JOHANNESBURG - Nissan has pulled the covers off a brand new compact SUV called the Magnite, and it’s set to be launched in South Africa in early 2021.
Built in India for world markets, the Magnite measures less than four metres in length and boasts a sporty design that’s likely to find favour among compact SUV customers. Although it’s available in front-wheel drive guise only, the little Nissan does boast a 205mm ground clearance, which is among the best in class.
The Magnite is powered by a 1-litre turbopetrol engine, which can be paired with either a five-speed manual or X-Tronic CVT gearbox. No output figures have been mentioned as yet, but we’d hazard a guess of around 74kW based on other similarly endowed Nissan products.
Moving inside, Nissan claims its new baby offers best-in-class rear knee room as well as the best ‘couple distance’ in its segment, and in case you were wondering, that’s the distance between shoulders in the front row. The boot space is quite competitive too, with Nissan claiming a 336 litre volume.
What’s the tech like?
But these days it’s the technology that sells, and to that end the Magnite offers a six-speaker, 20.3cm touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. The Magnite is also available with Nissan’s Around View Monitor parking assistance system as well as a ‘tech pack’ that offers wireless phone charging, mood lighting, puddle lamps, air purifier and JBL premium speakers by Harman.
“The all-new Nissan Magnite plays a vital role in our Nissan NEXT strategy and represents Nissan’s undeniable commitment to the South African and Sub-Saharan markets to be a customer-centric organisation,” said Nissan Africa marketing director Kabelo Rabotho.
“We are very excited to welcome the Nissan Magnite as it reiterates our brand philosophy of keeping customers at the heart of everything we do to deliver exciting products for enriching experiences”.
South African pricing and specification levels will be announced closer to launch.