The Nissan Magnite AMT is the cheapest automatic SUV you can buy in South Africa, a right-hand drive (RHD) market like ours. The vehicle is built in India and is exported to be sold in the South African market.
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Despite being offered as a CBU, the Magnite AMT is priced from ZAR 243,900 (PKR 37.9 lac) for the base Visia trim, ZAR 263,900 (PKR 41.01 lac) for the mid-spec Acenta variant, and ZAR 279,900 (PKR 43.5 lac) for the top-spec Acenta Plus variant. This makes the Magnite Visia even cheaper than the obsolete Kia Picanto AT here, whereas the Magnite Acenta Plus is priced the same as the Suzuki Cultus AGS here.
Under the hood is a 1.0L naturally aspirated 3-cylinder engine that develops 71 hp of power and 76 Nm of torque, and comes paired with a 5-speed AMT gearbox dubbed EZ-Shift. The claimed fuel economy figures are 16.9 km per liter. According to Stefan Haasbroek, Marketing Director at Nissan Africa:
“We are excited to launch the new Magnite EZ-Shift, which builds on Nissan’s global SUV heritage and advanced technology, offering a feature-rich crossover experience that delivers on style and presence. The budget models with a 5-speed AMT will bridge the gap between the manual and continuously variable transmission (CVT) variants.”
All variants come standard with ABS brakes with EBD, dual front airbags, seat belt warning, speed alert system, and Hill Start Assist (HSA). The entry-level Visia variant comes equipped with 16-inch steel wheels with plastic hubcaps, a 2DIN audio system, rear parking sensors, and halogen headlamps. Moving up, the mid-spec Acenta variant gets dual-tone exterior colors and chrome door handles, keyless entry, a push start/stop button, an 8-inch infotainment system, a reversing camera, 16-inch alloy wheels, and a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS).
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The top-spec Acenta Plus gets all the goodies of the Acenta variant but with LED headlamps and a 360-surround view monitor added to the list. The variants are backed by Nissan’s 6-year/150,000km warranty and 3-year/30,000km service plan.
The Magnite AMT is not only the cheapest vehicle in its class in the South African market in terms of purchase price, but it boasts an impressive fuel economy too. The already-popular Nissan Magnite was previously available with manual & CVT gearbox options only, however, the AMT versions will make the Magnite even more appealing to the masses.
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In Pakistan, over 40% of a vehicle’s price is made up of various taxes and duties that go to the government treasury. That does explain the high price, but what we get here are obsolete feature-ripped models with questionable built quality. The local industry has remained infant for over 3 decades, and more importantly cannot fulfill a handful of orders since customers always need to wait for several months to get the deliveries of the vehicles, unless they pay a premium (on-money) for some magic to happen and boom! the vehicle becomes available instantly. Will things ever change in the local auto sector? Let’s wait & see.
A computer animation professional with over 23 years of industry experience having served in leading organizations, TV channels & production facilities in Pakistan. An avid car enthusiast and petrolhead with an affection to deliver quality content to help shape opinions. Formerly written for PakWheels as well as major publications including Dawn. Founder of CarSpiritPK.com
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