Nissan’s new compact SUV now in South Africa – Magnite pricing and details

Nissan has announced that the Magnite compact SUV is now available in South Africa.

“True to Nissan’s global SUV DNA of advanced technology, the Nissan Magnite comes with numerous first-in-class and best-in-segment features that will provide customers with a differentiated, innovative, and accessible experience,” said the company.

The B-segment SUV gets a large grille flanked by chrome embellishments, and the front sees the addition of lightsaber-style turn signals with L-shaped LED daytime running lights.

The crossover personality comes out with the SUV’s high ground clearance (205mm), skid plates, and side claddings – and the nature of its shape allows up to 336kg of cargo to be stored in the boot.

It sits on 16-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels huddled under square wheel arches, and functional roof rails will support an additional 50kg of load.

The body is built on a high-strength, impact-absorbing structure and houses several safety systems as standard.

This includes ABS, electronic brake force distribution, hydraulic brake assist, vehicle dynamics control, traction control, hill start assist, and dual airbags.

Features

The impressive standard specifications list continues in the interior of the Magnite, where the cabin has been designed to provide a “high command eye position” and offer best-in-class knee and shoulder room.

Fabric seats with an angular pattern give off a stylish atmosphere, and behind the multifunction steering wheel sits a 7-inch TFT digital instrument cluster.

Headlining the dash is an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system that supports smartphone mirroring.

Six speakers are placed throughout the cabin that provides the audio experience, and a “carefully placed” microphone and speaker improves connectivity.

It is also fitted with an around-view-monitor that displays a bird’s eye view of the cars surroundings on the infotainment screen, as well as Nissan Connect compatibility as standard.

Nissan Connect, according to the company, will let you connect your phone to the SUV’s integrated infotainment system in order to access features such as audio, navigation, hands-free calling, and “a collection of popular smartphone apps”.

Power

Powering the compact SUV is a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder, turbo-petrol engine across the range – which produces 74kW and 160Nm of torque.

One of two transmissions can then be selected, consisting of a 5-speed manual gearbox or the X-Tronic CVT transmission.

Claimed combined fuel consumption for the range is rated at 5.0l/100km, and a top speed of 173km/h is on the books.

The vehicle stands at 3,994mm long, 1,758mm wide, and 1,572mm high – and weighs in at a kerb weight of 1,014kg.

Despite the lightweight body and compact dimensions, the fastest Magnite can only reach 100km/h in 11.7 seconds while the CVT version reaches the milestone in 13.4 seconds.