Nissan has been struggling with low sales in India for a while now. As a result, the Japanese car manufacturer aims to lure in buyers with its promising compact SUV, the Magnite. Earlier this month, the leaked images from what appears to be a private unveiling, the Nissan Magnite is expected to be offered at a starting price of Rs 5.50 lakh and go all the way up to Rs 9.55 lakh for the top-spec variant. On the other hand, Kia Motors has further strengthened its presence in the country with the recently launched Sonet sub-four metre SUV. At the time of launch, the Nissan Magnite is expected to be the most affordable vehicle in its segment, but is this enough to drive sales? Read below to learn more about the key differences.

Exterior

The Nissan Magnite will get masculine styling elements in the form of a beefier bonnet and sleek LED bi-projector headlamps with LED light lightsabre-style turn indicators. Additionally, the upcoming Magnite compact SUV gets L-shaped DRLs and LED fog lamps, along with a large black grille with wide chrome slats on either side. The compact SUV will be available in nine colour options – five monotone and four dual-tone colours. The vehicle will get 16-inch alloy wheels with diamond cut alloy wheels, along with squared wheel arches and integrated sculpted bodyside cladding that elevate the style quotient. The front as well as the rear section features silver skid plates and the roof rails offer 50kgs of load bearing capacity and 205mm of ground clearance.

The Kia Sonet comes with a signature tiger nose grille with a three-dimensional ‘stepwell’ geometric grille mesh. The Sonet has a muscular road presence, owing to crown jewel LED headlamps that reiterate the ‘Wild by Design’ theme. The rear section gets heartbeat LED tail lamps and dual muffler design with diffuser fin skid plates for a distinctive appeal. The crystal cut alloys offer a premium and sporty appeal. The vehicle additionally offers electric sunroof, along with eight monotone and three dual-tone colour options.

Interior

The Nissan Magnite offers a simple all-black clutter-free layout. As per the company, the Magnite will offer best-in-class visibility and opening angle with a high command eye position. Some of the other best-in-class features include shoulder room in the front row, and rear knee room. The vehicle offers 336-litres of cargo space and 60:40 split foldable rear seats. For convenience, the Magnite will offer five-degree tilt of centre stack for driver-centric cockpit feel, 10-litre glovebox with illumination, and rear armrest with two cup holders and mobile holder. The sub-four metre SUV from Nissan will get an eight-inch full flash touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Additionally, the vehicle will get the Nissan Connect, with 50+ features.

The Kia Sonet gets a smooth and sweeping dashboard layout. The vehicle offers several first-in-segment features, such as a 10.25-inch HD touchscreen and navigation system with UVO Connected technologies, BOSE premium seven-speaker system with LED sound mood lights and ventilated front seats. It gets the first-in-world Smart Pure Air Purifier with virus protection and offers the best-in-segment boot space of 392-litres.

Engine

The upcoming Nissan Magnite can be had in two petrol engine options – B4D 1.0-litre NA and HRAO 1.0-litre Turbo. Both the engine options get five-speed manual transmission as standard, while the CVT option will be limited to the Turbo variant. The B4D 1.0-litra NA engine produces 70bhp at 6,250rpm and 96Nm of torque at 3,500rpm. This variant returns a fuel efficiency figure of 18.75kmpl. The HRAO 1.0-litre Turbo engine with a manual transmission produces 98bhp at 5,000rpm and 160Nm of torque between 2,800rpm – 3,600rpm, while the CVT variant produces 152Nm between 2,200rpm – 4,400rpm. The manual Turbo variant returns a fuel efficiency figure of 20kmpl, while the CVT option has a fuel efficiency of 17.7kmpl.

The Kia Sonet is available in two petrol engine options - 1.2-litre and 1.0-litre T-GDI, while the 1.5-litre diesel engine is available in two power tunes. The 1.2-litre petrol engine comes mated to a five-speed manual transmission to produce 81bhp at 6,300rpm and 115Nm of torque at 4,200rpm. The 1.0-litre T-GDI petrol engine produces 117bhp at 6,000rpm and 172Nm of torque between 1,500 – 4,000rpm. This engine is available in six-speed iMT and seven-DCT option. The 1.5 CRDI WGT engine with a six-speed manual transmission produces 97bhp at 4,000rpm and 240Nm of torque between 1,500 – 2,750rpm. The 1.5-litre CRDI VGT engine comes mated to a six-speed automatic transmission to produce 112bhp at 4,000rpm and 250Nm of torque between 1,500 - 2,750rpm.