Nissan India starts SUV Magnite's production

Nissan India on Monday announced the commencement of production of its B-segment SUV, Magnite, with the first vehicle rolling out from Chennai-based alliance plant Renault Nissan Automotive India Pvt Ltd (RNAIPL).

Unveiled on October 21, Nissan Magnite, which will be available in four trim models, is expected to be launched this month.

"RNAIPL is thrilled to commemorate the start of production of the all-new Nissan Magnite. We are also exploring opportunities to export this SUV," said RNAIPL Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Biju Balendran.

The model, which is powered by one-litre petrol engine, would compete with the likes of Kia Sonet, Maruti Vitara Brezza, Hyundai Venue, Tata Nexon and Mahindra XUV300.

Built on the philosophy of 'Make in India, Make for the World', Magnite marks the beginning of a new chapter in the Nissan NEXT strategy for the Indian and global markets, the company said in a release.

Nissan Motor India Managing Director Rakesh Srivastava said, "The start of production of the all-new Nissan Magnite is a proud moment for all of us. With an array of first-in-class and best-in-segment features, each grade walk has been curated to meet the aspirations of the discerning Indian customer."

In line with Nissan's philosophy of continuous innovation to deliver enriching experiences, Nissan's renowned technologies are provided at every grade, including the X-TRONIC CVT, cruise control, 360-degree round view monitor, and Nissan Connect, he said.

Tested at the Japanese car maker's world-class facility at Tochigi Proving Ground, the new SUV has been designed in Japan keeping in mind the requirements of the Indian customers.

The compact SUV would come with various features like 60-40 split folding rear seats, 336 litre luggage space, around view monitor, tyre pressure monitoring system, eight-inch infotainment display and over 50 connected features.

The new SUV would come with manual and automatic transmissions and various safety features like vehicle dynamic control (VDC) and traction control system.

The company, in the release, claimed Magnite to be one of the most fuel-efficient SUVs in the market at present.