Among the many competitors in the compact SUV space, the Nissan Magnite and Toyota Taisor (and its badge-engineered sibling, the Maruti Fronx) are natural rivals. Both sub-four-metre SUVs weigh just above a tonne, and are powered by a 100hp, 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. We put them through our instrumented performance test to see which turbocharged compact SUV provides more performance.
Nissan Magnite vs Toyota Taisor Turbo price and specifications
Magnite has more torque and weighs less than the Taisor.
Nissan Magnite vs Toyota Taisor Turbo price and specs Magnite Taisor Engine type 3 cyl, turbo-petrol 3 cyl, turbo-petrol Displacement (cc) 999 998 Power (hp) 100 100 Torque (Nm) 160 148 Manual transmission 5-speed 5-speed Kerb weight (kg) 1013 1015-1030 Power-to-weight (hp/tonne) 98.72 97.09-98.52 Torque-to-weight (Nm/tonne) 157.95 143.69-145.81 ARAI efficiency (kpl) 19.9 21.18 Price range (Rs, lakh) 9.38-10.54 10.56-11.48
On paper, Nissan’s compact SUV has a marginal advantage compared to the Toyota. The Magnite weighs up to 17kg less than the Taisor, and Nissan's 1.0-litre engine puts out 12Nm more. This also results in the Taisor falling behind on power-to-weight (by up to 1.63hp/tonne) and torque-to-weight (by up to 14.26Nm/tonne) ratios. It should be noted that the Magnite's starting price is over Rs 1 lakh lower than the Taisor’s.
Nissan Magnite vs Toyota Taisor Turbo 0-100kph times
Taisor 0-100kph is 1.01 seconds quicker than the Magnite Turbo-MT.
| Nissan Magnite vs Toyota Taisor Turbo 0-100kph acceleration (seconds) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Speed (kph) | Magnite | Taisor |
| 20 | 1.10 | 1.11 |
| 40 | 2.58 | 2.25 |
| 60 | 4.70 | 4.44 |
| 80 | 7.24 | 6.97 |
| 100 | 11.19 | 10.18 |
Our 0-100kph tests saw the Magnite take a marginal lead until 20kph, but the Taisor steadily increases the lead thereon to just over a second by the time both compact SUVs reach 100kph.
Nissan Magnite vs Toyota Taisor Turbo in-gear acceleration
Taisor Turbo-MT's in-gear acceleration times are far quicker than the Magnite.
| Nissan Magnite vs Toyota Taisor Turbo in-gear acceleration (seconds) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Speed (kph) | Magnite | Taisor |
| 20-80 (in 3rd gear) | 12.82 | 9.36 |
| 40-100 (in 4th gear) | 21.37 | 12.36 |
Our rolling acceleration tests showed the Taisor pull far ahead of the Magnite. The Toyota compact SUV recorded 20-80kph (in 3rd gear) and 40-100kph (in 4th gear) times that were 3.46 seconds and a whopping 9.01 seconds quicker, respectively, than Nissan's sub-4-metre SUV. This would indicate that the Magnite's gearing is longer than the Taisor's, and that the Toyota SUV's 1.0-litre engine has minimal turbo lag at low revs compared to Nissan's unit.
Nissan Magnite vs Toyota Taisor Turbo braking tests
Magnite outbrakes the Taisor by a 1.01m margin.
| Nissan Magnite vs Toyota Taisor Turbo braking test results | ||
|---|---|---|
| Magnite | Taisor | |
| 80-0kph distance (m) | 24.97 | 25.98 |
| 80-kph time (seconds) | 2.26 | 2.27 |
The Magnite performed better than the Taisor in our braking tests, despite both getting a disc (front) and drum (rear) setup. While the time taken to come to a halt from 80kph is nearly the same for both, the Magnite takes 1.01m less to come to a standstill. This could be due to the Magnite's lower kerb weight.
Autocar India’s testing standards
Before we conduct our performance tests, we check and maintain tyre pressures based on the manufacturer’s recommendation and ensure the car has a full tank of fuel. The car is then tested in a controlled environment with two people on board, and the data is collected via highly accurate GPS-based timing equipment.
