Nissan Magnite compact SUV’s waiting period shoots up to 6 months

Nissan’s only way to come back in the Indian market was their new compact-SUV, Magnite. The new SUV was recently launched and before that only it was able to create a lot of hype around it. There were rumours that it will be offering several first in segment features and will be the cheapest compact-SUV that a person would be able to buy in the Indian market. Nissan threw everything that they can at the Magnite and they ensured that it is able to attract a lot of attention and appeal to new buyers who were looking for a new car in the market.

Fortunately, the hard work of Nissan has paid off. The new Nissan Magnite was able to clock 5,000 bookings in just 5 days. That is a lot of bookings for a manufacturer which is making its comeback. According to Nissan, over 60 percent of customers have opted for the top two variants and 40 percent of customers booked their new compact-SUV online. Rakesh Srivastava, Managing Director of Nissan Motor India, had this to say on success of the Magnite

The All-New Nissan Magnite has received phenomenal response from the Indian consumers. Increasing footfalls and substantial bookings of the all-new Nissan Magnite has strengthened our belief that the “Make in India, Make for the World” SUV will be a game changing product for the discerning Indian customer. With an increased preference for the Top variants, it is evident that customers are looking for a global SUV that is safe, stylish and feature-rich, yet delivering best in class value proposition.

Also read: Nissan Magnite: First TVC shows sub-4 meter compact SUV inside out

Due to this, Magnite’s waiting period has hit 6 months for the base “XE” variant. For the higher variants, the waiting period is more than one month in some cities. Whereas for the XV Premium CVT variant which is the top-end trim, the booking period is around 12 weeks which translates to roughly more than 2.5 months. That is a really good response for a new compact-SUV and indeed Nissan would be overwhelmed by this.

The biggest reason behind this success is the very aggressive pricing strategy that Nissan has used. The Magnite starts from just Rs. 4.99 lakhs ex-showroom. Not only does Magnite undercuts every other rival in its segment. It also undercuts hatchback like Maruti Suzuki Swift, best selling compact-sedan Maruti Suzuki Dzire and many other cars also. Even the top-end variant of the Nissan Magnite is priced at Rs. 9.97 lakhs ex-showroom. This price is still undercutting other compact-SUVs. Recently launched Kia Sonet will set you back almost Rs. 13 lakhs ex-showroom for the top-end variant, and even the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza costs Rs. 11.40 lakhs ex-showroom for the top trim. So, it makes sense that a new buyer who was in the market for a budget hatchback or a compact-sedan will definitely upgrade to a compact-SUV. Also, the strong trend of SUVs in the world has also helped. Everyone in our day and age wants a SUV in their garage.

Nissan Magnite is offered with two engine options. There is a 1.0-litre petrol engine that produces 72 PS of max power and peak torque of 96 Nm. It comes mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. Nissan is also offering an all-new 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine. This engine produces a max power output of 100 PS of max power and a peak torque output of 160 Nm. It comes mated to a 5-speed manual transmission.

Although a CVT automatic gearbox is also available for people who want the added convenience that an automatic gearbox offers in bumper to bumper traffic. However, with the CVT gearbox, the torque output is limited to 152 Nm. The naturally aspirated petrol engine produces 18.75 km/l as per ARAI while the 1.0-litre turbo petrol returns 20 km/l with the manual gearbox. If you opt for the CVT, the ARAI fuel efficiency is reduced to 17.7 km/l.

Also read: Most affordable Kia Sonet HTE variant explored on Video