Nissan Magnite 1.0 AMT launch soon

Nissan India will soon add another option to the Magnite SUV's powertrain line-up – an automated manual transmission (AMT) – that'll be offered with the 1.0-litre naturally aspirated engine. The price announcement for the 1.0-litre AMT variant is expected in the coming weeks, and it will be a more affordable option for customers looking for a Magnite with an automatic gearbox. 

1. Magnite AMT will come with a 1.0-litre NA petrol
2. Magnite Black Edition expected to join the line-up too 
3. Will go on sale in the coming months

Nissan Magnite to have four powertrain options

The Magnite went on sale in December 2020 and is currently the only model in Nissan India's portfolio. Since launch, however, Nissan had not provided an AMT on the SUV, and the only available automatic was the CVT mated to the more powerful 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine. Interestingly, its sister SUV, the Renault Kiger, which is also built on the same assembly line, has offered the AMT with 1.0-litre naturally aspirated engine right from launch in February 2021.

The 1.0-litre petrol on the Magnite only gets a manual gearbox currently, and the addition of the AMT will bring down the entry price for automatic gearbox-equipped Magnite variants. With this, the Magnite will then have four powertrain options in India.  

Nissan Magnite Black Edition in the pipeline

Additionally, Nissan will also introduce a Magnite Black Edition soon, which, as the name suggests, will have blacked-out accents, and an all-black exterior and interior colour scheme. As far as features go, barring a sunroof, the Magnite already has a decent features list, including an 8-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and even a 360-degree camera among others.

Sources tell us that the Magnite Black Edition will be based on the top trim and will likely be available with both manual as well as automatic gearbox options. 

Nissan Magnite rivals 

The Magnite is positioned at the lower end of the compact SUV segment, which means it directly rivals the Renault Kiger, and also takes on the likes of the higher variants of sub-compact SUVs like the Tata Punch, Hyundai Exter and Citroen C3. On the other end of the price range, it has a long list of rivals starting from the recently updated Tata Nexon, Mahindra XUV300, Maruti Suzuki Brezza, Hyundai Venue, Maruti Suzuki Fronx and the Kia Sonet.