Nissan Magnite better than Maruti Brezza - Autocar Study

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REPRINT ? FEbRuaRy 2021
COMPARISON
nissan magnite vs
maruti vitara brezza Can the Magnite do value for
money better than the original VFM champ, the
Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza?
2
SUVFM
nissan magnite vs maruti vitara brezza COmParisOn
ompact SUVs are, by their very definition,
amazing value for money. Which other
running costs and, yes, VFM, since the Maruti
800 of 1983. The Vitara Brezza, launched in
2016, was brought into this world with these
values intact. Its 1.3 diesel engine delivered
low running costs, it was relatively inexpensive
to maintain, it had all the equipment you could
ask for and it came with a knockout price. No
surprise, then, that it was the bestselling SUV
in India for a very long time. Recently,
however, things have changed. The 2020 facelift
dropped the frugal diesel for a 1.5 petrol, and
with that went those juicy small-car tax
breaks, since the petrol engines displacement
crossed 1,200cc. As a result, the price jumped
by as much as Rs 80,000 overnight, and with
almost no additional equipment
at a time when new rivals were introducing
features from luxury cars, the value proposition
did take a hit. Moreover, Maruti added its SHVS
mild-hybrid system with engine stop/start to
help offset the fuel-efficiency deficit moving
to petrol, but that would have only added to
the cost. So, the Brezza of today doesnt quite
feel like the value champ it once was, and to
rub salt into that wound, a new challenger has
come along that has really shaken things up in
the segment. The Nissan Magnite got everyones
attention with its sharp looks, seriously
impressive equipment list and a price that would
put some premium hatchbacks to shame. And
when we drove it, we found it had the
substance to back up the spec sheet. But could
it really be good enough to beat one of the best
in the game at its own game? LIttLe bOxeS A boxy
look for SUVs has always found preference here
in India, and thats even truer in this segment
where enough visual differentiation is needed to
set them apart from hatchbacks of an otherwise
similar size. The Brezza embraces that formula
wholeheartedly, with a design thats as square
as they come. The facelift has brought some
much-needed maturity to the look, with
distinctive LED front and rear lighting
signatures, tidier fog lamp housings, a neater,
four-slat chrome grille, and more upmarket
looking ?
C
type of car will give
you the practicality, ground
clearance and handsome looks of a 4x4, with the
compact convenience of a hatchback and, thanks
to sub- four-metre tax sops, a price thats not
too far off from a small car either. Its a
winning combination! But even within this
tightly governed price segment, there are some
that stand above the others for the value they
deliver. Now, say value and the first name that
will likely pop to mind is, of course, Maruti
Suzuki. Indias largest carmaker has been
synonymous with reliability, low
Can Nissans new Magnite really swipe the
value-for-money crown from the biggest name in
the business? Gavin Dsouza brings along a Maruti
Brezza to find out. PhotoGraPhy SaChiN khot
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nissan magnite vs maruti vitara brezza COmParisOn
not deal-breaking factors for either.
Interestingly, its the Magnite with the larger
boot, albeit only just, at 336 litres to the
Brezzas 328. Its at the front of the cabin that
youll find a huge contrast. The Magnites dash
design immediately looks contemporary and
interesting, what with its Lamborghini-like
hexagonal AC vents, asymmetric centre console,
AC knobs with LCD readouts inside them and
colourful screens yes, plural. Yes, like the
Brezza, it uses an all-black colour scheme,
which is a bit dull, but its livened up with
silver accents and a premium-feeling denim-like
fabric on the door pads and central armrest.
Whats also interesting is theyve managed to
set the Magnites dash quite far forward from
the front seats, which helps with the sense of
space, but theyve still managed to incorporate
a huge glove box. The Brezza has a far smaller
one, but then it does have a second box on top
that can hold a few small items. Cabin quality,
though not in the league of the Korean compact
SUVs, is still quite good, with hard-wearing
plastics and tight-fitting panels, but then the
Magnite is not too far behind, with only a few
low-quality bits (like the flimsy rear-view
mirror) marking it down. The Marutis cabin is
functional, but a bit ordinary, and its
starting to feel dated in places. This is
perhaps because a lot of the controls and
switchgear, including the steering wheel, is the
same as in most of the older-generation Maruti
cars. You can select from a bunch of colours to
back-light the analogue instrument cluster,
which is a cool touch, but we wish theyd have
incorporated the colour MID screen from the
likes of the Ciaz and Baleno, especially now
with the new mild-hybrid tech. By contrast, the
Magnites 7.0-inch full- colour instrument
screen, a seriously impressive inclusion in this
segment, feels miles ahead, with three
different displays that show speed, revs and
fuel computer data in a big, bright and
colourful look thats easy to read on the
move. And that is just one of the many exciting
features youll find in the Nissan. Fully loaded
with the optional Tech Pack, youll get wireless
phone charging, ambient lighting, a JBL sound
system, tyre-pressure monitoring and,
impressively for this segment, a 360-degree
camera array and wireless Apple Carplay and
Android Auto. The Brezza does have a few winning
items auto headlamps and wipers and
an electrochromic rear-view mirror, but other
than those, its equipment list ?
Wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay among many
segment firsts in Magnite.
Magnites clean, configurable, full-colour
instruments screen works well.
Magnites interior features a contemporary design
with interesting shapes and layers lots of
storage space on offer too.
? 16-inch alloy wheels. This new gunmetal grey
and orange dual-tone paint combination is
particularly fetching too. The proportions are
good, the lines are clean and you wont find any
aggressive cuts or creases in the bodywork. Its
a simple design, but thats what gives it a
broader appeal. On length, width and
wheelbase, the Nissan Magnite is almost the same
size as the Brezza, but its curvier shape and a
roof thats a fair bit lower make it seem
smaller at first glance. It makes up for this,
however, with some very bold details, not least
of which is its huge, chrome-framed grille. This
is neatly
offset by blade-like vertical LED running lamps,
chrome accents in the fog lamp housing and
incredibly slim LED headlamps it all looks
very aggressive. The bulging wheel arches work
well, as does the kink in the window line at the
rear, although the large, thickly clad
wheel arches and tall ground clearance (205mm to
the Brezzas 198) do serve to highlight the
slightly weedier 195-section tyres. The rear is
attractive, too, with a sculpted tailgate,
sloping windscreen and split roof
spoiler. INSIde jOb So, with its lower roof and
raked-
back glass area, you might think the Magnite has
taken a hit on interior space, but youd be
wrong. Okay, its not quite as much as
youll find in the tall and roomy Brezza, but
youd never call it lacking, and its still
better than others in the segment. In the rear
seat, leg, head and shoulder room are all more
than adequate its just that the Brezza has
more in every direction. What the Brezza doesnt
have, however, is a rear AC vent, which Nissan
has been sure to put in the Magnite. Both cars
seats have slightly firm cushioning, upright
backrests and couldve done with a few
centimetres more in thigh support, but these are
Mild-hybrid system with engine stop/start helps
save fuel in the Vitara Brezza.
The Brezzas tall, square design allows for
immense space inside the cabin.
?
The features on offer in the Magnite are truly
impressive, even before you consider the price. ?
The Brezzas cabin edges ahead slightly on
quality, but its design is a bit too ordinary and
its starting to feel dated.
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nissan magnite vs maruti vitara brezza COmParisOn
w h a t y O u g e t F O r y O u r m O n e y
nissanmagnite marutivitarabrezza
XvPremium(O)techCvt zXiDualtoneat Rs 9.88
lakh Rs 11.20 lakh
?
Price (ex-showroom, Delhi) equIPMeNt CheCkLISt
Instrument cluster Touchscreen Apple
CarPlay/Android Auto Connected car
tech Auto-dimming rear view mirror Projector
headlamps Auto headlamps/wipers Keyless entry
and go 360-degree camera Sunroof Ambient
lighting Wireless phone charger Auto climate
control Rear AC vents ISOFIX child seat
mounts Airbags ?Available, NANot Available
The Brezza has gone up in price recently, but
its matured as a product as well. ?

• Digital 8.0-inch
• (wireless)

Analogue 7.0-inch
?
NA
?
NA LED NA
?
LED
? ?
? ?
NA NA NA NA
NA
? ? ? ? ?
?
NA
?
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Flimsy rear-view mirror one of few signs of
cost-trimming in the Magnite.
? is only average. One thing buyers of either
car will miss is a sunroof. dRIve MOde For two
petrol powertrains that make roughly the same
horsepower, these two couldnt be less alike.
The Nissan uses a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder
turbo-petrol, while the Maruti a 1.5-litre,
four-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol aided
by an electric motor that provides a mild boost
to acceleration at times. The Nissans torque
output is, expectedly, a little higher, and
while the Magnite has a CVT, the Brezza uses a
4-speed torque-converter auto. You do get a few
three-cylinder-
typical vibes at idle in the Magnite, but it
smoothens out admirably the moment you get
moving. More apparent on the move, in fact, is
road noise, especially on coarse surfaces, and,
overall, the Brezza feels more refined at all
speeds. There are times when the Maruti gets
noisy but that has more to do with its gearbox.
The old-school 4-speed unit, while smooth and
effective at low speeds, does feel a bit slow to
respond when you try to get a move on. It needs
a firm kick to initiate a downshift, theres a
pause before shifting, and the shift itself can
be quite firm. It can also hold on to gears too
long, ?
