A heavily revised Nissan Magnite has just been added to the local market. We were invited to the national launch to learn more.

Product lead times in the automotive space are pretty long, many years in advance. So when a company such as Nissan pulls the plug on reviving an old name, there’s an orphan or two left in the cold. Not to worry when you have several brands under your umbrella. Just slap another badge on it and send it on its way. That’s exactly what happened with the Nissan Magnite.

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Nissan’s experiment with Datsun’s resurrection failed. But there was a product in the pipeline, all designed, prepped and ready to do. Instead of leaving the small crossover to collect dust on a shelf, the company took the decision to stick a Nissan badge on it. Lo and behold, the world was introduced to the Magnite. The initial product seemed to do well. It regularly features in the top three of the sales charts within its segment. However, people were expecting Nissan levels of quality from a product that was designed for budget friendly Datsun. The compla… feedback came in from owners and Nissan took it to heart, thus creating the heavily revised Nissan Magnite.

New Appearance

The most obvious change to the newer version is a resculpted frontal aspect where the grille has been exaggerated somewhat, stretched wider to make contact with the headlamps. Nissan has also taken the opportunity to ditch the halogen headlamps in favour of more modern-looking LEDs. The lower section of the bumper has also been revised, with a more off-roady-looking faux bash plate. Designers have adopted a set of 16-inch dual-tone alloys for derivatives higher up the range. There are smaller design changes at the rear, not so much that most people will really notice.

Under-the-Skin

More interestingly, is that Nissan has affected a number of changes under-the-skin, which is unusual for a midlife ‘facelift’. These include the introduction of high-grade steel on some parts of the monocoque. This is a clear indication of the differentiation between the (budget) Datsun and (premium) Nissan brands. There is also more sound deadening, as well as several other measures that improve occupant comfort. These include newly designed seats and seat fabric that maintain a lower surface temp when exposed to direct sunlight, pretty handy in the harsh African sun. In addition, six air airbags is now standard on every single derivative. Speaking of…

Multiple Derivatives

There are three trim levels: Visia, Acenta and Acenta Plus. As standard, Magnite owners can expect automatic air conditioning, electric windows all around, rear parking sensors, central locking, and a tyre pressure monitoring system. The standard specification list increases as you step up to Acenta, which adds, among others, an eight-inch touchcreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as keyless start. The top-spec Acenta Plus has two-tone faux-leather upholstery, a 360-degree camera view and zooty ambient lighting in the cabin.

Single Engine

New owners can choose between two engines and three transmission options, depending on their budget. Both engines have three cylinders and displace 1,0-litre. The lower-power version is naturally aspirated. It develops a peak of 53 kW along with 96 N.m of torque. This engine is offered with a five-speed manual or an automated manual transmission (AMT). The ‘other’  engine is fitted with a turbocharger. As a result it develops a healthier 74 kW and 152 N.m of torque. Buyers opting for this powerplant get to choose between five-speed manual and a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

Summary

We had a brief drive of an Acenta turbo in manual guise during the national introduction of the Magnite. The route and activities were pretty in keeping with what a typical Magnite would do. As a result we stayed within the confines of the Mother City and surrounds. We may have preferred a car with an automatic transmission, but the manual version allowed us full control of cog-swapping duties. During one stint we were four-up and had to deal with a hilly section of road, which led to some rowing of the gearbox. This leads us to believe the non-turbo version is probably best avoided. Having said that, the latest iteration of the (relatively) new Nissan Magnite has brought it up to spec alongside key competitor and it should continue to sell well in the segment.

Pricing

Revised Nissan Magnite 1.0

Visia (MT)                  R246 200
Acenta (MT)              R277 300
Visia (AMT)               R263 200
Acenta (AMT)            R294 400
Acenta Plus (AMT)    R323 900

Revised Nissan Magnite Turbo

Visia (MT)                R309 700
Acenta (MT)              R340 100
Acenta (CVT)             R370 500
Acenta Plus (CVT)     R410 700