Introduction

The battle of the compact SUVs in India is getting all the more heated up with different manufacturers presenting a mix of new vehicles. Now, we have a long list, namely, Maruti Suzuki Brezza, Ford EcoSport, Tata Nexon, Hyundai Venue, Kia Sonet, Toyota Urban Cruiser, Mahindra XUV300, and for that matter even the Honda WR-V. But more interestingly, Renault-Nissan's alliance has brought in two more contenders and at a very competitive price.

Yes, we are talking about the Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger, which are the most affordable SUVs amongst its rivals. And despite being priced lower, they are packed with a lot of equipment and are available in a choice of petrol engines and different transmission options. Since they are based on the same CMF-A+ platform and are in a neck and neck race, we tested the 1.0-litre turbo-petrol versions equipped with a manual gearbox to give you an idea about their on-road performance.

Acceleration

0-60kmph

0-100kmph

Earlier, we had told you about the Nissan Magnite's performance, so you might not be surprised to know it has a brisk performance. The 99bhp 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged engine has managed to induce all that pep required to quickly get off the mark. Still for the uninitiated, the Magnite had turned out to be the fastest in the segment to clock the 0-100kmph sprint in 10.28 seconds. So has the Kiger managed to beat that?

Before we get to that, let's get to the 0-60kmph acceleration times, which the Magnite completed in 4.23 seconds, while the Kiger in 4.31 seconds. Oh, it seems the new Renault's kid might lose out then! But, no, it didn’t. With a sprint time of 10.20 seconds, the Kiger has managed to grab the throne of the fastest compact SUV from the Magnite.

Roll-on tests

20-80kmph in third gear

40-100kmph in fourth gear

Now, sprinting from a standstill and going ahead of traffic sounds fun, and is nice enough for an ego boost indeed. However, when it comes to everyday usability, what matters is drivability and our in-gear acceleration tests determine that exactly. Both cars with this 999cc engine churning out 160Nm of torque might look meagre on paper, but are adequate enough to push these light weight SUVs weighing just about a ton.

The Kiger posted a time of 11.24 seconds to complete the 20-80kmph run, while the Magnite took 11.08 seconds to achieve the same feat. While these figures hint at the city drivability, the high performance is determined from the 40-100kmph sprint in fourth gear. The Renault took 15.47 seconds this time and the Nissan 15.32 seconds, again showing to be a tad fast in the roll-on times. Not bad times for both cars anyway.

Conclusion

Now, looking at the figures you know why we said a 'neck and neck' competition as the Renault-Nissan alliance has indeed brought in very competitive products. Prospective buyers will have to explore all the other features, examine the quality in person, and consider many other factors before making that buying decision. We shall soon do a complete comparison road test covering all these parameters. Till then, stay tuned.

Pictures by: Kapil Angane and Kaustubh Gandhi