Nissan Magnite EZ-Shift drive impressions: Different wine in same bottle
- Nissan Magnite now comes with AMT technology which is paired to its naturally-aspirated motor under the hood.
Nissan Magnite has been a stellar performer for the Japanese brand in India ever since its first launch in December of 2020. It was a make-or-break product for a company that had been otherwise struggling with lacklustre products that were out of tune with what Indian customers desired. The Magnite, however, created a pleasant symphony and how.
Over one lakh Magnite units have been manufactured by Nissan at the Renault-Nissan Automotive plant in Oragadam near Chennai. While demand for the vehicle within India has been respectable, it is also being exported to 15 markets across the world. But putting all proverbial eggs - to be read as ambitions - in a single basket called Magnite may not be such a great idea. With competition hotting up at all times, the road ahead may have new and unique challenges.
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999.0 cc
Petrol
As such, Nissan has decided to introduce a new version of the Magnite, one which now comes with Automatic Manual Transmission or AMT or as Nissan likes to call it - Magnite EZ-Shift. The SUV continues to be offered with manual transmission and CVT gearbox. But while the CVT remains exclusive to the versions with turbo-petrol engine, the AMT will now be available as an option with all of the naturally-aspirated petrol engine variants.
Company officials claim that while the CVT remains a preferred choice, and for obvious reasons, many potential customers of Magnite have been inquiring about AMT. This is what prompted Nissan to bring in the technology to the Magnite ahead of the festive season.
Watch: Nissan Magnite EZ Shift AMT review: Is it better than the CVT?
What's new and what's not
The Magnite EZ-Shift has very little that's new to show off. In fact, apart from a new combo shade of Blue with Black roof and the ‘EZ-shift’ lettering on the back, there is zilch that's unique. Not that that's a bad thing because Magnite remains a decently smart offering, visually speaking. Of course, there is also a new and separate Nissan Kuro Edition that drapes and dips the car in a deep Black shade.
On the inside too, the Magnite EZ Shift will offer the same features that the corresponding variant with manual transmission possess, save for the gearbox obviously.
The biggest highlight though is the transmission and how the engine has been re-tuned to accommodate it. There is a minor bump up in power even if the refinement levels - contrary to Nissan claims - remains a pain point when revving hard. Sure, the Magnite's 1.0-litre motor still has surprisingly decent pull power and the new AMT does a fair job of complimenting it. There's no unnerving lag either. But when pushing the throttle to its near-max limits, the grunt is palpable and seeps generously into the cabin. Great for enthusiasts but not really for others.
Instead, the Magnite remains its enjoyable best when moving around at a genial pace. The new gearbox keeps the right numbers ticking at the right time and now with the promise of slightly better mileage - Nissan claims around 19.80 kms to a litre, the Magnite EZ-Shift could be a good proposition for the budget buyer with aspirations for more convenience.
Nissan Magnite EZ-Shift: To buy or not?
Nissan has rightly underlined the value proposition of the Magnite since the model was first launched. The base variant is at ₹6 lakh (ex-showroom) while Magnite maxes out at ₹11 lakh (ex-showroom) for the top Turbo CVT XV Premium Opt DT variant. As such, the Magnite EZ-Shift is likely to easily shift its way somewhere into this price range. It still isn't quite refined to drive but Magnite AMT is quite sorted in its basic attributes and ought to be high on the list of the price-conscious buyer int he sub-four-meter SUV segment.
