KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- The Magnite facelift was launched in late 2024.
- We loaded up the Magnite with five people and luggage.
- The Magnite we tested was in the top Tekna+ CVT trim.
- Feels more refined some other cars in the same price range.
The Nissan Magnite has been around for quite a long time, and while it received a facelift recently, the changes are in more terms of the value proposition, feature additions, and the interior experience, while retaining the same core design and mechanicals. We drove the updated Magnite a while back, but it was now time to see how it truly fares in the real world.
Hence, that is just what we did. We tested the Magnite in our way, by loading it up with five people and their luggage, while driving it on our proving grounds in Delhi-NCR. However, first make sure to join the 91wheels WhatsApp Community to keep up with the latest updates and automotive news.
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Nissan Magnite Five People Review; The Plan
The plan was to fill up the boot with all of our luggage. The 336-litre boot of the Magnite swallowed in our tripod stand, two shoulder bags, two night strollers, a carton box, a full-size suitcase, and a small kit bag. But wait, there's more.
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By folding down the split seats of the Magnite, the boot space increases further upto 690 litres, which meant there was enough space for myself, Prashant, and Lakshya to fit in. Of course, most buyers won't necessarily be carrying people by folding the seats down, right? Right?!
Getting In The Nissan Magnite
The usual drill takes place here, with Bunny Sir in the driver's seat at just over 6 feet, Shipranshu at 5'10", Lakshya at 5'8", and Prashant and myself at 5'6". In case you haven't noticed, we are doing this test with five people on board, and not just four, plus our usual luggage that we have mentioned above.
The Experience
Now this is where I was in for a surprise. Having driven the previous Magnite back in 2022, I had forgotten that this is an actual, genuinely comfortable car. It seats five people without feeling too cramped. With Bunny Sir and Shipranshu at the front, the three of us rear still had enough space. Visibility is also really good, thanks to the low window-line and the large glass house. The rear bench, and even the front seats feel plusher and softer than, say something like an Amaze, which feels tighter in terms of shoulder room and also has much harder seats. Here, however, the Magnite clearly feels like the more spacious and comfortable car, even with three people in the rear.
The suspension continues to be tuned towards comfort, taking care of speed breakers and potholes with no difficulty at all. Even with a full load, the Magnite showed no signs of bottoming out, and its plush suspension ensured things remain comfortable in the cabin. The Magnite also stays rather firm and planted at highway speeds, especially when making lane changes, while overtaking traffic, and against crosswinds as well. However, the soft suspension also makes sure that it will feel out of place while navigating tight twisties.
The steering wheel is small and is lightweight, which will be appreciated by most buyers. The CVT backs up the turbo-petrol engine nicely and we did not have to try too hard when lugging around with a full load in traffic. The engine is responsive and Nissan has done a good job of calibrating the CVT gearbox, resulting in a car with great mix of mid-range performance and convenience. At the same time, NVH and refinement levels have gone up as well; the cabin remains fairly silent, and there isn't a lot of road noise to be heard. In fact, you will not really hear a lot of engine noise either, unless you're really driving pedal to the metal, which it isn't meant to do anyway.
One thing that has changed drastically is the cabin experience. The cabin of the earlier Magnite simply felt too old and dated, even though it was comfortable. That has changed with the new Magnite, as it makes use of premium upholstery and high-quality, soft-touch materials in the dashboard, seats, and the doorpads.
Given that we tested the car during daylight, we could not really check out how the 4-colour ambient lighting really works. However, there were certain areas on the dashboard with uneven colour matching. The instrument cluster has also been updated with a new a 7-inch unit, along with a larger 9-inch infotainment touch cluster, both of which look and feel more premium than the units they replace.
Verdict
While the facelifted Magnite remains the same mechanically, Nissan has worked on improving the interiors and the cabin experience of the car, making things look and feel more premium than before. Even if it lacks a sunroof, the Magnite feels spacious and comfortable for five people and luggage on-board.
With two great powertrain options, improved interiors, and some new feature additions, there is no doubt that the Magnite will be a great option for people graduating from their older, smaller cars.
