Nissan Magnite better than Maruti Brezza - Autocar Study

∆ even if you don’t mean to, which
causes the engine to rev out and
make a racket. And while the engine
stop/start feature is a welcome fuelsaving
tool, in combination with
the abrupt auto ’box, it takes a little
getting used to before you can set
off smoothly.
The Magnite’s CVT is miles
smoother, and at times feels more
like a torque-converter than the
Brezza’s gearbox. It’s 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, there’s almost none of
that CVT-typical rubberband effect
here. Though neither car gets a
manual mode, the Magnite’s CVT
has a sport mode, which livens up
responses really well if you’re in
a hurry. A good auto ’box should
allow you to make the most of the
engine’s performance in a variety of
situations, and though the Brezza’s
works well at low speeds, the
Nissan’s 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 Brezza’s naturally
aspirated engine has a surprisingly
meaty torque band right from low
down, and doesn’t 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 isn’t all that far
behind in these regards, and it’s
only well past 100kph that you’ll
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 isn’t the quickest
steering around and will require a
few more twirls to execute a U-turn.
The Brezza’s steering doesn’t weigh
up enough as you go faster, and
you’ll 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 you’re tackling
really serious bumps, and at lower
speeds it’s got the softer edge too.
The Magnite’s setup does have an
underlying firmness, but it’s 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 your buck
The Brezza may have moved up
from the budget end of the compact
SUV segment, but it’s grown as a
car in the process. It’s now comfier,
more refined and is enhanced with
clever mild-hybrid tech. Its strong
fundamentals haven’t changed
either, and with the backing of
brand Maruti, it’s always going to
have its set of loyalists. The thing
is, this only makes the Magnite’s
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 vs maruti vitara brezza COMPARISON
nissan Magnite
XV Premium (O) Tech CVT
Maruti Brezza
ZXi+ Dual Tone AT
verdict Capable and packed with Has the fundamentals
tech, it redefines VFM in right but no longer the
this segment.
value pick here.
rating HHHHHHHHHI HHHHHHHIII
Length 3994mm 3995mm
Width 1758mm 1790mm
Height 1572mm 1640mm
Wheelbase 2500mm 2500mm
Engine 3 cyls, 999cc, turbo-petrol 4 cyls, 1462cc, petrol
Power 100hp at 5000rpm 105hp at 6000rpm
Torque 152Nm at 2200-4400rpm 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 205mm 198mm
Acceleration (from rest )
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
Price (ex-showroom, Delhi) Rs 9.88 lakh Rs 11.20 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 it’s the
better value compact SUV is without
question, but that it is also such an
impressive product is why it wins
this test. AI
96 AUTOCARINDIA.COM February 2021