen infotainment system with Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality, multiple USB ports, front and rear electric windows, keyless entry/start, front and rear electric windows, cruise control, traction and stability control, cloth-covered seats, cruise control, LED headlights, rear PDC with a reverse camera and silver roof rails.
Safety
The Magnite was crash tested by the ASEAN NCAP in 2020, achieving a 5-Star rating.
Practicality
The Magnite boasts a 336-litre boot and an impressive 205mm of ground clearance, making it more practical than a similarly-sized hatchback.
Price and value proposition
The Nissan is the most affordable of the trio, and comes with a solid set of standard features, making it good value versus key rivals.
The competition
Renault Kiger
The Kiger shares its 1.0-litre, three-cylinder turbocharged engine with the Magnite, meaning that it too produces 74kW, but has more torque at 160Nm. It also has a CVT that sends power to the front wheels, meaning similar accelerative performance, but a lower claimed fuel consumption figure of 5.4 L/100km.
The Renault is similarly specified to the Nissan, but gets 4 airbags but lacks stability control and cruise control. On the safety front, the Kiger was evaluated by Global NCAP, where it received a 4-Star rating.
The Kiger is very similar to the Magnite in terms of dimensions but offers a bigger boot at 405-litres and the same 205mm of ground clearance. From a value perspective, the Renault is only R2 499 more expensive, making it negligibly more expensive and therefore also good value amongst the trio.
Toyota Urban Cruiser
The Toyota features a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine that produces 77kW and 138Nm of torque and is paired with a 4-speed automatic gearbox that sends power to the front wheels. The Urban Cruiser will from 0-100km/h in around 11.8 seconds and will sip fuel at a claimed rate of 6.2 L/100km.
In the specification department, the Urban Cruiser is nearly identical to the Magnite but loses out on cruise control. The Toyota was crash-tested by Global NCAP, where it achieved a 4-Star rating. Looking at the Toyota from a value perspective, it is the priciest, but only by a small margin, however, it has the smallest boot among the three but does offer an official braked towing capacity of 1 100kg.
Facts and figures:
* Manufacturer’s claimed figures.
Pricing was all-inclusive at the time of writing but may change without prior notice.
Verdict
Having looked at the figures, we would be confident recommending any of these models to prospective buyers, however, there can only be one winner, and that is the Nissan Magnite on account of its solid performance across the board.
Sean NurseWith a lifelong passion for cars, bikes, and motorsport, Sean knew that attaining a degree in journalism would allow him to pursue his passion, which was to be a motoring journalist. After graduating in 2012, Sean was awarded a bursary from the SAGMJ which allowed him to work for a variety of motoring publications. This was a dream come true for Sean, and after a year of gaining vital industry experience, he was hired as a motoring journalist at a local newspaper and worked his way up to editor. In 2020, Sean joined the AutoTrader team and counts himself lucky to wake up and genuinely love what he does for a living.View News & Reviews
Keyword: Nissan Magnite vs Renault Kiger vs Toyota Urban Cruiser: Here's our winner