Nissan Magnite SUV Concept unveiled, to take on Vitara Brezza and Kia Sonet

Nissan unveiled the concept version of its highly anticipated B-segment SUV Magnite on July 16 and will be officially launched in the second half of FY 2020-21. The Japanese automaker has been facing various financial challenges in the market, amplified by the controversies surrounding its former chairman Carlos Ghosn, and is expecting a turnaround with its latest launches in the Indian market.

While Nissan has not revealed the engine details of the concept version, it is likely that the sub-compact SUV will adopt the engineering capabilities of its elder siblings. Magnite concept, a portmanteau of the words “magnetic” and “ignite”, sports black grille bracketed by silver wings, svelte LED taillights, inverted boomerang-shaped DRLs, and sits on dual-tone alloys.

Rakesh Srivastava, Managing Director, Nissan Motor India, said that Magnite is an evolutionary leap in Nissan’s global SUV DNA. He expressed confidence in redefining the B-SUV segment for the industry with “cutting-edge technology onboard” and a bold offering in the sub-four-meter category.

“The Nissan Magnite is made on the philosophy of ‘Make in India, Make for the World’ and has been designed in Japan while keeping in mind the requirements and aspirations of Indian customers.” said Srivastava.

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Ready to take on Brezza, Sonet

Once Nissan Magnite is available in the Indian market, it will take on Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Kia Sonet, Tata Nexon, Mahindra XUV300, and Ford EcoSport. During the event for the showcasing of Magnite concept, Ashwini Gupta, COO at Nissan Motor Corp, reportedly said that Magnite will not only “transform the way we drive and way we live” in India, it will also bring back the growth for the company in the country.

The company has been facing a crisis situation after Ghosn was arrested in November 2018 and was awaiting trial in Japan before he skipped the bail and escaped to Lebanon. Nissan shareholders have also been angry at the management after the stock prices of Japanese automaker crashed, and the company registered quarterly losses following the departure of Ghosn.

(Image credit: Nissan)

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