Nissan mulling 7-seat Nissan Magnite SUV

In the January issue of the Autocar India magazine, we reported that Nissan was keen to have its own small seven-seater based on the Triber, but the conundrum was whether to do a simple badge swap on the Triber or a completely different top hat. Given the little success the two have seen with badge swaps, a completely different product was what Nissan was leaning towards, but development costs were an issue for a company yet to establish big volumes.

• Three-row Magnite in the works
• Will not get any structural or design changes
• Third row expected to be a tight-fit for passengers

It appears though that Nissan have settled for an interesting middle ground and are expected to develop a seven seat version of the Magnite SUV. Kia recently introduced a similar set-up in the Sonet, which it makes in India and exports to Indonesia, and the seven seat Magnite is likely to be driven by this export potential too.

While the idea of accommodating a third-row in a sub-four-metre SUV seems innovative, the seven-seater Sonet is very cramped for adults, and that’s likely to be the story with the three-row Magnite as well. Our sources tell us that the three-row Nissan Magnite will not see any change to its body style and will have a bench seat installed in the Magnite’s cargo area, while the second row will be modified with split fold to facilitate access to the third row. The second row will also likely have a sliding mechanism to alter available legroom in both rows, and the third row would fold down to aid luggage space.

Thus, it’s likely to be a tight fit all around, and would not appeal to those looking for a lot of space. However, the advantage for Nissan is that it can have a differentiated product from the Triber for far smaller an investment. What could also help the seven seat Magnite’s case is the Magnite brand name itself. Since its launch in December 2020, the Magnite has been instrumental in bringing customers back to Nissan showrooms, while seeing a steady rise in bookings each month thanks to its aggressive starting price of Rs 4.99 lakh, upright SUV stance and impressive equipment levels. All of which the seven seat version would also benefit from. Thus, it appears that Nissan is banking on a mix of the Magnite brand, the SUV appeal and a limited 5 + 2 seating arrangement in a sub-four-metre footprint. What remains to be seen though is if this formula finds enough buyers.



Nissan Magnite review, test drive