Marutis old-school 4-speed torque-converter auto
can be slow to respond.
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nissan magnite vs maruti vitara brezza COmParisOn
? even if you dont mean to, which causes the
engine to rev out and make a racket. And while
the engine stop/start feature is a welcome fuel-
saving tool, in combination with the abrupt auto
box, it takes a little getting used to before
you can set off smoothly. The Magnites CVT is
miles smoother, and at times feels more like a
torque-converter than the Brezzas gearbox. Its
responsive, but not frantically so off the line,
and it eases you through the turbocharged
powerband in a progressive manner. And even if
you want to drive aggressively, theres almost
none of that CVT-typical rubberband effect
here. Though neither car gets a manual mode, the
Magnites CVT has a sport mode, which livens up
responses really well if youre in a hurry. A
good auto box should allow you to make the most
of the engines performance in a variety of
situations, and though the Brezzas works well
at low speeds, the Nissans powertrain does a
much better job overall. The Magnite has that
nice strong mid-range you want from your
turbocharged engine and it does well to
reinforce the whole SUV character. The Brezzas
naturally aspirated engine has a surprisingly
meaty torque band right from low down, and
doesnt rely as heavily on high revs like say a
Honda i-VTEC engine, which again, is good for an
SUV. In our performance tests, the Nissan was
about 1sec quicker to 100kph, at 12.28sec, than
the Maruti, with a similar gap in timings from
20-80kph in kickdown acceleration. But then the
Maruti is also a full 100kg heavier. On its
grippier, wider tyres, the
Brezza does inspire a bit more confidence around
corners, and also at higher speeds, thanks to a
more solid-feeling suspension setup. That said,
the Magnite isnt all that far behind in these
regards, and its only well past 100kph that
youll perhaps want to ease off a bit. The
steering helps, however, as it weighs up nicely
as speeds build, but it has to be said, this
isnt the quickest steering around and will
require a few more twirls to execute a U-turn.
The Brezzas steering doesnt weigh up enough as
you go faster, and youll want to keep a firm
grip on it out on the highway. Ride comfort is a
close call too, but the Brezza just about edges
it. It feels like the more robust suspension
when youre tackling really serious bumps, and
at lower speeds its got the softer edge too.
The Magnites setup does have an underlying
firmness, but its not to the point of
discomfort. Moreover, as you pick up the pace,
it tackles poor surfaces better and is a closer
match for the Maruti. bANg fOR yOu R buCk The
Brezza may have moved up from the budget end of
the compact SUV segment, but its grown as a
car in the process. Its now comfier, more
refined and is enhanced with clever mild-hybrid
tech. Its strong fundamentals havent changed
either, and with the backing of brand Maruti,
its always going to have its set of loyalists.
The thing is, this only makes the Magnites
achievement even bigger a new entrant to a
hugely competitive segment that can not only
hold its own against the Brezza, but beat it in
some key areas, like on the
nissan magnite XvPremium(O)techCvt maruti brezza zXiDualtoneat
veRdICt Capable and packed with Has the fundamentals
tech, it redefines VFM in this segment. right but no longer the value pick here.
RAtINg HHHHHHHHHI HHHHHHHIII
Length 3994mm Width 1758mm Height 1572mm
Wheelbase 2500mm
3995mm 1790mm 1640mm 2500mm
Engine 3 cyls, 999cc, turbo-petrol Power 100hp at
5000rpm Torque 152Nm at 2200-4400rpm
4 cyls, 1462cc, petrol
105hp at 6000rpm
138Nm at 4400rpm
Gearbox CVT 4-speed automatic
Kerb weight 1039kg 1140kg
Boot volume 336 litres 328 litres
Tyre size 195/60 R16 215/60 R16
Ground clearance ACCeLeRAtION (f 205mm ROM ReSt ) 198mm
Kph Sec Sec
20 1.40 1.31
40 3.20 3.35
60 5.34 5.69
80 8.23 9.23
100 12.28 13.31
120 18.60 20.72
140 27.60 29.81
ACCeLeRAtION (IN geAR ) 20-80 (in
kickdown) 6.86 7.87 40-100 (in kickdown) 9.34 9.90
PRICe
Rs 11.20 lakh
Price (ex-showroom, Delhi) Rs 9.88
lakh equipment list. And that it does this at a
price that is Rs 1.32 lakh lower than the Suzuki
is something truly commendable. How have
they done it? Well, you do see some signs
refinement, toughness of build and interior
finish which though
still not bad in isolation, do point to the
Magnite being built to a price. But what a price
it is! That its the better value compact SUV is
without question, but that it is also such an
impressive product is why it wins this test. AI
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