Now that the Nissan Magnite made its official global debut, that too in India - it brings more competition to the overcrowded subcompact SUV segment. But what's the most fascinating thing about the Magnite is the technology it brings to the fore - it offers a bunch of features that are unique. Even in terms of size and creature comforts - the Magnite is quite impressive. The car is expected to be priced between Rs 6.5 lakhs and Rs 8.5 lakhs which could make it the segment's affordability champion, making the unique features even more endearing.
Android Auto and CarPlay is wireless
The Magnite is notable for being the first car of its kind in India to offer a wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay experience. This is transformative as it brings a level of convenience that was never seen before in cars of its class - actually often in vehicles that were priced much higher. Now on the Nissan Magnite, this happens via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on the car. What makes this delightful is the fact that the core Nissan interface doesn't have a lot going on. It is an exercise in minimalism which means you will one way or the other end up using Android Auto or CarPlay depending on the type of phone you're using.
It has a very cool futuristic looking digital display AVM or Around View Monitor is a fancy name for 360-degree spatial awareness thanks to cameras being on all four sides of the car. It is also a first for the segment which lights up on the 8-inch primary display. While the feature is novel, the stitched 360-degree view of the Magnite is a mess thanks to the low resolution of the cameras and the cramped split-screen view on the 8-inch screen. Still handy regardless once you get used to it. You can also adjust the brightness and sensitivity of the cameras as well, but there is no getting around the resolution. This feature comes in handy for parallel parking - in fact, they have a dedicated mode for it as well.
The Magnite gets twin screens which are quite big. One is a 7-inch TFT panel which encases the digital speedometer, trip computer, tyre pressure system, eco-driving computer etc. It is bold and slick making the dashboard look uber cool. The other is a more standard 8-inch capacitive touch panel in the central console through which you can see the camera view or run music or access Android Auto and CarPlay. It will even show the changes in the climate control system. This is a decent screen in terms of size and colours, but it is not the most responsive one. For a feature like Around View Monitor, it also feels a wee bit cramped.
Even though the cabin is simple and functional it packs quite a few interesting features
While we don't recommend you to be talking on the phone and driving, Nissan has added a dedicated loudspeaker and microphone for crystal clear calls so that you don't have even the slightest urge to reach out for your phone. We'd wager, if work from home gets too much, maybe if you have good enough connectivity, you can do some slick zoom calls sitting inside the Magnite, with, of course, the ignition turned off.
The standard Magnite comes with a six-speaker sound system which can get quite boomy on the bass which would enthral EDM lovers - but Nissan plans to go beyond the standard. It has a "Tech Pack" which will add "premium" JBL speakers - still a 6 speaker setup, but we are hoping that will have a more nuanced and balanced sonic signature. In addition to this, the tech pack adds wireless charging on the front which will be handy given that it even has wireless Android Auto and CarPlay and an air purifier.
