Earlier this year, Nissan revealed the Magnite Concept, but now the Japanese brandhas officiallyrevealed the production Magnite SUV.

Nissan is on the road to transformation with its Nissan Next strategy and the brand is focussing on its core competencies which include crossovers, SUVs and Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs). Apart fromunveiling the new Ariya electric crossoverearlier this year,Nissan also revealed an all-new logo that marks the start of the brand’s new journey into the future.

Nissan also revealed its new small SUV concept called the Magnite which previewedthe production Magnite which you see here and is expected to go on sale in India in early 2021 and will take on rivals in the B-segment such as the Ford EcoSport and Hyundai Venue.

It’s no surprise that the grille has a Datsun look to it, as this SUV was actually meant to wear the Datsun badge but it now instead wears a Nissan badge. You might be wondering why this is the case and it makes sense if you consider that Datsun is being scaled-down globally and instead of scrapping the project entirely, it has now been allocated to Nissan.

“The Nissan Magnite is an evolutionary leap in Nissan’s global SUV DNA. With cutting-edge technology onboard, it will be a game-changer in its segment. A bold offering in the sub-four-meter category, we are confident that Nissan Magnite will redefine the B-SUV segment for the industry,” said Rakesh Srivastava, Managing Director, Nissan Motor India.

The Magnite features sleek, full LED headlights as well as L-shaped daytime running lights. The Magnite also wears the new Nissan logo.Also note the rugged plastic cladding around the wheel arches and side skirts which implies that this new model will be able to cope with some gravel travel which is common in India and indeed South Africa too (more on local availability below).

A large 8.0-inch touchscreen has reduced the need for physical buttons. Do you like the look of this?

As for the interior, the overall design is very minimalist with very few buttons present as a resultof an 8-inch horizontal infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is fitted and also provides access to other key vehicle information.A first-in-class7-inch thin-film-transistor instrument cluster is also fitted. Other key features include a wireless phone charger, JBL sound system and a 360-degree camera.

As for what powers the Magnite, Nissan has confirmed that its new SUV will be fitted with an all-new 1.0-litre turbopetrolengine that's claimed to be "one of the most powerful in its class", but Nissan, however, has not yet divulged official outputs but we suspect outputs of either 74 kW and 160 Nm or 86 kW and 170 Nm. This new engine will be mated witha 5-speed manual or a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT).

Is the Nissan Magnite coming toSA?

Yes! Nissan has confirmed that the new Magnite will be launched in South Africa in early 2021!

In a recent virtual roundtable conference, Nissan South Africa's marketing director, Kabelo Rabotho, confirmed that the brand is looking at introducing 2 new compact crossover/SUV products as well as potentially introducing the Navara-based Terra SUV on local soil.

Crossovers and SUVs have become very popular in recent years and if Nissan can price the Magnite competitively, it could very well become one of the brand’s most popular models in South Africa.

We will keep you updated as soon as local pricing and spcification becomes available.

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