Nissan Magnite CVT Review: A better car than Tata Punch

Magnite is the car which turned the tables for Nissan India. The car which was launched in December 2020 amidst a crisis like pandemic clearly marked Nissan’s bold belief in the product. We have already talked so much good about this product in our previous review of Nissan Magnite (which we tested in Mahabalipuram as a part of first drive). So why are we doing the review once again? Well, to test out how Magnite compares with current day compact SUV cars like Tata Punch and the likes.

For a very detailed review of Magnite, we suggest you to head on to our original Magnite review which we posted in December 2020.

This review mostly focuses on ease of driving, connectivity features under urban conditions. Soon after I tested and reviewed the Tata Punch compact SUV I felt there are some missing features even in the top variant of this car like Wireless Android Auto, Bird’s view camera, Hill-start/hold assist etc. Fortunately, Nissan was kind enough to offer me Magnite CVT for review once again, this time I was able to test it in my hometown Bengaluru. There is no better place than home, there is no better car than Magnite? – Well we tell you why in a bit. Although Punch has all successful ingredients in its product and comes with a NCAP safety rating of 5-stars and tries to emulate like a mini-Harrier and is priced decently, i think there are some critical and must-have features that are missing in top trims of Punch.

Where as the car which I am focussing right now, the Nissan Magnite CVT feels complete and more comprehensive for the price you pay. These are some reasons for Stress-free driving experience

Around View Monitor / Better Parking Assistance

The Magnite gets a dedicated Camera button which is super useful for monitoring the surroundings around you when you are juggling in a tight spot. Why is this a point of concern? A typical prospective Indian car buyer in this price point looks for convenience in challenging conditions – the last thing he wants after a good drive is brushing his car against walls while parking, resulting in dents and scratches. The best thing about Nissan Magnite is the top trim offers something called Around View Monitor which is a first in class feature that gives a bird’s eye view to the driver sitting inside the car. This is an extremely important feature which most Indian cars at this price point lags. The camera button allows you to toggle between rear view, bird’s eye view and RH camera for eased parallel, perpendicular parking and front camera for taking out from tight spots.

During our testing, we felt Nissan Magnite hands down works so flawlessly in parking assistance department – that’s what you expect from a car which you paid extra for choosing the Top variant. Tata Punch clearly offers a very dated parking assistance technology when compared to Magnite.

Wireless Android Auto / Apple Car Play

In 2022. how can you expect someone to carry a USB cable along and plugin it in to access most basic feature like Navigation/Maps function? That is Tata Punch for you! In the case of Nissan Magnite, there is wireless Android Auto connectivity, once paired it auto recognises your device whenever you get to your driver’s seat. The 8-inch touch screen infotainment system offered in Nissan Magnite is well tilted towards driver and offers better view-ability and user experience and instantly presents you an option to drive to your destination on Maps served over wireless Android Auto. There is also Wireless charging facility offered in Nissan Magnite to charge your supported phone on the go without even thinking about the wires. Tata Punch misses on this.

Hill Start Assist

The Nissan Magnite is high on active safety features. The Hill start assist is one more convenience feature for you offered in top trim of Magnite compact SUV that clearly elevates your driving experience. Your everyday commute may not be a flat surface between Point A to Point B, there are steep narrow roads, unpaved surfaces, fly-overs and what not. The Hill start assist, helps your car stick to the ground even in inclined surfaces and expects no intervention from you. The feature allows you to start the car on inclination without you needing to worry about car rolling backwards. That is an excellent feature which I would pay money for. The Tata Punch, once again misses on offering driver friendly features like this even in top variants. The creep mode in Punch is great but works only on flat surfaces.

CVT Gearbox

Nissan Magnite’s powerful 100 bhp engine is mated to a X-Tronic CVT transmission. The Magnite offers superior driving experience and also is a very fuel efficient option. The Tata Punch doesnt offer fully automatic option, instead offers AMT gearbox which is not as flawless as Magnite’s CVT. However, Tata Punch offers a feature where one can manually switch between gears by toggling (+/-), helps in quick overtaking (for sudden acceleration etc). The Nissan Magnite has Sports mode mounted on the gear stick, which one could make use of when there is a need for instant power.